Guys, I may have just missed my fifteen minutes of fame. Earlier this week, a producer from the Marilyn Denis Show invited me to appear on Tuesday's DIY Showdown Show. Basically, they would drop off a box of goodies on Friday (today) and film me reading the rules of the challenge. I would have the weekend and a small budget to style a room vignette using the items they dropped off, along with anything I purchased or made myself. Then, on Monday, I would put the vignette together in their studio and on Tuesday, I would appear on the show with Corey and Rudy in the audience!
I'm sorry to say that I declined. I have clients making an offer on a house on Monday and I think they'll require my attention over the weekend but how cool would it have been if it had been another weekend? I told the producer that I was sorry to refuse and to think of me another time.
I actually liked the idea so much that I thought I'd make up my own rules and write a blog post about what I would have done. So we'll call this post an "if I had done it" post. Does that sound too much like OJ? Hope not.
So, I'm not sure if my room would have had a theme or what items they would have dropped off, so I'll make my own rules to make my own challenge a little harder.
Rule #1: I'm limiting it to projects that I could have completed over the weekend even allotting time for work and helping with Rudy.
Rule #2: As an extra challenge, I'm only allowing myself DIYs that I could do without having to look up any instructions.
Rule #3: I am limiting the items used to things we already own or could (with the exception of craft supplies, paint and lumber) purchase second-hand.
Sounds hard? Well, this was a personal challenge so I didn't want to make it too easy.
I always like to start with a good vintage Persian rug. I feel like they give every room some depth and warmth and I especially love the way they mix in with modern interiors.
Then, I'd tackle the wall. Because it's only a vignette, I'd want to add a lot of texture and visual interest. I might try this DIY wainscotting technique.
I'd probably also want to paint it a bold colour like Farrow and Ball's Studio Green.
Next, I'd like to DIY a chair. I may check out a thrift store or I may makeover the faux Eames Eiffel Chair that's currently in my office. First, I'd cut wood arches to secure with construction adhesive to make a rocker base. You could also skip that step and buy a faux Eames Eiffel Rocker from Structube.
From there I'd cover it in fabric using this mod podge method. For the chair fabric, I'd choose something bright and modern (maybe floral) in colours that clash just a teeny bit with the rug. I'd want my vignette to look edgy and unexpected. This print is a good example.
I'd want something on the walls. If I'm going for a rich look, I may choose something gold and a mirror would make sense in a small vignette. Round mirrors are easy to find at thrift stores and flea markets (I probably have one for staging in the basement) and I think I'd cover the edges in layers of plastic spoon heads before spray painting them gold.
I'd then look for an ornate buffet or credenza on Craigslist like this one. If the wood were in good condition, I'd leave it but if not, I might paint it in a similar shade to the wall only in a high gloss.
I would love to add a plant to the vignette to make it feel more finished. A large fiddle leaf fig would make it look really grounded and they're so sculptural that it would add a lot of visual interest and pick up any green in the paint and rug. I'd buy a thrift store planter and cover it in gold leaf.
To style the buffet, normally I'd go with the rule of something tall, something short and something sculptural but I think I'd want to showcase another DIY. Collections of blue opaline glass can look very impressive like the one below from the home of the owner of Juicy Couture. I think I'd pick up some assorted thrift store vases and glasses and paint them blue like in this tutorial.
The final result would depend a lot on what rug and fabric I could find but it may look something like this:
If I'd had the time, I may have added some drapery behind the buffet (to create a faux window) in a rich, dark forest green velvet or maybe even a red or dark pink... It would really depend on the colours in the rug and the chair fabric. I may not have "won" but my vignette would have certianly been high-impact! It also would have showcased lots of diy-ing and several reclaimed pieces. Maybe next time...
