If you’ve been following along with us lately, you know that we just finished making over our Water Closet for the One Room Challenge, a design event where you take one room and give it a makeover in only six weeks. It’s a great way to get unstuck if you have a space that you’ve been putting off finishing because it forces you to get on a schedule, start making decisions and moving forward. This can lead to some creative solutions with inspiring results. While I’m glad to have our little room finished, half the fun was participating as part of a community and seeing what the rest of the bloggers were up to. Here are ten of our favorite spaces and the creative ideas that left us saying, “I wish I had thought of that!”

Use an unexpected material. This room by Life on Hill Street thinks outside of the box by using an unexpected material (shingles) to create an eye-catching nursery statement wall.

Create a graphic element with wood. The blogger behind Brass and Bauble upped the cool factor in her teen boy's bedroom by creating a graphic design in a corner of the room using wood planks.

Wallpaper the ceiling. Draw the eye up by using pattern in an unexpected place, on the ceiling! We love how the blogger at Crate and Cottage put the focus on her beautiful beamed ceiling with this blue and white print. 

Start with a favorite piece. The tranquil blue and white color scheme for this room by Sarah Gun was inspired by the treasured quilt at the foot of her bed, helping to create a cohesive feel for the room.

Create built-ins. The gorgeous built-ins in this room by Jessica Devlin Designs were not always a part of the room. In fact, she created them on a budget herself by cleverly repurposing Ikea cabinets. 

Go bold with a statement color. While Kelly green might not be the first shade that comes to mind when designing a bedroom, we love the bold choice by Dimples and Tangles and all of the happy, preppy vibes it brings to this teen girls bedroom.

Create a focal point with a faux fireplace. If your current space isn't loaded with architectural details, fake it! This beautiful DIY faux fireplace by Hilltown House adds a heavy dose of charm and creates a natural focal point for the room.

DIY a wall hanging. This room by Idle Hands Awake is packed with interesting details, not the least of which is the eye catching wall hanging she crafted to go over her bed.

Take a vintage find back to black. We love the moody makeover of this cabinet that Markova Design picked up for her sewing room and the way the black finish makes details like the vintage hardware pop in a whole new way. 

Layer on the florals for maximum impact. We can't get enough of how designer Megan Bachmann layered on the floral designs in this sweet nursery. With a backdrop of petal print wallpaper the oversized pressed flower photograph and colorful pressed flower print sheets create a fun, layered take on the botanical motif.