One Room Challenge Designers Love Roman Shades!
At Calico, we love Roman shades too—especially in kitchens (where they are perfect above sinks) and in bathrooms to add privacy (they fit nicely above tubs). These shades are also ideal for rooms with tight spaces or furniture below the window, such as bookcases, banquettes, desks or heating units that would interfere with a long drapery.
What is the One Room Challenge™? This biannual event, sponsored by Better Homes & Gardens, challenges 20 design influencers to transform a space in their home within two months. Each week the designers post about their progress, their setbacks, and at the end, share a final reveal. Several of the featured designers chose fabrics from Calico and worked with their local design shop to have custom Roman shades created. Let’s meet some of our designers!
1. Ariene Bethea of Charlotte, North Carolina made over her open kitchen
Without removing her cabinets, but painting them black, Ariene set the scene for a dramatic renovation of her kitchen. For the window above the sink, she wanted a custom Roman shade with some pattern to add dimension to the space.
“My must have for the kitchen was this fabric from Calico—Eastly in color 50 Ink. The pattern will hide all stains and look good doing it!”
Ariene Bethea and her BEFORE kitchen
Photo credit: @ourbrickhousestyle and Artisan Photography
AFTER images of the beautiful kitchen.
To see the full reveal story, visit Ariene’s blog post.
2. Dominique Gebru of northern Virginia also renovated her kitchen
Working with Calico in Arlington, Virginia, Dominique added bold striped Roman shades and transformed a serviceable kitchen into a space that she now loves! Dominique reveals her kitchen transformation that includes Roman shades above the sink window and in the adjoining dining area. The fabric is Chilmark Stripe – Linen 15 Marina.
“The Calico team at the Arlington store was incredible to work with,” said Dominque. “They helped me choose fabric samples to take home (always look at samples in the light of the room!). They sent someone to measure the windows exactly, so the shades fit like they were made for the space.”
The BEFORE kitchen was a bit dark with a small island and limited dining space.
Photo credit: Tyler Hooks for Laura Metzler Photography
The AFTER kitchen is transformed and the dining area brings the family together at the table.
“This linen blend stripe gives me cabaña vibes—and I’m super into the way they pull everything together. In the dining space, I’m letting the Roman shades be the star.”
To see the full reveal story, visit Dominque’s blog post.
3. Sachi Lord of Waialua, Hawaii reimagined her bedroom—and worked with Calico remotely—with wow results!
Sachi and her husband Mike tackled their bedroom, bathroom and the hallway between the two—a big project! “Did we cry? Yes. Was there blood shed? Yes. Did we want to give up? Totally,” recalls Sachi. But, they didn’t—and are very proud of the final results. Although Calico has no design shop in Hawaii, our stores often work with customers remotely. Sachi collaborated with Calico in Virginia Beach, Virginia to fabricate Roman shades and create a custom duvet cover for her new bed.
By changing the direction of the door opening, Sachi was able to open up the left wall for the canopy bed that she had always wanted. Photo credit: Sachi Lord
What a dramatic transformation this was!
“The Roman shades add a relaxed, casual feel to my slightly California aesthetic. Overall, I loved working with Calico! They were so helpful and easy to work with to create these custom pieces for my space.”
To see the full story, visit Sachi’s blog post.
4. Bari J. Ackerman made her master bath bloom in Arizona
Working with Calico in Old Scottsdale, Arizona designer and artist Bari J. Ackerman gutted a dark master bath to create an airy oasis enhanced with soft coral colors, a sculptural bathtub, one of her peony paintings—and a relaxed Roman shade from Calico.
Bari and a BEFORE image of the master bath. Photo credit: Bari J. Ackerman
For color, Bari started with the warm colors of the tiles. Then, to bring it all together, she chose the Chinoiserie print for the Roman shade to add greens and teals, repeated in the peony painting.
The stunning AFTER image of the master bath.
“I’m totally in love with Zen Toile in Linen.”
To see the full story, visit Bari’s blog post.
5. Haneen Matt has winning results for her One Room Challenge
Designer Haneen Matt of Haneen’s Haven decided to tackle her master bath for the Spring ORC. Calico in Novi, Michigan, was happy to be working with Haneen again. Her selection of Fetu/811 Stingray for the Roman shade complemented the room beautifully.
BEFORE and AFTER images of the master bath Photo credit: Haneen Matt
“I’m SO HAPPY to streamline this window and have a custom shade from Calico! They are so helpful, and they do it all. Someone from Calico came to our house to accurately measure the window, then they made it for us (so well done) and they came back to install! It’s perfect!”
To see the full story, visit Haneen’s blog post.
Part II of our Spring 2021 ORC Featured Designers will be posted soon!!
