Six weeks ago I signed up for the One Room Challenge hosted by Calling it Home. The idea is simple: begin and finish a room renovation within six weeks.
Today is week six, and while this post would normally be the big reveal, I don’t have a completed room to show. I debated whether to link up with the other guest participants this week — will the makeover police disqualify me for not finishing on time?
It reminded me of the time I missed a college deadline and had to ask a professor for an extension after I spent time in quarantine with salmonella food poisoning (true story). He offered grace and an extra deadline, and I eventually turned in the paper.
Thankfully I haven’t had any food poisoning this time, but my living-dining room remodel isn’t ready for a full reveal. So I’m asking for a little grace and an extension. Realistically, some items — like the couch and rug — won’t arrive until July, so the final reveal will have to wait.
Even so, there’s been solid progress, and I wanted to share where the project stands and what’s left to do.
Here’s where we started:
My goal was to bring a bit more farmhouse character into the living and dining area of our small townhouse while keeping it fresh and livable.
I struggled at first to combine styles, so Melissa from The Farmhouse Native created two beautiful inspiration boards that helped me visualize the direction. They were indispensable as I made decisions about finishes and furnishings.
Current progress
1. Painted the dining room walls to match the rest of the space
The dark paint in the dining area was making the room feel smaller and segmented. We repainted those walls with Simply White to match the adjoining space, which instantly brightened the room and created a clean backdrop where furniture and accessories will stand out.
Before:
After:
2. Added a Billy Bookcase extension to reach the ceiling
To make better use of vertical space and give the room a more finished, built-in look, we added an extension to the top of the existing Billy bookcases so they nearly reach the ceiling. It immediately elevates the scale and makes styling the shelves more intentional.
Before:
Now:
There are more ideas in the works for styling this wall and concealing electronics. (If you have tips for hiding a TV cable box or Wi‑Fi tower, I’m all ears — they can be so visually distracting.)
3. Farmhouse table / office desk makeover
I refreshed the small farmhouse table that doubles as my desk. Stripping and refinishing the wood brought back its character and gave the workspace a vintage farmhouse feel that ties in with the inspiration boards.
Before:
After:
If you’d like step-by-step instructions for this kind of project, I documented the process in a separate tutorial.
4. Sofa ordered
Ordering a couch felt like a big step for me — it’s a major purchase that helps anchor the entire room. I shared some of my decision-making on Facebook Live during the process. The sofa is on order, but delivery has been delayed and is now expected in July.
5. Rug ordered
I found a rug I loved and ordered it right away, but that delivery has also been pushed back to mid‑July. So both the couch and the rug will arrive around the same time, which means the final room styling and photoshoot will happen after those pieces arrive.
There are several smaller projects lined up and ready to finish — I’m just waiting for a day when my husband and I are both free to tackle them together. Once the furnishings arrive, I’ll complete the styling, hang a few final pieces, and share the full reveal.
I’m incredibly grateful to Melissa from The Farmhouse Native for collaborating on this project. Her design input guided many choices, and we even hosted a Fearless & Fun DIY + Decor Workshop on Facebook Live together. We covered topics like shopping your house, picking paint colors, and working with a budget; if you missed the live sessions, replays were made available through the original workshop announcements.
Thank you for your patience and for granting me an extension on this One Room Challenge project. The progress so far has been encouraging, and I’m excited to show the finished room once the remaining pieces arrive and the final details are complete. Stay tuned for updates and behind‑the‑scenes glimpses on Instagram and Facebook.
