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What I'm Reading Wednesday: The DIY Home Planner by KariAnne Wood

Wednesday, March 7, 2018



Happy Wednesday, My Lovelies!  Today I've been reading The DIY Home Planner by KariAnne Wood.  I'm sure y'all know KariAnne: She blogs @ Thistlewood Farms.

You might remember a few weeks ago when I started playing with this planner.  It's so helpful, and I love how it's organized to help the reader plan a complete room from empty box to fluffing with accessories.

The DIY Home Planner was released yesterday, so you can purchase a copy wherever fine books are sold.  Kirklands is even carrying this handy book!

I've been using the planner to help me redecorate Shanley Belle's bedroom.  As y'all know she's in Baton Rouge at LSU working on her doctorate, and her room is rarely used these days.  I want to convert her room to a pseudo-library, yet keep the bedroom option for when we have guests and when Shanley Belle comes home for holidays and visits.  The room needs to do double duty!

Unfortunately it's my least favorite room in the house because it's dark and awkward.  It's a dormer bedroom, and the ceiling is 8' at its highest and slopes downward toward the front wall that has the dormer.  Let's look at the floor plan I constructed in the space planning section of the DIY Planner:


Shanley said she thought it would be fun to have a couple of floor pillows in front of the shelves.  Anthropologie has some pretty ones that would work with either scheme we choose. The bathroom door is on bottom, and the closet door is on top.


You can see the dormer which contains the only window in the room.  To make matters worse, the room is on the north side of the house.

The bed looks like this:





The nightstand beside the bed and the small chest of drawers beside the bathroom door are pine, not too different from the photo.  But we also have some stark white furniture in the attic that will fit, too.


I have two different plans for this room, and I need your feedback to help me make my decision between the two.

Let's call the first design "Millennial Pink."

I would paint the walls Pleasant Pink and the trim including bookshelves Dreamy Cloud.  All paint is Benjamin Moore.  










I would order this pretty quilt from Shabby Chic:






I love this quilt because it's reversible.  
Shanley has a pale pink sheet set and shams to match.




The chair would be recovered in this mauve linen.  Can you believe that mauve is a thing again?
I'd use the same linen for a roman shade window treatment.


I'd purchase this throw pillow for the chair.  Both the mauve linen and this pillow are also from Shabby Chic.






This is the library lamp I'd choose for this scheme.  It's from Houzz.  Mr. Sketchy Reader is building a box on the very top shelf for mounting the lights.




Let's call the second design "Modern Highlighter."

This design is much more minimalistic.  Everything in the room will be white (well almost everything) which I like because did I mention how flippin' DARK this room is?

I'd paint everything Super White.  (Note:  Most of our home is either painted Mayonnaise or Super White.)  Everything, that it, but the bookshelves: they would be painted a highlighter yellow called Bright Yellow.  It would look like someone drew a line or highlighted the books.  The thick shelves would be mounted on brackets that would be painted white like the walls, so literally the shelves would look like lines.




Someone needs to give KariAnne a drink of water because she's in a state of shock over the yellow!




This is the linen bedding I'd order from Shabby Chic:



Prairie stitch linen bedding
We already have white sheet sets and euro shams.
I would cover the chair in white linen, and the roman shade would be made out of the same linen.


Faux fur pillow for chair


Library shelving light, also from Houzz.




There you have it!  Both designs for Shanley's room/library.


Y'all can vote on which design you like best by leaving a comment below!  Vote for either "Millennial Pink" or "Modern Highlighter."

Here's another page from the book with the possible paint selections:






There are fun surprises in the book, even how to make an origami bookmark!  I love the front and back inside covers with the pockets for holding swatches and other papers:







Are you currently planning a DIY project?  If so, KariAnne's planner will help you with each step.

If you'd like to order The DIY Home Planner, below is an IndieBound affiliate link.



Support Independent Bookstores - Visit IndieBound.org

Support Independent Bookstores - Visit IndieBound.org

Until next time...

Happy reading!
Ricki Jill




13 comments

  1. This looks like such a cute planner! It also looks like you are having so much fun, and what an organized and professional presentation of your ideas...as much as I love the soft pink and gray, I vote for the white and bright yellow. If that room is so dark the white will do wonders to light it up and the yellow is total fun. When you get tired of the yellow, you can easily paint over that to change it without having to change the whole room. Good luck, I know it will be a show stopper!
    Jenna

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  2. Millennial pink has my vote! It has a more timeless feel to it. Love that planner! It's been fun playing with it!

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  3. Wow! These are really different versions of the same room. I love that. And very creative. I am partial to the second option. Love the yellow! What a fun, sunny room it would be. Add green with faux plants and maybe some more color through the floor pillows. Totally calm and breezy room to relax in.

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  4. Well the pink seems more you, but I think the second, at least the way I am seeing it, seems English with the bright yellow only on the shelves and the rest white. Are the floors wood? I think the second might look more open and happy and the first more cozy comfort. I prefer the first lamp for both designs. I love Charles P. Rogers beds and hers is so pretty! I think mine in my bedroom is. I bought it so long ago from Rob and Stucky's (should of been stuck up). Any way they are long gone, and I did all the work to find it going through the binders, because I was not spending 20 grand. LOL So I sat there with my two year old for hours turning pages, because their website said that I could buy it there and the woman was of no help. Such a trigger. LOL That's before we had to deal with the middleman! xoxo Su

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  5. Oh the millenial pink is absolutely wonderful! So many great fabrics.

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  6. I love the pink. So peaceful. Glad you are enjoying your planner from KariAnne.
    xoxo
    Kris

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  7. I love the pink - it seems soothing and relaxing for a library room.

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  8. I was about to say everything Jenna just commented. I love the pink and everything you chose for the room but I'd go with the Modern Highlighter. If you don't like the yellow it will be an easy fix and the all white room you can change with bed linens and pillows for a splash of color when you're in the mood to change. The book is right up your ally with pages for your own space planning. Can't wait to see what you decide.

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  9. Hi! I love both rooms, but the first one is so peaceful and relaxing. I have a daughter going for her doctorate too. It is stressful, so I am thinking that she would love to come home to a relaxing bedroom. Good luck! I love the book too! We are in the process of redoing our daughter's, who is going for her doctorate, room also. Eventually, when we have grandchildren, I plan to make her room the nursery. So we painted it white for now. Redecorating is so much fun!
    Terry

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  10. I love both ideas. The pink is definitely shabby chic and so cozy with lots of great fabrics to snuggle into. The yellow seems so much more modern but it will definitely brighten up your dark room. However, the white room will be quite easy to change by adding pops of color around when the mood strikes. Love the planner - think it would be so much fun to use.

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  11. Very interesting! I love the pink scheme. That yellow isn't a color I would ever pick but I've seen how skilled you are at decorating and would love to see it.

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  12. Well, ultimately, I think Shanley should make the call but I would vote the yellow. It's such a dark room and the yellow is such a cheery way to begin the day. Plus, if she tires of of the yellow, it would be easier to change out the bookcases, accessories than go the whole bit. You could go from yellow to teal to pink or green with a quick paintbrush and pillows instead of the whole darned wall treatment! The Modern Highlighter offers a fun flexibility and offers a youthful but not childlike feel.

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  13. First of all, Ricki Jill, your handwriting is just so lovely..every time I see it, I'm amazed.
    secondly, that book is very interesting..we were just in Kirklands today too!
    Lastly, I pick the pink and shabby chic look, it is very calming and cool.
    You could put such a wonderful color combination of fresh flowers on the bedside table to bring out the purples...maybe in an old whitewashed pitcher?

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I'm Ricki Jill. Welcome! I'm honored that you're reading my blog. I enjoy sharing my creative lifestyle @ The Bookish Dilettante. For more information about my blog, please read the Start Here page. Thank-you for stopping by, and I hope you'll consider following me via email.

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