Eleanor's Room One Room Challenge The Victorian House

One Room Challenge: Week 4 (A Disagreement)

The good news is that everything should come together now pretty quickly, but ack! We’re at week four already! Planning the room started before the One Room Challenge officially began, but then of course my girl switched up the design in week 2. No problem, we can pivot. Then a cold, some tech problems that needed immediate attention, and cracks in the plaster walls that were worse and more numerous than initially suspected threw me off, and this past week kind of happened without much progress. But, I should have everything fully painted and a new light fixture up by tomorrow, then I can unroll the rug, drag the dresser and bed into place, and the room will feel like it’s gone from 5% finished to 65%.

Fixing Cracks in Plaster Walls | Making it Lovely, One Room Challenge

Eleanor and I had our first disagreement on the room’s design. Everything I’m doing, I run it by her first. We chose colors, bedding, and the rug together. I showed her antique dressers as I searched Facebook Marketplace and have made sure she liked the new lighting that will be going in. It’s been a completely collaborative process, and so much fun to work on together. But we disagreed when it came time to choose a color for the trim.

Paint Goes Up!

I sanded, cleaned, and primed all of the woodwork, then cut in and painted one wall in our new color (Benjamin Moore Magic Potion 1250). It’s the perfect color between pink and purple, giving us that lilac/orchid/lavender/thistle we were looking for. We were both happy, but when I asked if she thought the trim should be the same color or one shade darker, and she furrowed her brow and said white. And I’m sorry, but white was not an option for a reason. Her room is all slants and angles, and wonky trim highlights the problems. This has been the only design decision that I’ve overruled her on and she wasn’t pleased when I told her it would probably not be white.

Nicole, Painting, Rolling on the Ceiling Color
One Coat of Paint

I finished painting the walls and ceiling, and put a coat of black paint on the door before choosing the color. I feel the same was toward white trim as I do white walls. A beautiful choice when done right, but not always great when done as a default, and it really wasn’t the right choice here. I went one shade darker and one swatch over in the fan deck (Benjamin Moore Barberry 1244) and I’m only one coat in but it looks amazing! It also makes it look very Victorian in our Victorian home, but more modern elements are coming.

Black Door, Lilac Walls, Purple Trim | Making it Lovely, One Room Challenge

And guess what, Eleanor came home from school, saw the progress, and she likes it. I don’t think she could picture what it would look like beyond the white primer. May that be the last of our disagreements! When it comes to this room makeover, at least.


Follow along with the One Room Challenge participants!

One Room Challenge

• At Charlotte’s House  • Design Addict Mom  • Erika Ward Interiors  • Erin Kestenbaum  • Girl & Grey • Gray Malin  • Hommeboys  • I Spy DIY  • Jewel Marlowe  • The Learner Observer  • Making it Lovely •  Nicole White Designs  • Old Brand New  • Oscar Bravo Home  • Place of My Taste  • The Rath Project • Room for Tuesday  • SG Style  • Undecorated Home  • Veronica Solomon  • Media BH&G  • TM by ORC

My One Room Challenge Sponsors

Thank you to the following sponsors for generously providing product.
• Blueprint Lighting • Crystorama • Fabricut • Garnet Hill • Loloi • Tuft & Needle

My One Room Challenge Posts

Follow along from the beginning!
• Week 1: My Daughter’s Room • Week 2: The Design Plan • Week 3: Adding Interest • Week 4: A Disagreement

And check out my previous One Room Challenges!
• Spring ’16: Our Bedroom and Den • Fall ’16: Front and Back Entry, Stairs, and Hallways • Fall ’17: My Home Office

Sources & Paint ColorsNeed design help? Let's work together.

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  • Peggi
    October 23, 2019 at 5:44 am

    In love with those colors, especially with the black door! Also, the amount of work you accomplish always impresses.

  • Erin Burke
    October 23, 2019 at 8:20 am

    LOVE love love!!! The contrast trim. And your collaboration is adorable. She comes home and is like, ok fine you were right. ;)

  • Lisa
    October 23, 2019 at 1:24 pm

    This is looking great! As a reader, you can’t really understand how wonky the walls are by just looking at a few pictures. But that last one of the door, new trim color and VERY slanted threshold…WHOA.

  • Angela Nickerson
    October 23, 2019 at 9:52 pm

    That door is absolutely stunning! I love it!

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