I’ve spent the last month working on redecorating my home office. I partnered with Sherwin-Williams, using the new HGTV® HOME by Sherwin-Williams color collections and paint and a $1000 budget. Want to see how it turned out?
I think it’s looking really cute. Let’s take a closer look at each of the issues I addressed…
The Rug Vs. the Chair
The existing zigzag rug stayed, and I managed to find an affordable used Eames Management chair. In pink, no less! I would like to reupholster it someday, but I can rock the eighties’ dusty rose for a while.
The Computer (and the Wall Behind it)
The old computer that was sitting behind my new one (a silly thing to do) is now in the basement, and I’ll be setting up a desk down there for it eventually. I cleaned up the cords beneath my desk and from the desk to the printer behind me as well.
I chose art to go above the computer that could actually be seen, and moved the mirror (that was half-blocked) to the adjacent wall. The bird painting is by Amy Ruppel, the portait was from Paul Ferney, and the wall sculptures were discussed here.
Storage and Organization
I had to empty the huge shelving unit to paint the wall behind it (what a pain in the rear that was). The good thing about that though was that it forced me to rethink the way I put everything back. I was able to go through a lot of the books and things that I had on the shelves, and I pared it all down. Then I added some matching baskets along the bottom to make the toys look nicer, and I didn’t need to do anything further to organize my things.
The Curtain as a Closet Door
The curtain is gone! A door was fitted and hung for the closet, which cost more than I had anticipated and took a third of the budget. I love it though! A curtain for a door is fine, and a lot of people like that solution, but a true door feels more polished and keeps the kids and cats out. I painted the door the same color (“Snowbound,” #SW 7004 / LL17, semi-gloss) as the rest of the trim .
The Window
I painted the window white as well and chose to hang simple curtains from IKEA that match the wall color. I also planned to add a sheer roller shade, but my usual go-to (Enje shades) are unavailable right now.
Painting the Trim and the Walls
I used the new line of paint from HGTV® HOME by Sherwin-Williams for the office. The walls are “Contented” (#SW 6191 / LL12, flat finish) from the Livable Luxe collection, and I painted all of the trim “Snowbound” (#SW 7004 / LL17, semi-gloss), a white from the same color collection. The wall color is that hard to define color between green, blue, and gray, and it seems to be popping up everywhere these days. The color was a bit of a departure for me, but as I narrowed down my paint swatches, I kept finding myself drawn to it.
Lighting
The old ceiling fan that came with the house had seen better days. I still love the Jonathan Adler light that I chose for my former studio (now Eleanor’s room), so I picked up another to swap the office ceiling fan out for.
A Place for the Kids
I spend a lot of time in my office, so I was sure to include space for Eleanor and August to play. The small table and chairs are light enough to move them out of the way, but Eleanor loves coloring or playing there.
There you have it!
I love the way the office turned out. The office in our old apartment was pink, and when Brandon and I moved here, I chose the exact same color to quickly get my office ready. After nearly a decade with a pink office, I’m still getting used to the new color but I’m loving the white trim and the closet door. It feels good to have the space freshened up.
Wow – very cool! And I love the phone.
Well done! Very nice colormatchings!
I love it! I have cats myself (four) plus a long haired dog, and I always stay away from curtains that puddle on the floor simply because they accumulate sooo much fur. Do you have any tips on keeping the fur off? I vacuum constantly (literally every day), but fur still seems to cling to floor-touching curtains. I usually have to use a lint-remover to get it off. WIth my current house I’ve backed away from puddling curtains altogether just for this reason.
I think it’s all in the fabric selection. Plain cotton curtains and simple woven fabrics tend to be OK and not accumulate much fur. Velvet curtains (though I love the look) would be a nightmare.
love your office make over! fabulous!
It looks sooo pretty. Love your style.
jbhat
Looks great! Can you tell me where you found the desk? Also, how did you make the two-tone cabinets? Thanks.
The desk was from west elm and the storage cabinets are IKEA Effektiv units with glossy white doors.
Looks great! Remember you can cross off “painting your office” from the 30 before 30 list now!
Oh, you’re right! At least I did it before I turned 31 (next month).
It looks really great – clean and simple and I LOVE that phone! where did you get it?? ;-)
It’s by Crosley, made to look like an old phone!
Lovely office! I’m digging your phone!
The space looks AMAZING, you should be very proud!! It’s so personalized, open, and comfortable. I love how you’ve included items that invite your kids into the room. Great job!!
Love the chair!!!
Steph
I can’t believe August is sitting up on his own! i have a little boy a few weeks younger than him and he’s not close. We need to get practicing.
What is the beanbag / footrest, and where’d you find it?
It’s a Moroccan pouf. I wrote about it back in March ’09.
Where did you get the banner? It’s adorable.
Here’s more info on the banner.
It looks great! I love the touches of pink throughout the room and the white trim and accessories oh and the wall color! It looks like a great workspace that you and your little ones can utilize and really enjoy :)
The kid’s table and chair is an awesome idea! I love that!!
It turned out so pretty! Love the gray and pink combination! I bet it feels so nice to work from there now :)
How lovely! I would love to have a work space like this.
Love that screen saver! Where did you get it?
Looks beautiful! Where can I get your screensaver?
Lovely Office. Do you wear shoe in the house?? I always wonder how everyone keep clean of the floor when there is pets running around and toddler crawling with fur around… some more with carpets… I am always shy away from Carpet with pets around.
Great job on your new office! I love the subtle touches and fully agree with you about the closet door. It provides a perfect level of sophistication. Thanks for sharing – I adore your blog!
I love your owl! (cookie jar?) Great work on the redecorating!
Just Lovely! x
Absolutely LOVE IT!!! What a gorgeous color palette.
Hi, I am a librarian and English teacher and I am looking forward have my home office ready. Your ideas are inspiring. I shared them in my blog http://biblioideias.blogspot.com and it will be posted by tomorrow. Thanks for the inspiration! The Braziliam people will love your ideas!
In the first photo, the wall to the left of the curtains (between the curtains and the bookshelves) looks to me to be blue. Is that just my screen? If it is different, can you please provide the color name? Thanks!
Please don’t reupholster that chair ever!! It’s gorgeous. Beautiful space. Bravo.
Hi Nicole,
Love your blog. Can you tell me where you got the sweet kids table…looks metal..is it?
Thanks
Wow, I looooooooooooooooove it!
I want that chair, too! Where did you find it?
XOXO
Sil
Great choice of color – often home offices look so cold and stark, but this is a room you want to spend time in.
Jordan just announced on her site (ohhappyday.com) yesterday that Paul is offering The Commission Project again this year. His painting in your office is stunning. Thought I’d send you a head’s up in case you were eyeing another one.
This looks fantastic!! You truly did a wonderful job. Very chick, yet still livable. Well done! :)
Gorgeous! My favorite part of the room, by far, is the rubber band around the cabinet knobs to keep out curious toddlers! ;)
Belevation Mom loves a great decorating job! This one is truly impressive. Terrific for Mom and Kids to safety co-exist in a neat,organized, beautiful space like this one!
Really lovely, Nicole. Thanks for sharing!