Today, I’m going to share the little (yet big) makeover we recently did to my home office. Let’s start with some before photos…
As you can see from these photos, my office wasn’t really a proper office before. When I initially found out I was going to be working from home, we thought it would just be for a few months, so I didn’t really worry too much about putting together a proper working space. As a result, I just had my desk in this spare room, where we also had a few other random things – a dresser, bookcase, and boxes.
Before long, I started to notice that my space was affecting my mood. Partially because the space just sort of felt like a random cluster of furniture that didn’t belong anywhere else, and partially because the wall colours were just so drab and boring. Once I found out I’d be working from home for the foreseeable future, I knew I had to do something. I could handle working in that space for a couple months, but indefinitely? Oh, no.
It was time for a makeover.
I really enjoyed making over the office, especially thinking about the possibilities of what we could do with the space. I knew I wanted brighter, cheerier colours in the room, and really liked the idea of painting the walls a yellow tone. I also liked the idea of using removable wallpaper to add a bit of character and dimension to the space.
This is what we ended up with…
I wanted my workspace to not just feel like an empty room with a desk, but to feel warm and inviting, and like a space where I could sit and read or relax in, as well. So I started getting the idea of having a little sitting area, but didn’t know if I’d have room for a desk, bookcase, coffee table, and an armchair. The more I brainstormed though, the more I was thinking outside the box and not limiting myself to the possibilities of the current space.
So, I decided we could try taking the doors off the closet, and putting my bookcase in there to save space. I was a little bit worried it might look strange – would it look like a bookcase in a closet, and seem out of place? But it’s actually turned into a cute little nook space! Plus, taking the closet doors off really opened up the space and made it feel a lot bigger.
Once I solidified the fact that I would be able to have my coffee table and chair in there as well, I started thinking about coffee table books – I’ve always liked the look of a nice, styled table. I ended up buying the Vogue: Postcards from Home, and a Tiffany&Co book of iconic window displays. I think these look really nice on the coffee table, and add a bit of chic-ness and luxury to the space (flipping through the Tiffany&Co book is really inspiring, as well, and fuels my creative energy).
I decided to rearrange my desk and put it against the wall by my door instead of having it face the window. I prefer being able to see my door, instead of having my back to it, and I can still easily turn and look out the window. Plus, if I still had it facing the window, I think it may have been awkward putting my coffee table and chair in there, and the space would not have flowed as nicely.
My dad made me the geometric/honeycomb shelves, which match the design of the wallpaper, and also fill the large empty space on that wall nicely. I think having a shelf there was the best option, as pictures would have likely been too distracting.
The most difficult and time consuming part of the office makeover was the wallpaper. I was under the impression it would have been quick and easy to apply, and maybe it would have been if I chose a simpler pattern, because the hardest part was just lining up the lines so it didn’t look disjointed. Luckily, we can confirm that the wallpaper does peel off the walls easily and does not take the paint off either (as we had to pull it off and reapply many times).
The only extra pieces we purchased for this room, other than the wallpaper and paint, was the coffee table and rattan chair, which are both from IKEA! Oh, and the plant, which unfortunately is now dead (I’m not a plant person, okay?).
I might still put some kind of artwork or decorative items on the wall with the wallpaper as it does feel a bit empty, but I’m not sure yet. For some reason I really like the idea of putting up a neon sign, but I have no idea what I would want a neon sign of! If anyone has good ideas, or recommendations of what else to put up on that wall, please let me know.
Until next time,
Nadine
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