As we begin the new year, list our home goals, and look ahead to the exciting projects we will take on, it always helps to gather inspiration from talented designers and online influencers who have completed amazing remodels of their own. We adore the interior design work of Saudah Saleem and the combination of excitement, energy, and practicality for everyday life that she brings to reimagined living spaces. As a Featured Designer in the Fall One Room Challenge, Saudah recently took 3 bedrooms in her home and completely transformed them from start to finish over the course of 8 weeks. It was an honor to assist this transformation as Saudah’s official flooring sponsor- and we are blown away by the results!
Let’s take a deeper look at the striking flooring look, brand, and product that Saudah selected for the
Fall 2021 One Room Challenge:
One Room Challenge for Interior Designers
The One Room Challenge (ORC) is one of the most highly anticipated interior design events that challenges designers to completely transform a room of their choice from start to finish in 8 weeks. The grand finale is the big reveal and each week designers document their progress online and share the inspiration behind their vision and product selections. For her first time participating in the ORC, Saudah has taken on the ambitious task of transforming three rooms– the master bedroom, her teenage son’s room, and her younger children’s shared bedroom– on the 2nd floor of her family’s builder basic home that she affectionately refers to as “Project Suite Dreams”.
Primary Bedroom Decor Inspiration
As a mom of 5, Saudah knows the value of creating spaces that are both stylish and accessible. She began her ORC journey by determining how each space will be used, what the functional needs are for each room, and what feeling she wants to evoke with the finished layout. Since the children’s rooms will not receive new flooring, we will focus on the primary bedroom inspiration. Aiming to craft a restful, luxe-inspired retreat with subtle cultural accents, refined finishes, a comfortable bed, as well as designated work and lounge areas, Saudah was determined to get rid of the ‘horrible’ builder-grade carpet. From the Primary Bedroom BEFORE photos, it’s easy to see that Saudah had an almost blank canvas to create from:
Primary Bedroom Mood Board
After listing her goals for the space, Saudah created a mood board to help visualize her ideas and better define her game plan for the room. One of the best visual communication tools that a designer has, the mood board includes images and materials that help convey the overall vibe. To capture serenity and calm, Saudah created a mood board with lots of texture, soft muted tones, and a mix of contemporary and traditional elements including herringbone
hardwood flooring:
In her
“Week 4|Laying The Foundation For A Stunning Bedroom Makeover” blog post, Saudah expressed her enthusiasm in working with Twenty & Oak to bring her flooring vision to life:
I'm beyond thrilled to partner with Twenty & Oak on the perfect flooring solution for the primary bedroom. Twenty and Oak offers a wide range of beautiful flooring options for virtually every style and budget. Twenty & Oak is your go-to place for stylish, high-quality flooring. The online platform features gorgeous and durable flooring options from the best flooring manufacturers. As I perused Twenty & Oak’s endless flooring options online, I found myself truly inspired. My mind was swirling with design ideas for the space. Once I narrowed down my selections, I requested flooring samples I could view in the space.
As Saudah wisely points out, you should always bring samples home when you are shopping for new flooring! Since products can look different online than they do in a retail showroom under bright lights, you need to view samples in all the rooms where new flooring will be installed in both daylight and nighttime. After reviewing her favorite samples at home, Saudah chose
Monet French Oak by Palmetto Road in Strasbourg (below) to transform her primary bedroom flooring. Similar color options in the Monet French Oak Collection include
Toulouse and
Nancy.
With a low gloss finish and wire brushed texture, this striking, engineered option provides plenty of sophisticated appeal while remaining suitable in a home with kids, pets, and high foot traffic. Saudah provides even more insight into her prized selection:
"I fell in love with this flooring for 2 important reasons – it fulfills both my style and functional flooring needs. Created by artisans, the Palmetto Road collection features hand-crafted wood floor planks that are each unique from the other to ensure that space has an authentic look. In a home that is 100 years old and with a busy family like mine, long-lasting performance investments are a must. The Monet flooring by Palmetto Road comes with an impressive 50-year residential warranty! (yes, you read correctly... 50 years!) and is great for both high traffic areas and spaces that kids and pets frequent. I also chose the Strasbourg finish because the grain patterns and distinctive color of the sliced face French oak looks high-end and will pair really well with the timeless elegant style the room will have. It’s absolutely gorgeous!”
After leveling the floor and installing a new sub-floor, installation of the Palmetto Road flooring began:
In addition to laying the foundation for the ORC transformation, updating the flooring adds value to the overall property and is one of the best investments a homeowner can make in a home. After 8 weeks of hard work and dedication, Saudah’s “Week 8|It’s Time For The Big Reveal” blog post was worth the wait! Her final master bedroom offers an incredible mix of “Parisian apartment meets Harlem Renaissance meets Brooklyn brownstone” for an unforgettable look:
We love how Saudah created a contemporary space with both vintage and modern touches that will age gracefully and create a calming environment. For added visual interest, she even incorporated a herringbone in-lay within the finished flooring installation to enhance the statement-making fireplace:
Get Started on Your Flooring Journey!
Amazing work Saudah! It’s easy to get inspired after reading and seeing a stunning remodel like this One Room Challenge. When you are ready to narrow down your favorite flooring choices, order three free flooring samples and schedule a FREE consultation with a Twenty & Oak flooring pro to get an accurate quote for your new project!