Home Office Makeover

If you have been following me on insta (let's face it, I post a lot more often over there than here these days) you will know I was working an office redo for the past few months in fits and spurts.




My old office design was fun and perfect for me 10 years ago (no kids, rarely worked at home, lots of storage space elsewhere, plenty of time to be organized) but I had seriously outgrown it both in function and in form so a makeover was long overdo.








Since there is the possibility that we might one day move Oscar's bedroom into this room down the road, I didn't want to do anything extremely permanent in here.  And course I didn't want to spend a fortune either.

I repainted last year Farrow & Ball Downpipe which totally changed the look of the room. But then I was at a stand still.  What can I do to give myself lots more storage without going the way of built ins or making this tiny room look like a pantry?



Ikea to the rescue. Of course I paid for it in the form of giving myself carpel tunnel syndrome hex wrenching a thousand of those lock screw things but it's so worth it!

I moved the desk placement to occupy the entire width of the room on the far wall. I was wracking my brain to get that perfect fit without spending a fortune on custom woodwork until I stumbled upon the countertops at Ikea.  I paired 2 dressers (although looking at it now, I think I should probably get another one for the right hand side) and a chevron wood countertop.  It was a few inches too long so I cut it down to size and plopped it on top of the drawers.  No additional work or assembly required!  Having a desk that not only has tons of room, can hold my printer and has tons of storage is such a game changer.

The green velvet office chair warms up the room a little as does the gold framed mirror and artwork.  Yes, those are Aggie's paintings behind the monkey (aka the world's largest pen cup!)

On the other side of the room I used a tall white metal shelf with drawers.  This shelf holds SOOO much. My less than perfectly even floors make this piece a challenge to level but other than that I'm really pleased with it.  Yes, those are Aggie's drawings behind the world's larges monkey pen cup. She is very proud to make her contribution.

I wish I could say I'm completely done but I still have a couple of small things - a new window treatment and a rug - but I am happy with the outcome.  So much more quirky and brooding while feeling more spacious and having more storage.  What more could a woman ask for?

Office Shelf Off: Which One?

Warning: We interrupt this feed of normally pretty styled images for a reality check.


Don't judge me.  I used to be organized.

My office is an a sad state! I designed it before I had kids and when I had an entire empty closet to keep all my clutter.  Fast forward to today - two small humans are born and they required I give up my closet.  As a result, my office has become the dumping ground.  Can anyone relate?

It's time for a room redo here but I've been putting it off  - mostly because of lack of time.  But I spend a good bit of my week in here and it's now driving me crazyyyyy!  As you can tell, I need a lot more storage.  (or maybe a marie kondo intervention?)

So I'm thinking my old Swedish friend Ikea will help me out here but I'm torn.  I'm liking all three of the these options but they are totally different and I can't decide. Which one are you feeling? Anyone have one of these units and want to opine?

In this corner is the good ol' Fjallkinge which you may have seen in such blogs as Studio MeGee, Young House Love and Lark & Linen.  Pretty fly for white guy.

Followed by the relative unknown Veberod.  I like it's rustic farmhousy vibe and how smaller units could mean I could be more flexible with them in future but I'm worried it might be too busy in the small space.



They are pretty different styles and I'd probably go a different direction with paint and accessories depending upon the pick.

What say you wise people of the interwebs? White clean lines or rustic metal + wood?

Office Makeover Color Dilemma

My office used to be one of my very favorite spaces.  Clean and serene and just for me.  But with the additional of 2 extra people, the places where I would store my supplies got taken over by clothes and diapers and toys.  So my little office has become a dumping ground and just not a fun place to be.

rug | shelving


Which gives me perfect license for a makeover. I want to use some of the art I have laying around unhung as well as create plenty of open storage for my other treasures that don't have a good home.  I also plan on using crates and boxes to hide some of the clutter as well.

This was the before we got there and here is what it looks like now.

I think i'll keep my current desk just b/c it does the job but mostly because I haven't found a replacement I really love yet.  When I do, I'll pounce.

My big dilemma is wall color. I've really enjoyed the bright color that has been in this space up until now but since I'm changing it up, I think a new color is in order.  A pale grey was my first instinct but it's a bit boring.  I love black rooms so I've considered that but I'm resisting for this room.  I get good enough light to do all white but again, I'm not loving it.  I'd love to do a greyed down green ala Laduree but I don' think it works with my furniture. Usually I have a color idea right away but this has been holding up the whole works.  Any suggestions?

My Office Then & Now

More than 4 years ago I had finally outfitted my office into something I was happy to share (read the original post here).  Despite only a few changes over the years, I still love this space.  I thought long and hard about using such a bright color but I'm still glad I did.  Walking in here always feels invigorating (even when I'm sleep deprived!)



As you can see I finally hung those fab plates, I love having a chalkboard wall, and the genius inspired window treatment is still going strong.

Of course nothing is ever perfect. I never did get around to making a better window shade (add it to the list!) and I'm kind of over the zebra rug so I might change that out at some point.  A home bloggers work is never done :)

Paint it black!

I couldn't resist anymore - I just had to have my own chalkboard wall. It's tucked away on the small wall in my office and I can't wait to get cracking with some pieces of chalk. The instructions say I have to wait 3 days for it to cure but I am going to be on the safe side and give it at least a week. I'm sure its going to take a while before I can draw anything worth sharing but I totally have itchy fingers waiting to get started.




As a complete aside, I'm kinda loving the black wall. Maybe I need to have an entirely black room somewhere? {Insert evil laugh}

Genius inspired window treatment

So remember when I shoo'd the birds I had painted in my office window away?

I had an idea of using these profile silhouettes I had made a while back in a different way. I wasn't using them in the bedroom anymore but I had saved them for a rainy day.




I taped my giant noggin to the back side of the window and got my chalk marker. Using a bunch of quotes attributed to Albert Einstein (see, that's where the genius comes in!), I scribbled my favorites around and around until I was out of room. Remove the template and voila, a little bit of temporary art slightly obscure a bad view and inspire genius at the same time!




I think it is a fun addition to the room although I think it could be bigger and would look better with Albert Einstein's head shape rather than my own. Hopefully it will have the intended inspirational effect.

Its been a few years since I did much of any changes in the office. I think its time to mix it up a tiny bit in here but I have to get time to tackle that project.

What do you think? Would ol' Al be pleased?



For the curious, here are some of the quotes I used:

-A person who never made a mistake never tried anything new.

-Reality is merely an illusion, albeit a very persistent one.

-Sometimes one pays most for the things one gets for nothing.

-The important thing is not to stop questioning.

-The most beautiful thing we can experience is the mysterious.

-Not everything that counts can be counted, and not everything that can be counted counts.

-Imagination is more important than knowledge.

-Learn from yesterday, live for today, hope for tomorrow.

-My religion consists of a humble admiration of the illimitable superior spirit who reveals himself in the slight details we are able to perceive with our frail and feeble minds.

Bye Bye Birds

I don't know what came over me yesterday but I had enough of the painted birds in my office window. Off they went.




I still hate the view so I want to replace it with something else. They hung around for 3 + years so that isn't so bad. I will say it feels a bit weird to walk past my office door and not see them there.

Flashback: Home Office

Thank you so much for your ideas on the box room! I have so many great ideas to choose from now. (Although please feel free to add more to the pile). I can't stop thinking of an oversized mural of a vintage sewing pattern that Linda suggested, brightly colored metal storage that Leah suggested or several of the other great ideas you've planted in my head now. Thanks! Im a bit stuck on what kind of print I should use for fabric. Anyone want to offer a suggestion?

I really don't want to repeat what I did in my office. I mentioned this in the comments but who really reads what I respond in there? And then I realized that some of you may have never even seen my office. Duh. So a great time for a flashback post, don't you think? (For those that have seen it before, feel free to skip over the rest of this.)

Last December, I finally got my office in presentable shape. Here was the post I wrote back then:

I've been a busy bee. Attempting to use my motivation to complete a project to my advantage, I actually have completed a project. Well, sort of. I would still like to replace the window shade; add something on the wall over my desk; load a few more books and things I use regularily into the credenza but Im just going to call this room done for now.

I wasn't intending on finishing off the room so fast but I just happened to stumble upon a $99 black and tan zebra rug at Target. It was the last one left and it called to me. So instead of accomplishing my gift finding objective at Target, I managed to find this instead. Once I had the rug, I felt compelled to get the rest of my act together and 'finish' the room.

As I mentioned in my last post, I had a plan for those two empty frames in the room. I used the top one to display a wooden scissors I had picked up a few years ago. I always liked it but never had a good way to put it front and center. Voila. What do you think?

The bottom frame got a pegboard organizing station. Since I tend to spend almost as much time finding my supplies as working on a project, I thought it would be a good idea to have all my most oft used items on display. The pegboard got a coat of gold enamel paint, just like the scissors. I added some pegboard hooks and its ready to go. Im not sure what other supplies I need to have at the ready but Ill finger that out as I go along.

If you remember, the scissors was originally a bare wood with some tacky words on the blade. I painted it gold using my new favorite thing - this gold enamel paint. Its very thin and has a great lustre to it. I have a feeling you'll be seeing some other gold painted items in my future. :)


With Thanksgiving in mind, Ive been very lax in thanking the very talented Snappy Chic (aka Heather Spratt) for sending me one of her prints. It needs to get framed properly but I couldn't stand having it hidden in the envelope any longer so it got the honor of being the first thing on my inspiration board. Its a photo of a carosel in Paris. The color and composition is beautiful. If you are looking for some great prints for your home, check her out.

Below the it, I added this "Bonjour" sign I found in the Christmas decor aisle at Macys. Not sure what this has to do with Christmas but I still love it. Glass glitter makes me weak in the knees :)

Last but not least, I tackled the window. Using some birdy branch clipart as inspiration, I hand painted on the lower pane using some acrylic cream craft paint. Then I pulled out this rattan shade I had saved from years ago...it doesn't quite fit but it was 100% free so that was an offer too good to pass up. I'd like to switch it out for something else later but this is good enough for now.

So thats pretty much it when it comes to my office. As you can see, its quite a departure from the style of the rest of the house. Its a departure from my style in general actually. I generally tend to go for a much more muted and calm decor. I wanted this room to be more of a fun space. A place where I could be inspired and make a mess but also a room with personality. Im pretty happy with how it turned out but Im always up for suggestions for improvement.

For the record, here is what it looked like before:

Hope you enjoyed a little trip down memory lane. Have a great weekend!

Source list: Home Office

Since the one I did for the guestroom seemed to get the thumbs up, I did one for my office (before I forgot!). Click into it for a larger view.

Hope you find it useful.

Tickled!

I'm so flattered that my office was featured on one of my favorite inspirational blogs, House of Turquoise. The author, Erin, was way too kind in saying its her dream office. Especially sweet of her because her blog is filled with the most beautiful interiors featuring various shades of this signature blue shade.

I have Jennifer, of The Magic Brush, to thank for mentioning my office in the first place. Just reading her blog has given me inspiration to try to gussy up my granny nighstand with more than a simple coat of paint. Check out some of her work:

As if the mention wasn't sweet enough, Jennifer also gave me some technique tips on how to best paint the nighstand I picked up last week. Ive been smitten with this dresser from Wisteria for a while.

On closer inspiration, my nighstand just so happens to have some of the same features this dresser does. Notice the feet, and the detailing. While I do love this color, its too close of a match to my bedroom walls so I'm going to give it a go with some gray paint I have laying around and see what happens. I also don't want my version to look quite as dirty as this one so that will probably make it a lot easier on me. Wish me luck!

I have to admit, I'm a little afraid of the term "faux finish". I get chills thinking of middle of the night informercials and hideous 'ragged' walls on Trading Spaces. Decor gods, lead me not into ugly faux finished hell and deliver me from the ugly!

"You like me, you really like me."

Even if I am sort of too young to remember this famous Oscar speech Sally Field made in 1985, that doesn't stop it from popping into my head when I headed over to Rate My Space and saw that my office as the #1 top rated!!

Particularly amazing when you consider the "competition". One of them being the the more fabulous offices ever, courtesy of Wanderluster. I mean, come on, how amazing is this built in??

I'm sure its just a freak technical accident that I made it to the top of the list but its still a very sweet surprise on this freezing Friday morning. I admit, I was pretty nervous posting there at first because I was worried about people ripping me a new one. Thankfully, people seemed to genuinely like it. That was a relief. So thanks to everyone who rated giving me a nice little surprise gift this freezing Friday morning.

Ok, I will confess I was a little taken aback by one commenter who suggested I change my doorknob. The doorknobs are one of my absolute most favorite features in my house! In fact, they were one of the reasons I could see the potential in what was a pretty nasty state of things when we saw our house for the first time. But hey - everyone has their own taste so I appreciate the comments anyway.

Ive also gotten some nice feedback on my dining room and kitchen although I don't think I'll be making it to the top of that list ever. :)

Home Office Part 5: Done for Now

I've been a busy bee. Attempting to use my motivation to complete a project to my advantage, I actually have completed a project. Well, sort of. I would still like to replace the window shade; add something on the wall over my desk; load a few more books and things I use regularily into the credenza but Im just going to call this room done for now.



I wasn't intending on finishing off the room so fast but I just happened to stumble upon a $99 black and tan zebra rug at Target. It was the last one left and it called to me. So instead of accomplishing my gift finding objective at Target, I managed to find this instead. Once I had the rug, I felt compelled to get the rest of my act together and 'finish' the room.



As I mentioned in my last post, I had a plan for those two empty frames in the room. I used the top one to display a wooden scissors I had picked up a few years ago. I always liked it but never had a good way to put it front and center. Voila. What do you think?

The bottom frame got a pegboard organizing station. Since I tend to spend almost as much time finding my supplies as working on a project, I thought it would be a good idea to have all my most oft used items on display. The pegboard got a coat of gold enamel paint, just like the scissors. I added some pegboard hooks and its ready to go. Im not sure what other supplies I need to have at the ready but Ill finger that out as I go along.

If you remember, the scissors was originally a bare wood with some tacky words on the blade. I painted it gold using my new favorite thing - this gold enamel paint. Its very thin and has a great lustre to it. I have a feeling you'll be seeing some other gold painted items in my future. :)


With Thanksgiving in mind, Ive been very lax in thanking the very talented Snappy Chic (aka Heather Spratt) for sending me one of her prints. It needs to get framed properly but I couldn't stand having it hidden in the envelope any longer so it got the honor of being the first thing on my inspiration board. Its a photo of a carosel in Paris. The color and composition is beautiful. If you are looking for some great prints for your home, check her out.

Below the it, I added this "Bonjour" sign I found in the Christmas decor aisle at Macys. Not sure what this has to do with Christmas but I still love it. Glass glitter makes me weak in the knees :)


Last but not least, I tackled the window. Using some birdy branch clipart as inspiration, I hand painted on the lower pane using some acrylic cream craft paint. Then I pulled out this rattan shade I had saved from years ago...it doesn't quite fit but it was 100% free so that was an offer too good to pass up. I'd like to switch it out for something else later but this is good enough for now.

So thats pretty much it when it comes to my office. As you can see, its quite a departure from the style of the rest of the house. Its a departure from my style in general actually. I generally tend to go for a much more muted and calm decor. I wanted this room to be more of a fun space. A place where I could be inspired and make a mess but also a room with personality. Im pretty happy with how it turned out but Im always up for suggestions for improvement.

For the record, here is what it looked like before: