Kate Pearce Vintage | Spring 2020 One Room Challenge | Week 7

Here we are just one week shy of FINAL REVEAL and I would be lying if I told you I am not very tired, and a little bit nervous, but what’s one more week of sleep deprivation? We’ve got this! (I think). HA! Do I sound delirious yet?

Ok, let’s get down to business. This week I want to start out by highlighting the floors in our Office/Guest room portion of the attic space. We were beyond excited to team up with LIFECORE for the project. Their hardwood floors are truly one-of-a-kind, boasting GREENGUARD Gold certifications AND a waterproof designation. It’s hard to say what my favorite part of these floors are, but the fact that they come pre-finished (with LOTS of options to choose from) is right at the top of my list. I don’t know about you, but we’ve dealt with a few too many stain jobs gone wrong around here, so the idea that we knew exactly what finish our floors would be was VERY comforting.

But, really, what my favorite detail of LIFECORE floors are is their scratch-resistance. Now, let me explain because this isn’t come click-baity sort of BS statement and it really is something I have never even heard of before working with LIFECORE. They use something called an “organic reactive process” that brings out the natural tannins in the wood. So, what does that have to do with scratch-resistance, you ask? Well, just chill a second I’m getting there.

This process IS relevant because what that means is that the color you see on the surface of this wood, is also the color in the layers beyond the surface. So, if you do happen to scratch the wood, it won’t be noticeable in the least because that same color that is on the surface will appear in that scratch. This has happened to us already. Our two-year old was found driving one of her toys into the wood – because that sort of antic is something that pleases toddlers greatly – and I FREAKED when I saw her do it. But, I was then immediately assuaged when I realized the scratch truly just looked like another grain in the wood. SO – dog people, cat people, children people, irresponsible people, messy people, and lazy people of the world! THESE ARE YOUR FLOORS. But, even in you happen to be like a super responsible single adult living in a low-traffic area, there is so much to love about LIFECORE floors, too.

Ok, so just a bit on the floors WE chose from LIFECORE’s extensive offerings. It really wasn’t easy to pick a finish since so many of them spoke to me, but the Adela Oak Nature’s Way was really calling my name. As a quick aside, I should mention that all of LIFECORE’s floors are wide-plank, ringing in at a dreamy 7.5 inch width, which was exactly what we were looking for. But that Adela Oak finish had this rich, saturated finish that would serve as a stunning contrast to our white shiplap ceiling. It also has an incredible array of warm tones throughout the wood that would play in nicely with the ochre tiles that meet the wood at the bathroom entrance. Now that they are installed, they are above and beyond all expectations. We had them covered to protect them from paint and tools for the last month, and stripping that protective paper away was like having a second Christmas in June. LIFECORE’s floors are truly stunning, hardy and unique, and the team over at LIFECORE couldn’t be more helpful and kind.

The next topic for this pre-reveal blog will be the furniture in this Guest/Office space, which was provided by two sponsors: APT2B and Joybird. The space will also host pillows from SWD Studio, fabric from TREND by Fabricut, and host of different vintage finds and little knick-knacks sourced by both me, and some of my favorite Instagram friends. The rug, which we just added last night and are IN LOVE, is the Ehren rug from Loloi.

First, I’d like to talk about APT2B. When I heard they were official sponsors for the One Room Challenge, I got more than a little psyched, and went more than a little crazy choosing products from their site. They were incredibly generous and provided us with nearly all our furniture needs for the space. Most of their products are mid-century-inspired, but have a refreshing twist on the era that has become ubiquitous in modern decor.

First, we chose their Midtown desk. It was HARD to choose a desk from APT2B because they have such a great selection, but our saving grace was the fact that we were quite limited by the small dimensions of the nook we planned to put the desk in. The Midtown desk had the warm woods that would play in well with the LIFECORE flooring, but also had matte black legs that would pick up the matte blacks that are found throughout our ORC space. It had ample storage for a desk of its size, and we couldn’t be happier with our decision to go with the Midtown.

The next piece we chose from APT2B was their Caulder coffee table, which plays off of the sculptural designs of mid-century furniture, and has the perfect scale for a modestly sized sofa. It is a super fun and functional piece, but unobtrusive in scale as to not overwhelm our little attic nook. We placed the Caulder coffee table in front of our Briar Sleeper sofa from Joybird, and the two are like a match made in heaven.

The other pieces that we worked with APT2B on are lights. I had sourced two vintage brass lotus chandeliers for this Office/Guest portion of the attic space and was looking for light fixtures that would play nicely with them. I immediately fell in love with the Bardot Floor lamp in French Smoke and it is just the perfect piece to dress up the corner of our dormered portion of the Office/Guest space. The Glenn Table lamp in black also served as the perfect piece to add a bit of warm lighting for a nightcap, and looks super chic popping against the all-white walls and ceilings, and we have layered it on top of the Credenza by Three of the Possessed DAZZLE APARTMENT, another fun graphic piece from APT2B.

The last piece from APT2B was the Chandler Stool in black. I envisioned it as a little side table, but also as a plant stand. I also saw it styled in front of the bathtub, or even as an extra seating stool for around the T.V. for the kids. I have a feeling this Chandler Stool may play many roles in this here One Room Challenge space, but how it will be styled for reveal is yet to be decided (so STAY TUNED!).

Lastly, I want to give a shoutout to Joybird and their absolutely wonderful Briar Sleeper Sofa. I had worked with Joybird once before and fell in LOVE with the Briony sofa that now occupies our library space, so I just knew I needed to have another Joybird sofa for the attic. Joybird simply produces the most comfortable and well-made sofas on the market, but they also have such a keen eye for design. They make pieces that are edgy enough to be current, but traditional enough to stand the test of time. We chose the Royale Peacock fabric for our Briar sofa and not only is it incredibly resilient, it is SO. DAMN. SOFT. I just want to pet it all day long. And as if all of that was not enough, we actually ended up testing out the sleeper part of the sofa last night and I think it will become my everynight bed because it is WAY more comfortable than my mattress. And what sleeper sofa can pull that off? I always have a lot of people ask me about Joybird, and I would also encourage you to reach out to me with any questions you might have. They are a company and a product that I feel really proud to get behind.

Ok, folks! That is the roundup for WEEK 7. I intentionally didn’t show you the bathroom space because, well, other than some tiling it is very nearly finished and that’s the sort of SCHTUFF I want to save for REVEAL NEXT WEEK. So OF COURSE OF COURSE, be sure to check out all of the other fabulous Featured Designer updates this week (linked below) and also pop on over to see the wonderful Guest Participant transformations.

A Glass of Bovino | Beginning in the Middle | Beth Diana Smith | Clark + Aldine | Coco & Jack

Deeply Southern Home| Design Maze | Dwell by Cheryl | Erika Ward | Home Made by Carmona

House of Hipsters | Hunted Interior | Kandrac & Kole | Kate Pearce | Katrina Blair | Liz Kamarul

Veneer Designs | Rambling Renovators | Renovation Husbands | Studio Plumb | Media BH&G

And be sure to come back to this very spot, this time next week to see our FULL ATTIC REVEAL.

Thanks, as always, for popping by – and can’t wait to see you again real soon.

XO,