We are so incredibly excited to be a part of the One Room Challenge™ this year! For those of you who are not familiar with the One Room Challenge, it is an online forum in which to share the process of transforming a room over eight weeks. Which sounds both horrifying and exciting. Can’t wait to see this room go from sad yellow and cows to perfection!

For those of you who are new to us, we are Gary and Nick and we are restoring Gaye Gardens, our 1883 home in northeastern Iowa. We have owned Gaye Gardens for almost three years after relocating from Denver, Colorado. And we have a whopping two rooms (almost!) finished out of 23. Which makes us perfect for this challenge because it will keep us motivated and on track to meet our deadline. We will either have a beautiful room, or we will kill each other.

Our Project:

We have chosen the parlor (affectionately dubbed “The Norma Costa Parlor”) for our ORC and we couldn't be more thrilled to work on this room. For those of you that know us well, you know that we don't make decisions quickly. Luckily, we have spent the last three years finding the perfect pieces for this space.

We want this room to be fun! We do a lot of entertaining (pre-pandemic but hoping to start up again soon!) and this is the first room off of the entry so it must be an inviting and interesting space for guests. It also flows through to the living room via French doors so it is visible from most of the first floor. It also sets the tone for the rest of the first floor since we only have the kitchen completed.

Inspiration:

We want the space to be fun and different — very glamorous and sort of 1960s 'Valley of the Dolls' meets Kelly Wearstler. Hollywood Regency but with a modern/darker elegance. If that is a thing… My favorite color is hot pink and Gary prefers neutral tones so we will meet somewhere in the middle of Laura Ingalls Wilder and the Best Little Whorehouse in Texas.

The Design:

Right now, Gary is hard at work replastering the walls. Which is a nightmare and a ton of work. The room, of course, will be built around our pièce de résistance—The Norma Costa sofa. We found this beauty at the auction and it is my absolute favorite thing we own. I'm planning on being buried with it which is a story for another time.

We’ve already selected an oversized K9 crystal chandelier that will be flush mounted and a few accessories. For the most part, all of the design work will be done over the next six weeks. We are lucky to have an extensive art collection and no shortage of items (bordering on hoarding) around the house that can be repurposed for the parlor! My favorite rooms are ones that are curated over a lifetime so I’m a huge fan of moving accessories and furniture around from room to room until they find their happy place.

Make sure you check back next week for paint options (AGHHHHH!!) and curtains! Click here to get back to the One Room Challenge.