Down to the Decor

The One Room Challenge is almost over, and I’m seeing real progress. Today I want to talk about the stylistic and decorating changes I’m making in concert with my organizing. I had to do a lot of sorting & purging to get to this stage, but now I’m here and I love it!

I decided not to rearrange that much. Where the big pieces of furniture are makes sense to me in terms of size and flow, but I did make one big change. The table under the window that was ostensibly for eating, but was always covered in books, is gone. I gave it to my mom, and I’m glad to still have it around, albeit not in my little apartment. In its place is a bookshelf, a choice that makes all the sense. I got a Kallax from IKEA, which fits with both my budget and the Expedits I already have. It doesn’t hurt that it’s just the right height to fit under my window.

I’ve found room for most of my loose books in the Kallax, and was able to get rid of a couple tote bags worth of other books in the process. I’ve been slowly styling the bookcase. As a book lover, books are the most important part of my shelves, and everything else has to fit around them. The top is now home to edited magazine files, a couple boxes of storage, lots of plants, and lighting in the form of a salt lamp and a candle. I call them my “good vibes machine” and turn on the lamp & light the candle when I get home at night. They make my place so cozy!

That bookshelf helps establish the reading nook vibe I’m aiming for, with my Eames chair taking up the place of honor as a reading chair.

The other big decor change is with my sofa. I’m finally upgrading from my IKEA Solsta (RIP!) in favor of a slightly larger mid-century style loveseat. The space I have for a sofa is not large, so I’ve opted for a longer loveseat with slim arms that curve out from the seat. It works with my linear feet needs, but looks and feels (and actually is) bigger than my old loveseat. It’s also a lot more stylish, which makes me happy too.

As I’ve mentioned in other posts, there are still some areas of clutter to banish, but everything is finally coming together. The thing I didn’t anticipate (but should have) about this challenge is the impetus it has given me to tackle other rooms. I’m resisting that urge for now – it is a one room challenge after all – but I look forward to making updates around my apartment after I finish this room. In the meantime, I’m tackling last areas and finding new challenges, like how to hide my air conditioning wall unit.

Good luck to everyone else in the home stretch!