We took last week off from blogging to focus on getting the house ready for our Thanksgiving guests. Deep cleaning a house this size is no joke. I am not particularly organized about it since I have never lived in a big house before, but we are all starting to get the hang of it.

Today, I am going to share my favorite One Room Challenge rooms, but first, I owe you pictures of the new dining room rug that I talked about in our last post.

I am thrilled with the customer service at RugsUSA.com. Our rug was scheduled to arrive on the Monday before Thanksgiving. It came early on Saturday which was perfect since I was already cleaning and prepping the house for the holiday. That alone sold me on ordering from them again, but then, they went above and beyond. Less than 24 hours after I ordered, there was a significant price reduction on this rug which was already a good deal. I wrestled with the question, Is it greedy to ask them the honor the new price for me? 

Ultimately, I decided to go with the advice that I give to my children on a regular basis. If you don’t ask, you will never know. I reached out to Rugs USA with my question, and without hesitation, they agreed to refund the price difference. Not only that, but they answered my question outside of regular business hours. We need a houseful of rugs, and I will definitely shop at Rugs USA first. Right now, they are running some fantastic promotions. I encourage you to give them a look.

The rug color is not exactly what I was expecting. It is a more rusty orange vs. a vibrant orange. However, once we refinish the wood floors next year, they will be lighter, and the rug will add the punch I was seeking when I chose orange as the primary color. Overall, I love it. The rug improves the finished look of our dining room significantly.

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My One Room Challenge Favorites

This year, I took my sweet time poring over all of the One Room Challenge rooms from the featured designers and the guest participants. Once again, I am in awe of the energy and creativity that everyone puts into this challenge. Although I was impressed by all, a few projects caught my eye.

Featured Designers

Of the projects by the featured designers, my favorite is the basement guest suite by Megan Pflug Designs:

Megan turned a basement into a bright and welcoming space. I love the colors and the layered accessories. It is so difficult to make a basement look bright and cheerful. Megan nailed it.

In addition to Megan’s basement suite, I also fell in love with Aniko’s bathroom transformation. She took a builder-grade bathroom and turned it into a sort of mid-century modern meets present-day-trendy masterpiece. I am not up on design lingo, so I may not be explaining that correctly. If I am way off, please forgive me.

Guest Participants

The guest participants always get an extra cheer from me. Many of us work without the benefit of sponsors or additional paid labor. That is not always the case, and I certainly do not begrudge those that have more opportunities. Creativity flourishes within a large budget or a small one. I just find that I really relate to the guest participants more often than not.

If you followed along with the Spring challenge, you might remember Kari’s Glam Cottage Bathroom that I shared here on the blog.   Not surprisingly, her new Glam Cottage Foyer is one of my favorites.  Kari has such a way with neutrals, and this girl shares my budget-minded methods. The total that we spent on our room renovations was within about $8 of each other.

Bre’s Laundry and Storage Room is a show stopper.  Seriously. Look at that wall, that light fixture, that everything. The opposite side of the room is beautiful too. Pop on over to her blog to take a look.

I am always on the lookout for other old home owners like us. I fell in love with Sarah’s stair and hall makeover. Sarah’s house was built in 1902. Isn’t it beautiful? It reminds me of the staircase here in BHH. We have the same dark walnut/white combination.  Sarah did some serious work on her stairs. Be sure to visit her blog to see all the “before” shots.

Another old home renovation blog that I follow is The Grit & Polish. I love pretty much everything that Cathy does, and her Farmhouse Master Bedroom is no exception.  Cathy’s farmhouse was built in 1912.

Many other projects caught my eye in some way or another, but these are the best of the best for me. The One Room Challenge is an excellent teacher. I learn so much each season. The Spring ’17 One Room Challenge begins April 5, and we are looking forward to it already.

I will sign off for today with a silly holiday picture that I am posting mainly for my mother’s benefit. (Hi, mom!) Please excuse my pixelated friends. I did not ask their permission to use their photo on the blog, so I am protecting their privacy.  Thanksgiving morning, Andy and I joined our running group for a small, unofficial Turkey Trot. I marked the day by dressing as a Pilgrim. The costume was a hit. Wearing it will be a yearly tradition. FYI, it is surprisingly comfortable running in a long skirt. It makes an excellent wind break in the frigid east.