Alright, folks. We know the plan is in place. The room has been designed (thanks, Laurel & Wolf!). The rug has been swapped (thanks, Rugs USA!). Some furniture has been acquired.

I knew from the get go that this would be a work in progress. I don’t have an extra few thousand set aside for room redecorating, so I’m piecing this together little by little. And you know what? It’s pretty rewarding. Each tiny step feels like a huge victory. Mounted shelves and a clean desk felt like winning a bronze medal in the Olympics. I’d say gold but I like to keep things realistic, you know?

Things I still need to do (there are a lot): new bed frame and boxsprings, replace dresser, refinish vanity, get a desk chair, replace ceiling light with sweet chandelier, add a plant or two, and put on some finishing touches. AND organize my closet. It sounds like a ton (and it is!), but it’s starting to feel feasible.

I debated whether or not I wanted to do a “reveal” at the end with all the final touches, but like, who the f are we kidding, I’m not Kate Middleton, no one cares that much. This is just my real person process of slowly redecorating/redesigning a room; I figured it’d be more fun (and realistic?) to just bring you with me on the journey. Apologies if you were hoping for a dramatic before and after/”big reveal.” I hope to become a megaceleb one day for you, and make that dream a reality.

Here’s where we started:

“hot mess express”

… and here’s where we’re at ….

“yayyyy progress!”

Still a long way to go, but I’m so happy with the small improvements (they feel massive to me!). Also v glad to not be living in complete shambles and to have some semblance of an adult life via a clean room.

Here are some more details…

The desk needs a  little adjusting, as you can probably see! But this is exactly where I’m at, so I didn’t want to “stage it” or anything. If anyone has suggestions on keeping the wires together/out of the way, I’m ready to pinterest the sh** out of this deal, so let me know. Also, I have one outlet, which is 90% of the reason the wires look like a PC threw up on my floor.

I sprayed these IKEA trestles gold, and used a plain white tabletop (also IKEA) to create the desk. The  shelves and brackets are IKEA, sprayed gold with Rust-Oleum. Such an inexpensive set up! If I decide I hate the look a year from now, I’m out less than $100 on all of it.
One of my favorite details is also one of the cheapest — I saw this 30¢ postcard in Chinatown almost a year ago, and was obsessed with it. I forgot to pick it up on my way out, and was so sad! I found it again on one of my first weekends living here, and for some reason I’m just so in love with the design and colors. It’s so kitschy and tacky ’90s, and I think that’s why love it. I got this shadowbox style frame from Target for about $10, et voilá: a little bit of art for the desk.I need a few more frames, some organizational pieces, and a chair (and obvi some flowers), but I’m so happy with how far the space has come in a short time (with very little $ thrown at it).

Excited to share the next installment soon. If you have any questions re: the hacks or products, let me know in the comments! Have a great week, you guys!

xx,
Dominique

PS. I just got back from my very first press trip with POPSUGAR courtesy of Adidas — I can’t wait to share details next week!