The Spring 2017 ORC. Canadian Style!

I started this post the first day the One Room Challenge, Spring 2017 Edition opened its link up to the guest participants. At that time, I didn't think I would participate--and so I wanted to follow a few and live the ORC vicariously through them. When I started stumbling over Canadians, I thought I'd feature my intrepid countrymen who commit to the insanity that is tackling a room and re-doing it completely in five weeks (and six posts.)

So, here we are, two weeks later. There were a gazillion blogs to visit! And my own ORC project to start. How could I not with all this inspiration from the ORC?

Among Linda's chosen featured participants, there are three Canadians. I am so proud.

Jacquelyn Clark is taking on her very first ORC. A designer from Toronto, she's re-doing her living room. Unfortunately, there were no "before" pictures on her blog, Lark& Linen.

Another Torontonian is Jen who blogs at Rambling Renovators. She's making over her living room. It's quite pretty already--but I know it will be amazing once these short five weeks have flown.

A designer from Oakville, Ontario is the inimitable Christine Dovey. She is transforming the basement of her latest house. It's a doozy of a project. This is going to be a great one to watch at Bijou & Boheme. This particular area (there are many) has me intrigued:

And then, and then there are the truly intrepid souls who take this on, most without sponsorship and with crews consisting mostly of partners and family! This year, 259 linked up to declare their passion and commitment.

Here are the Canadians!
(Voici le Canadiens!)


With four ORC's in her portfolio, Sarah Walker of Oakville, Ontario is applying her considerable talent to a client's space this go round. She's creating a wellness center for her Naturopath and blogging all the goodness at The Curated House.

Fellow Albertan Lindi is re-doing her Master Bedroom--while the adjoining master bath reno is in progress! She's blogging the madness at Love, Create Celebrate. This is her fifth ORC! She knows what she is in for.

Kristi is another Albertan. Making over her powder room will be her fifth ORC project. She's blogging all about it at Making It in the Mountains.

(My mother has that exact medicine chest/mirror combo in her main bathroom. I'm curious to see what Kristi will do with it.)


Here's Tim, from Design Maze in Toronto.  He is doing a dining room. He's a professional from Toronto with a lovely, clean, pattern filled aesthetic. This is his second ORC.

Isn't it gorgeous? That would make a very happy "after!" He says he needs more storage. OK fine.


This brave soul is the wife of a military man and is making over not, one, not two, not three--but four outdoor spaces! Four. She must be living in a warmer part of the country! From her blog, PMQ for Two, it looks like she has great style, too:

I'll be following this one with interest.


Vanessa Francis, another Torontonian, is tackling her sixth! ORC. A new home--and a dedicated home office will be her focus this time on her epynonomous blog.

Christina is just a stone's throw away from me as these things go. The DIY Mommy will be making over her gorgeous sitting room into a family dining room.

Julie at Elliven Studio is taking on her very first ORC! I'm not sure where she is but words like "Home Sense" (the Canadian equivalent of Home Goods in the States) and "Canadian Tire" (a retail institution that defies categorization)  appear on her blog. She is making over her son's bedroom.

Maureen hails from the Niagara Pennisula. I don't now if that means she's on the American side or the Canadian--so since we Canadians are an inclusive bunch, we'll just say so. She and her husband are renovating their roomy kitchen--entirely by themselves. It's her first ORC at Red Cottage Chronicles. 

Lori is an ORC virgin. She's from Nova Scotia and she's blogging at Farm Fresh Style. She's going to makeover her studio. (It looks like an upholstery studio?) I love first-timers. They take on spaces that really matter to them--no matter how daunting.

Debi, from the Greater Toronto Area, has a business staging homes. She is blogging about her media room transformation at Add Value to Your Home.

Thalita is a veteran of the ORC. Her laundry room will be her fifth! She's blogging it all at The Learner Observer.



Leslie is another first-timer. She's in Windsor, Ontario and blogs at The Leslie Style. She's starting with her family room. Looks like a good start--though apparently it took them 14 months to get here! The next five weeks are going to fly by!

Gemma is joining the ORC for the first time from Ottawa. That's the city named on my birth certificate--and where I spent my first ten years. She's making over her Master Bedroom since completing a massive renovation of her home. It's all there on her blog, The Sweetest Digs.

Another first-timer --and also taking on her Master Bedroom is new mom Amanda, from somewhere she calls "rural" Ontario. Catch the fun at Life at Cloverhill.

This is Dannyelle's second time doing the ORC. As she puts it, she lives "outside Toronto." She's refreshing and restyling her neutral caramel coloured living room into a the cool contrasty tones of rustic Scandinavian at her blog, Life is a Party.

Sue, from A Purdy Little House is taking on her daughter's room for her first ORC. She;s from Ontario. Her mood board includes one of my favoiurite colour combos: deep blue-green and pink.

I can't figure out exactly where in Canada Shannon is blogging from, but she has a sponsorship with Home Depot Canada for her kitchen makeover--so it's a pretty good guess she gets included on this list! Which is great because it will be fun to watch her whip her kitchen into shape during the next five weeks on aka design. 

From Mississauga, we have Amy transforming her bathroom in her fourth One Room Challenge. She says it's a tiny room--and, like Shannon, she didn't include and before photos on her blog, Love on Sunday.

Nat has only been in her new home in B.C. for 16 months--and she's decided to decorate her Master Bedroom. She's starting with a pretty blank slate--and a new blog, too: Simple Family -  Crazy Life

Kristina and her husband flip homes in my town! Ugh. I am actually envious. She's undecided about whether to do her front entry--or the bathroom. Maybe she'll have it figured out next week at Kristina Lynne.

Sarah Gunn comes from somewhere where she can cross the border and make a Target run. (hint, hint). So, Canadian, for sure. She's decorating her dining room in her first ever ORC.

Lisa doesn't say where she's from--but that she's a member of the Canadian Decorator's Association.  She's taking her grown up and gone daughter's room and turning it into a craft/sewing room. Check it out at her blog, Haven.

Robyn is adding some pizzazz--and some privacy--to her backyard. A Canadian spring is a fickle thing, even in the Greater Toronto area. Can she pull it off? She's blogging at Shibang Designs.

Casey is another member of the Canadian Decorator's Association. She's tearing down walls and creating a walk-in closet! Sounds familiar! She's blogging all about the adventure at House by the Bay.

So many Canadians...who knew?

New mom Katie lives in Burlington--a suburb of Toronto. She's decided to create an office at home for her first ORC challenge. She needs to remove this bar, among other things. Read all about it at her eponymous blog, Katie Campbell Interiors.

Lisa Canning is a television personality from Toronto. She's designing and installing two kitchens--yes, two! kitchens! for clients. Seriously ambitious. And interesting. The houses are mirror images of each other--but totally different styles. Check it out on her blog, Lisa Canning Interiors.


Alyssa is also designing for a client--her four year old daughter who loves pink! Alyssa and her husband own their own interior design business in Hamilton, Ontario where she is blogging on Coco and Jack, all about her daughter's bedroom.

Tash also calls Toronto home. She and her husband are finishing up a previous ORC project--this time tackling the bedroom side of their master suite. This is their fourth ORC--though apparently they don't talk about the first one on their blog, The Dream House Project!


Ashley lives with her parents in Toronto. She and her Dad are going to take on their living room in their third ORC challenge. She's blogging at Homegirl.


Kim is a fan of the Vancouver Canucks. She is making over her small foyer in her third ORC. She has some great ideas at Knock It Off Kim.

And finally, Honourable Mention goes to a challenger from Ireland. Here's Norma, blogging at The House That Will about her sunroom.

And that, dear readers, is that. I have visited all the blogs of the 20 featured participants and each and every one of the 259 guest link ups to the first week of the One Room Challenge. It's been absolutely wonderful to see so much creativity and passion!

I am sure you find lots of inspiration!
Here's the link to the blog that started the semi-annual goodness: Calling it Home.