Joyful Designs Studio
Praise Be! | Joyful Designs®️Studio - Final Reveal Post One Room Challenge Fall 2021
Friends! We are done, so Praise Be! We are joyful and beyond grateful to have been selected as a Featured Designer for the Fall 2021 One Room Challenge™️ by Linda Weinstein and the editors of media sponsor Better Homes and Gardens.
For those who are new here - I am Joy, the Principal behind Joyful Designs®️Studio. We are a boutique firm based in Chicago and Georgia with clients all over the United States.
We believe in functional living and use color liberally. We love collaborating with clients by helping them make their home a reflection of their own personal aesthetic. We are well travelled and believe luxury includes living with the things you love and that have cultural significance for you and your family. Learn more about how to work with us HERE.
Have you been following along with us as we worked our way through 8 weeks of progress towards completing our two spaces 800 miles apart? If you missed a week, take a moment to catch up here: Week I , Week II, Week III, Week IV, Week V, Week VI and Week VII.
Okay friends, the wait is Ovahhhh!! Let’s dig into these reveals. We will start with our Georgia Bedroom Transformation first.
GEORGIA BEDROOM MAKEOVER
This room looks nothing like it used to and will now forever be a personal favorite transformation for me and #TheBabe. This is our home away from home so we wanted make it over to suit us.
The Before:
Photo Credit: Joyful Designs®️Studio (JDS)
So, it started out purple and lacked a good space plan. The bed placed in the corner was never necessary as you will see from the makeover.
Our mission always includes a focus on culture, a curated palette, and a colorful aesthetic. So when I saw this beautiful fabric from Yael et Valerie several years ago, we ordered it in a custom pattern and color way. We have been holding on to this Queen Idia fabric for almost 3 years, waiting for the perfect opportunity to use it.

Photo Credit: JDS
It speaks of casual elegance and the golden chartreuse hue is such a definite spirit lifter. While we initially sought to fashion a new headboard out of the material, we instead ended up using our very elementary sewing skills to create a custom headboard cover with caramel piping that accented the room.

Photo Credit: Easterday Creative
I surprised myself with the piping/cording, but I was determined to up the elegance quotient and it did just that. The little brass vase you see was found the day before the shoot at a Habitat ReStore store for $2. It was the perfect accent. These beautiful chrysanthemums screamed Aha! when I saw them too.
The nightstands were bought from Homary and were actually my second choice, but delays made this the winner. I wanted more of an oval because curves in furniture feel very now and feminine. Our lighting partner, Hudson Valley Lighting, supplied all of the lighting in the bedroom. These Flare Lamps were the perfect geometric counterpoint to all of the feminine lines in the space. And they are total stunners in person. The finial on top is heavy and mimics the lines of the shade.
We are drawn to a bit of focal drama when designing bedroom spaces so we started with the ceiling. We fell head over heels for Brinjal by Farrow and Ball. It’s the perfect grounding color for all of the colors in the room. And because we used it in a high gloss, the night time tones of the room make you feel at ease and get you in the mood to relax and throw the day’s cares away.

Photo Credit: Easterday Creative
If you follow us on Instagram, then you likely saw the rendering of this space. If you don’t follow us, well, here’s your chance. LOL. Click HERE.
So yes, this is not a rendering. I repeat, this is not a rendering. Meg of Easterday Creative is so darn good that she captured this room effortlessly. This space had so many wonderful partners who made it come alive that we couldn’t thank them enough.

Photo Credit: Easterday Creative
As I mentioned before, Hudson Valley Lighting always goes above and beyond and we would highly recommend their lighting to anyone. The quality is consistent and who else makes statement-making chandeliers like this massive plaster 5-foot wide Vine chandelier?!
It is lined in a gold leaf so the glow is bellisimo against the high gloss ceiling. The chandelier is actually not as heavy as you may think because it is made of plaster, which is on trend. Check out my trend reporting HERE.
The rug is so good right?! It serves a cohesive presence in the room, accenting and complementing the other decor in all the right places. Our partner at Loloi Rugs provided the 7'10 x10 Chris Loves Julia Rosemarie Roe-01/Gold rug for our space. LoLoi Rugs sells only to the trade but this rug is available on Amazon.
The one item we are missing but plan to add later are our Calico quick ship drapery panels in a textured pinch pleated linen in white.. Unfortunately, they arrived after our photoshoot and we were bummed, but we can’t thank the fine folks at Calico enough because they worked tirelessly to try to get us the drapes the day before. And we were planning to pin our fabric trim to the edges to make it work because it would have been too late for our work room to add the trim. It just wasn't in the stars but stay tuned. However, we did get the Bent Arm Champagne Gold Curtain Rods and Curtain Rings and they look fabulous in the space. We are very happy with the choice there.

Photo Credit: Easterday Creative
Let the sunshine in! This little corner is chock full of goodness. This Modern Barrel Swivel chair in cream by Wovenbyrd provides the perfect moment to sit and reflect on the day’s happenings.
The table was designed by me and built by #TheBabe (my partner in real life). RYOBI TOOLS USA partnered with us to bring the table to life with their random bit sander, planer, brushless drill driver kit, and circular saw.
The legs were found at a reuse store and #TheBabe built the skirting for the custom marble remnant I designed and had made by a local stone shop. The edges of the marble mimic the waves in the mirror. The table is a tribute to my mom who loved flirty feminine forms. I call it the “Betty Ripple.” I purposely positioned the heavier legs with balled feet at the forefront to lead with strength and continued the geometric forms. The more delicate legs were positioned at the back and because of that they stand out more and have an elegant touch.

Photo Credit: Easterday Creative
Here’s another view of the Hudson Valley Lighting Flare Lamp. And you can see the Betty Ripple more clearly here. I chose green for the table base to add some clarity and definition to this corner of soft pastels and white plaster.
The S. Harris Treasure Hunt fabric from Fabricut was one of the first fabrics we chose for the space after our inspiration fabric. At JDS, we love mixing patterns and pattern play in our interiors.
And yes, that is wallpaper you see on the walls. Wallpaper was a definite must for transforming this space. I fell in love with this shimmery pinkish hued paper called Serpent Scale in Haze from The Vale London via Fabricut. The trim in the room was painted to recede against the wallpaper. The overall effect is a warm glow that complements every skin tone.

Photo Credit: Easterday Creative
Let’s get into this bed and wallpaper on the opposite side of the room shall we. Our partner at SAATVA provided the Minori Bed, Loom and Leaf Mattress, Lineal Adjustable Bed Baseand the luxurious Linen Sheets and Duvet set. SAATVA is the official mattress sponsor for the One Room Challenge. We chose the Minori Bed for its elegant lines and the Taupe color was the perfect neutral for the head board cover.
We love that this bed is adjustable and that the mattress makes a restful sleep a priority. The linen sheets are so comfy. We plan to spend some time getting very acquainted with the massage feature of the Lineal Adjustable Bed Base.

Photo Credit: JDS

Photo Credit: JDS
I wanted to share this picture when showing how I made the bed cover in week 7 but the wallpaper would have been totally revealed. As you can see from this Iphone shot, the paper is GORG! My jaw stayed in drop mode while we installed it. It is so textural luxurious and is the perfect complement to our inspiration fabric and Queen Idia lore. It is at once fantastical and magical. It’s foresty-theme was so good and we couldn’t have chosen a better color way. The paper is by The Vale London via Fabricut. It is called Mighty Jungle in Autumn.

Photo Credit: JDS
Here’s another look. The wooden statue is from Dressing Room Interiors and the JuJu Hat is from Farafinya.

Photo Credit: JDS
These ottomans were courtesy of our partners MINTED and West Elm for their MINTED x WESTELM collaboration. We couldn’t get over how well the colors of the fabric perfectly captured our color scheme. As did the large format printed canvas called Prairie by Laura Bolter from MINTED.

Photo Credit: JDS
Our lovely partner at DELANEY HARDWARE was generous in sponsoring our door handles, including this one and the crystal rosette Bravura knob. Their hardware represents elevated living for sure.

Photo Credit: Easterday Creative
We also transformed the closet. We used Brinjal in a matte color and add some new closet shelving and vintage art and decor pieces. The light is from Hudson Valley Lighting’s Mitzi line. It’s called Elsie and we went with the brass option.

Photo Credit: Easterday Creative
Finally we added some beloved books and an UNO card game by Nina Chanel Abney for those rainy days in. We also loved the Mark D. Sikes Curves No.1 floor lamp by Hudson Valley Lighting so we chose to add that to this side of the room instead of a matchy matchy table lamp.

Photo Credit: JDS
Because art is always a must for our interior spaces, we also added a set of original miniature paintings by Sade DuBoise. Just know, we LOOOVE them.

Photo Credit: Easterday Creative
And that’s it. We love the entire space and it is as we imagined it so we couldn’t be happier. Here is the original render done weeks before we started putting the room together in earnest.

Photo Credit: JDS
Let us know in the comments how you think we did.
CHICAGO HOME OFFICE:
Now, who’s ready for a home office makeover with deep saturated glossy walls? Me!
Some of you were waiting for the bedroom makeover to drop but others of you wanted more peeks of the Chicago Home Office that couldn’t come until we started working on it in earnest - which was this past weekend. LOL.
Because of the dark and glossy walls, this space was a beast to render or even hand draw so I had to continually use my mind’s eye for reference. What usually happens when I am designing, is that if I can see it in my minds eye, then I know we have done a great job of capturing the essence of the home experience we are trying to achieve. Because your home should be an experience.
Here’s where we started:

Photo Credit: JDS
This once bright and relatively cheery guest bedroom at the back of the house had become a landing space for all the detritus of every day living and running a business. Since I had given away the bed and mattress a couple of years ago, it had no real purpose. The Babe had taken over my old home office with his DJ equipment so I was in need of new digs.
As this is a home office and not one where I see clients, I resolved to do what I wanted.

Photo Credit: JDS
So I said good bye to the globe light and baby blue walls for something a bit more of my aesthetic. The starting point for the color palette (usually an artistic reference) was this beloved photo print from Shawn Theodore entitled “The Salon of Oluchi Oneya and Leenos The Forgiving”.

Archival Print by Shawn Theodore (Private Collection)
I acquired this print last year and it was love at first sight. They are giving me everything regal and I wanted to know who Leenos was forgiving and for what. LOL.
So the print came first and then Farrow and Ball’s Paean Black. This color is so scrumptious I don’t think you could understand unless you saw it in person. I love it both in matte and high gloss. But because this is my home office and no one else’s, I chose the drama of high gloss.
This office is meant to serve a dual purpose. It is an office for me to use during the day and an imbibing lounge for after hours, off the clock festivities. Now I will most likely imbibe a cooler or two but the babe likes having a beer or a bourbon. So the mood has been set.

Photo Credit: JDS
Dark paint colors usually require a dark primer. So be sure to get the appropriate one when using darker colors.
We were fortunate to partner with Blue Print Lighting for the most important lighting moment in the room and they did not disappoint. We were able to customize the Catalonia chandelier with the Campana chandelier and choose enamel colors that were so perfect for the space.

Photo Credit: JDS
We also added a bit of trim to the walls to give the high gloss walls some depth.

Photo Credit: JDS
Because we always lead with function, art, and then form, we designed a custom JDS desk and had it made locally by a furniture maker using solid walnut.

Desk designed and copyrighted by Joyful Designs®️Studio
We love to work from solid surfaces and tend to prefer desks without drawers. We use consoles and bookcases positioned adjacent to our working desk to store every day use items so that the desk remains uncluttered.
We added the 45 degree angled edge to continue the geometric lines of the desk. We love geometry in design. We believe it adds a masculine and feminine edge effortlessly to spaces.

Photo Credit: JDS (Custom and Copyrighted Desk Design By Joyful Designs®️Studio)
We then had the desk stained in an ebony stain that is frankly breathtaking. Our local furniture maker made this desk in 6 weeks time, which if you have been living in the world of home design then you know that is a miracle. We can not extol the virtue of using local makers to get custom bespoke furniture in clients' homes as quickly as possible, enough. This time, I was the client. This is heritage furniture. This desk will be passed on to future generations who are already ”moguling”. LOL.

Photo Credit: JDS
The baby nephew spent some time in his executive suite yesterday after the photoshoot. He approves.
We also partnered with Minted once again on the wall mural you see behind baby nephew. It is called Black Sheep by Rose Lindo for Minted. It is bold and grounding and completely transforms this half of the room by adding light and levity.

Photo Credit: JDS
Did we nail the pattern? We actually combined two of these to complete the wall you see here and the one off to the right.
Next we partnered with Loloi Rugs again and used their Chris Loves Julia Alice Geometric Cream/Charcoal rug in an 9x12. We wanted most but not all of the floor to be covered.

Photo Credit: JDS
It’s perfect. But did you spy our glorious Chandelier by Blue Print Lighting? Ahhh guys, this crappy iphone picture does this room and that light fixture no justice. Just know, if you want the smoke, it’s coming. Keep scrolling. The sconces over the vintage bookcases we found second hand are so right and perfect in shape and color. They are from our partner Hudson Valley Lighting. These Holly Picture Lights in navy and aged brass are from their Mitzi line. This office actually looks better in low light so we definitely plan to make liberal use of the sconces in the imbibing lounge after hours.

Photo Credit: JDS
Here's another look at the Blue Print Lighting chandelier and a look at the glossy ceiling.
Okay, let’s get into the professional shots we took today.

Photo Credit: Pamela L. King Photography
Welcome friends!

Photo Credit: Pamela L. King Photography
The window treatment was made custom by our local workroom using an S. Harris fabric called Delfina via our partners at Fabricut. The ottomans I purchased after visiting West Elm. They are from the Minted + West Elm collaboration.
I shopped my home for the comfy desk chair. The art is of course a print from the fabulous Bisa Butler. And I always find something to add to my spaces from Dressing Room Interiors, which is where the throw pillow is from.

Photo Credit: Pamela L. King Photography
The bookcases are populated with estate sale finds and the mirror is from Home Goods.

Photo Credit: Pamela L. King Photography
In the Imbibing lounge, the JuJu Hat is from Farafinya and the wall sconce is new from Hudson Valley Lighting's Mitzi Line. It’s called Faye and is a plug in. It’s the perfect amount of light for that wall.

Photo Credit: JDS
Build a bar cart and they will come right? The lighter libations on the edges for me. LOL.

Photo Credit: JDS
Orchids are a personal favorite. They are a resilient species. The textures on the wall mural, mirror and table are working in tandem

Photo Credit: JDS
I found this console last minute at Home Goods. It fits well on this side of the room. I added our most recent feature in print from Sheridan Road Magazine, as well as a vintage african horn from I scored from a prominent estate sale a couple of months ago.

Photo Credit: JDS
These dark and glossy walls really sing when the sun goes down. It’s a space you truly have to experience.

Photo Credit: JDS

Photo Credit: JDS
The large painting over the bar is by Florine Demosthene. A total mood.

Photo Credit: JDS
I couldn’t have done any of this without #TheBabe. And YOU cheering us on. This is only our 3rd try at completing several spaces in the span of 8 weeks. This past Spring we renovated an entire apartment and was fortunate to be selected by Better Homes and Gardens as a Featured Designer for this Fall’s challenge. We are so grateful and loved tackling themes of light and dark and rest and work for our third challenge. Although these spaces are 800 miles apart, they share similar themes. Thank you again for following along. I’ll share more about our partners on our Instagram feed and stories, so be sure you are following. And you can sign up for all of our blog posts HERE.

Photo Credit: Pamela L. King Photography
A model I am not. LOL. I never know where to look. The last shot.
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But you haven’t seen it all. Be sure to head on over to the other Featured Designers’ Reveal Posts today because they are sure to wow.
Albie Knows | At Home with Savvy | Beth Diana Smith | Eclectic Twist | Erika Ward Interiors From House to Home| G. Lebron Interiors | Goldalamode | Home Made by Carmona| Impeccable Nest |Jeweled Interiors| Joyful Designs Studio | Joy Street Design | Our Fifth House| Peony & Honey | Pinch Plate Party | Rebecca Propes | Reem’s Design | Saudah Saleem Interiors | Whitney J Decor

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Joyfully Designed is a blog written and produced by Joyful Designs®️Studio. All rights reserved.