One Room Challenge – Week 4: Pivot!

One Room Challenge this week has been like a smack in the face. And my wall steamer threw in a few burns on my fingers for good measure.

Yup. I’m super late with last week’s post and I am quickly coming out of the “Great Disillusion” and getting onboard the reality train to the ORC failure club when it comes to this bedroom makeover.

With four weeks gone and less than four to go, I am standing at the midway point of this challenge and see no hope in finishing her room by July 1st. Whatsooooever.

So I’ve pivoted my goal.

My goal for the ORC is now: To FINISH THE DANG WALLPAPER STRIPPING BY THE DEADLINE.

I have at least a slight chance of making that goal.

Have no fear tho, I’ll still be sharing my progress on this room both here and on Instagram @livinginafixerupper even after the One Room Challenge is over! I will be priming and painting, adding moldings, caulking, stenciling…it’s gonna be awesome!

Wall #2 started to happen this last week, which goes around Miss E’s double windows. It’s less wall and wallpaper to strip, but maneuvering around and protecting the windows is a lot more work.

I also confirmed the culprit for why this wallpaper has been ridiculously difficult to strip off the walls, and it is this:

Joint compound. Joint compound has no business being on plaster. It’s for drywall. It was thickly packed in the first corner of the room I tackled this past week.

I’d had a sneaking suspicion up until then, and the corner confirmed it.

But what is even more bizarre is that the annoying culprit put it ON TOP OF the first layer of wallpaper before even laying their 2nd layer of wallpaper.

What the heck?!

They even put it at what seems random, perfectly fine and flat areas of the plaster! The plaster is in great shape, so again…why?!

Oh the joys of dealing with past owner shortcuts and hair-brained DIY ideas.

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This Week’s ORC Accomplishments:

Stripped more wallpaper.

Received her white noise machine that replaces her floor-stand fan, which we have put to use already and it seems to be working great!

Her ceiling medallion also came, but it unfortunately had cracks in it. It’ll have to be exchanged. Half of an accomplishment. *shrug*

I’m going to keep stripping wallpaper this week, day by day. A little bit at a time will keep things moving along. “Just keep swimming…” ;)

Week 1 / Week 2 / Week 3 / Week 4 / Week 5 / Week 6 / Week 7