ORC: Book & Bourbon Library Reveal

The Books & Bourbon Library JENRON DESIGNS

ORC: Book & Bourbon Library Reveal

We made to the ORC: Book & Bourbon Library Reveal! Are you ready to see our new Bourbon Library?

Welcome to the ORC: Book & Bourbon Library Reveal. This season we designed our front entryway library space and this week we are sharing our final reveal of the Book and Bourbon Library.

*Please note that I was  graciously compensated for this post. This post may contain affiliate links for your convenience. These links involve no extra cost to you. You can view my full advertising disclosure statement here.

WEEKS AT A GLANCE:

WEEK 1     WEEK 2     WEEK 3   WEEK 4    WEEK 5     REVEAL

Just in case you maybe wondering exactly what The One Room Challenge is, here is the link, and the scoop. This event was originally started by Linda Weinstein @ Calling It Home. It is currently hosted twice a year, in April and October for the past 16 seasons. The ORC has hosted over 500 interior designers & home decor bloggers, that have joined together in this challenge to makeover one room in their own homes.  The participants have a total of six weeks, from start to finish, to complete a full room transformation. Over 4,400 rooms have been transformed through the One Room Challenge to date, and many spaces have been recognized and featured by several prestigious sites, like Better Homes and Gardens the hosting media site this season.

THE PROPOSED SCHEDULE: 

WEEK 1: Introduction & Inspirations, Beams

WEEK 2:  Fireplace Install & Mantle

WEEK 3: Stone Tile Install

WEEK 4: Bookcases

WEEK 5: Adding a Chandelier

WEEK 6: REVEAL

Inspiration Board: The Book & Bourbon Library

Vision Board ORC Books & Bourbon Library JENRON DESIGNS

THE LIBRARY BEFORE PICTURES:

This is where our library started out merely 6 weeks ago. While it looked fine and we had installed the cedar beams, it still just needed a little more character since it was the first room you see as you enter our home.

Books & Bourbon Library Before Pictures JENRON DESIGNSSix weeks later here is where we ended up, a beautiful DIY slate and stone floor to ceiling fireplace, with a custom built mantle stained to match our previously constructed cedar beams. This now anchors the room and adds a great new focal place for the eye to rest upon entering. Plus the cozy functionality of adding a fireplace to this room, that would not normally be able to accommodate a fireplace since it is directly on the front of the house is nice. We do want say a big thank you to all of gracious sponsors this season that helped to make this room transformation possible, including Generation Lighting for our gorgeous new Avenir chandelier. The Books & Bourbon Library JENRON DESIGNSThe addition of 3 double bay bookcases have added plenty of storage space for our collections of books that would otherwise be stowed away in boxes. I personally feel that books will become a luxury item at some point with things going all digital, and that library with attractive coffee style books or high end hardback books will become sought after in homes by collectors. The same way you look for vinyl records, it is a dying breed so to speak. The Books & Bourbon Library JENRON DESIGNS The Bourbon Library, well I feel like it speaks for itself. While currently we do still house a few other of our bar items in here as well, this room will predominantly be the bourbon library. Currently  housing some of the greats like Four Roses, Basil Hayden, Blanton’s, Eagles Rare, Angel’s Envy, and REI. We also like to stick to our roots with Jack, Crown, Wolf and Walker, let’s just say there is always room at our bar for these. I also may have a few that we are waitlisted for as well, which if you are a true connoisseur I am sure you know the ones. Bourbon Library JENRON DESIGNSWhile the Bourbon Library gives this room a secondary meaning or use, it can be like a fancy bar, or gentleman’s room, or the library. I know when I used to work at wedding event homes, traditionally they all had gentlemen’s libraries, which were the groomsmen room. This is loosely where the idea came from, honestly we had planned on making this my piano room at some point, but even so I still think my baby grand would look great in here. The Books & Bourbon Library JENRON DESIGNS pillowsI decided to furnish the room in a Montana sunset feel, and I blame this all on the television show Yellowstone. We might be slightly obsessed with the show, the scenery and decor.  So here it is alive and well in our Book and Bourbon Library with a slight Georgian farmhouse twist. The Books & Bourbon Library JENRON DESIGNSI decided after ordering both the deer hide and cowhide pillows that I preferred the cowhide pillows in the library with a bolder pattern along with the more Navajo print pillows. Not to worry I did keep the deer hides as well, they are currently in my great room for the holidays. Storage Ottoman or Cozy Library Desk JENRON DESIGNSWe placed the longer lumbar pillows in the bottom cubbies, which may seem odd, but with four cats we already knew those spots would have inhabitants. So staging of those shelves is really pointless, we decided to embrace the fact we will have cubby snoozers and just purchased pretty pillows that fit for them to lay upon. While this may seem excessive, sometimes in design it is just better to embrace the areas you know to be challenges head on, instead of trying to hide them, LOL!Spacious Ottoman Storage JENRON DESIGNSWe did add in a storage ottoman to this space, which adds a cozy element to prop up our feet by the fire, while stowing away those extras blankets, throws or pillows you may or may not want lying about the room. I also have a little folding desk, which is great for when I want to work remotely from this room on my laptop, stashed in there as well.Danicng Bears JENRON DESIGNSThe painting above the fireplace is a vintage oil painting I ran across a few years ago while antiquing with a friend. It is called, The Bear Dance by William Holbrook Beard. While I am pretty sure mine is a museum replica, it is still very old and clearly very faded, you can see the real colors peeking out from the sides behind the frame.  However, I still fell in love with this piece, even though it has had some wear and the colors are not as vibrant as they once were, I feel like that is a part of its history.  Fireplace JENRON DESIGNSIt looks great sitting on the mantle in this room and really finishes off the rustic feeling. For the season I have added my pine tree sculptures and saw for a little more visual interest. We also decided to add the console base back as a makeshift hearth for below the fireplace, which is where we originally had this piece of furniture previously, it just looks a little more built-in now.The Books & Bourbon Library JENRON DESIGNSWe are so excited at how our new Book & Bourbon Library has turn out for this season of the One Room Challenge. Even though it has been a challenging year dealing with our new normal of the pandemic lifestyle and everything that has gone along with it. I hope that this post has inspired you to keep on living your best life, and even if you find yourself spending more time at home just remember you can turn you home into a haven designed just for you and your interests, whatever those might be. Stay safe and healthy my friends, and have a happy holiday season!

21 Comments

  1. would you please decorate my home ! i love your style!

  2. Oh my goodness, thank you so much. I really appreciate it!

  3. As always amazing decor! Can’t believe a library with not only books but a bar and fireplace not to add what others you have added. It looks extra ordinarily lovely!

  4. Angie

    That’s amazing! It’s like something out of a movie where men lounge around and smoke cigars and cavalierly discuss politics lol love it!

  5. What an amazing transformation! Displaying books is one of my favorite ways to decorate an interior, and you’ve made great use of that strategy here! And the Bourbon display is the perfect touch! Absolutely love this!

  6. What an amazing transformation, those bookshelves really give this room a completely different feel!

  7. Omg Jen, every inch of this room is gorgeous!! 😍 I am SO jealous of that bookshelf.

  8. I love the chandelier and ladder idea!

  9. Libbie@alifeunfolding

    Jen,
    You have combined all of my very favorite things into one beautiful space!!! LOVE it!!! Congratulations and enjoy the upcoming holidays in your new room.

  10. You have outdone yourself Jen!!! It looks incredible!

  11. Love it! The bookcase is wonderful! I love the look and feel of “real” books myself and agree they are such a feature in a home. You’ve highlighted yours beautifully. Well done!

  12. Sonja

    Absolutely stunning—as always! I love the creativity in your projects.

  13. Maria

    Lovely library that is pure inspiration for many decor enthusiasts. The before pictures look great too, but I like more how you transformed this study room. The chandelier is my favourite piece of decor.

  14. I love it! What a warm and cozy room. Coincidentally, I have a different Dancing Bears Beard print in my living room too. I love his art so much.

  15. Sammy Booth

    Do you think the bourbon craze is becoming overrated? I noticed this is from the ORC from a several years ago, which means you were setting the trend verses following it, but I wondered how you feel about it currently and if you still have this room?

  16. Hey Sammy that is a great question and a sharp eye to notice that yes this design was from almost 4 years ago now. I do feel that the bourbon has hit it’s peak and is on the downward decline to be honest. While I feel like you will always find in a well stocked bar, the days of hunting the hard to find “horses” or overrated Pappy’s are long gone and now it is more about what the owner likes to drink verses the tastings and over done photos of the watch,car and bottle score of the day LOL! Let’s face it, if you have these already and tasted them you know what I am referring to, and they are just shelf candy since they are not very good anymore, and there are so many others that are a better pour. To be honest over the past two years I have moved on to small smokey batch Mezcal’s as my personal choice drink while my husband still like a good whiskey, rye or bourbon.

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