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.
Yvonne
August 16, 2011 at 6:57 amLOVE IT!!! There something about home offices that I love and yours is on my list now. I really love your chair, I think I need to copy that. Thanks so much for the inspiration xox Y
VikaMoka
August 16, 2011 at 7:06 amAll I can say is that it’s lovely!! I wish you the best of times with your kids in your new gorgeous office :D
Stephanie
August 16, 2011 at 7:21 amLove, love, love the new office! The new wall color looks especially great. Do you know the name of the curtains you got at Ikea? Are they a bluish-gray?
Making it Lovely
August 16, 2011 at 8:41 amThey aren’t on the website, but they are called Ransby. Mine are blueish gray, but they come in three or four neutrals (a more greenish gray, taupe, and maybe a more pure gray too).
Stephanie
August 16, 2011 at 2:34 pmThank you!!
Andrea Howe
August 16, 2011 at 7:30 amLove everything about it. Nice job Nicole!
Alli
August 16, 2011 at 7:41 amWow! I really love it! What is the style name of the curtains you bought from IKEA? Thanks :)
Making it Lovely
August 16, 2011 at 10:10 pmRansby.
Alli
August 17, 2011 at 11:19 amYeah, yeah. Thank you!
Giulia
August 16, 2011 at 7:51 amGreat job. Love the storage and your art, it all came together beautifully.
Katie
August 16, 2011 at 7:55 amLovely! Where did you get the round mirror?
Making it Lovely
August 16, 2011 at 10:12 pmIt was from Ballard Designs last year. I did find it for sale in black though, and you could paint it!
Candice
August 16, 2011 at 7:56 amGorgeous! My favorite part is the “beauty” banner and all going on under it. What are those cabinets underneath the banner? They are great. Thanks for sharing.
Making it Lovely
August 16, 2011 at 10:17 pmThey’re IKEA Effektiv units.
Katie
August 16, 2011 at 8:00 amSo lovely and amazing! It looks fantastic! xo
dg
August 16, 2011 at 8:14 amwhat are those black cabinets with the white doors?
Making it Lovely
August 16, 2011 at 10:17 pmIKEA Effektiv.
Tequila b
August 16, 2011 at 8:17 amThe office chair? where is it from? i must have it.
Making it Lovely
August 16, 2011 at 10:18 pmI scored a used Eames management chair!
lisa
August 16, 2011 at 8:20 amlove it! where did you get the starburst on the wall and the rotary phone? i keep looking for one but can’t find one in good shape!
Making it Lovely
August 16, 2011 at 10:21 pmI talked about the star bursts here, and the phone is by Crosley.
Mary
August 16, 2011 at 8:28 amLOVE the wall color, and all of it, really. When did August get so big?!?
Making it Lovely
August 16, 2011 at 10:21 pmI know. Six months old!
Christi
August 16, 2011 at 8:35 amIt looks fantastic! How on earth did you manage to hide your computer cables?
Making it Lovely
August 16, 2011 at 10:22 pmIt looks even better now, but I talked about that here, last year.
Kristin
August 16, 2011 at 8:36 amIt looks so beautiful, what a great place to spend the day working and playing!
Rebekah
August 16, 2011 at 8:54 amNeat screen saver! Where can I find it?
Hayley
August 16, 2011 at 3:22 pmI’d like to know too – it’s funky!
Making it Lovely
August 16, 2011 at 10:23 pmYou can grab it from Veer.
katie
August 16, 2011 at 8:55 amSo cute! Working from home can be lonely at times…having such a lovely space sure makes a difference! Great job.
Amanda @ Our Humble A{Bowe}d
August 16, 2011 at 8:56 amI really love the new paint color. It it different than the rest of your home, but not so drastic that it doesn’t flow. I thought about a similar color for my office, but it was too washed out, so I chose a chocolate brown instead. I love it paired with tons of white: http://ourhumbleabowed.wordpress.com/2011/05/18/a-finished-office/ I also love your more organized bookshelf. I don’t know if you store magazines in your office, but I love to keep mine organized by month: http://ourhumbleabowed.wordpress.com/2011/05/24/magazines-by-month/ It looks much cleaner and I can find them quicker.
Making it Lovely
August 17, 2011 at 8:46 amSo nice. I love all of the white in there too.
muriam
August 16, 2011 at 9:00 amcan you post where you got the lamp and phone from? Love it!
Making it Lovely
August 17, 2011 at 8:48 amThe lamps were from Crate & Barrel (I wrote about them here), and the phone is by Crosley.
Melanie @ Mailbox Journey
August 16, 2011 at 9:03 amI love it, you did a really great job.
bethany
August 16, 2011 at 9:04 amThat looks lovely and calming!
Sarah
August 16, 2011 at 9:05 amI love how your office turned out. I am especially loving the lamps on your desk and on the low cabinet unit. Where are they from?
Making it Lovely
August 17, 2011 at 8:48 amThey were from Crate & Barrel (“Frida” lamps).
Senja
August 16, 2011 at 9:11 amI love everything about it! It looks so warm and calm – really great! :)
One of my favourites are the chair and the decorations on the cabinet.
puck
August 16, 2011 at 9:30 amI have the same Adler light in my living room. :)
Amber
August 16, 2011 at 9:35 amBeautiful! Where are the kids table and chairs from?
Making it Lovely
August 17, 2011 at 8:49 amIKEA.
MariaBen
August 16, 2011 at 9:37 ami love your BLOG & i love your style…very inspiring…
Amanda
August 16, 2011 at 10:05 amI love this room; the colour, the curtains. Glad you finally showed us! :D
Kristina
August 16, 2011 at 10:10 amThe wall color is fab! It seems to compliment the wallpaper in the dining room too, no?
PS: Still jealous of the mirror! Any clue where it can be found now?
Making it Lovely
August 17, 2011 at 8:50 amI found it, but only in black.
Kristina
August 17, 2011 at 12:51 pmThis is why you are awesome. <3
Jules
August 16, 2011 at 10:14 amIt looks great, Nicole! I love how the office looks with the wallpaper in the dining room.
Dariela
August 16, 2011 at 10:24 amVery pretty! You make everything so stylish and clean, I’m always learning, love it!
Mefi
August 16, 2011 at 10:31 amLovely!
Emily
August 16, 2011 at 10:31 amCongrats! It looks perfect! It’s so warm and inviting I almost forgot it’s in your basement. :)
Making it Lovely
August 17, 2011 at 8:51 amNo, this is a separate space. The studio is in the basement, but my office has always been on the main floor in what used to be one of the house’s original two bedrooms.
Erin
August 16, 2011 at 10:38 amSuch a great space! I could definitely work in there. :) I LOVE the color on the walls. We recently painted our master bedroom a similar color.
Jenny G.
August 16, 2011 at 10:42 amLOVE it! I’ve got your rug bookmarked for someday in my house. I actually think that the pink chair looks amazing as-is in there! You’ve got a fantastic style mix of retro and modern. Come do my house? =)
NicoleD
August 16, 2011 at 10:57 amBeautiful!! I love how it all came together :) I must pin that light fixture, so cool.
dawn
August 16, 2011 at 11:23 amthis looks absolutely amazing!!! super job nicole!
Stephanie
August 16, 2011 at 11:59 amYou always do an amazing job balancing a clean, functional space with personality. You truly have a gift for decorating. In love with your phone and those are my favorite Anthropologie knobs.
Rachelle
August 16, 2011 at 12:26 pmLove the new office! And I really love that you worked with the color of the Eames chair. I am dying for one but my husband would never be ok with a pink office chair.
Jaclyn Van Den Berg
August 16, 2011 at 12:40 pmABSOLUTELY LOVELY! I may have missed it – but did you make that banner? If not – where did you get it? Also – Love the white owl … where is that from. Everything is picture perfect … great job!
Making it Lovely
August 17, 2011 at 8:52 amI wrote about the banner on Babble, and the owl is a vintage cookie jar from eBay.
Lauren
August 16, 2011 at 12:44 pmLove it all! We have the light in our kitchen.
Tiffany
August 16, 2011 at 1:29 pmI love everything about this office. It’s very inspiring.
jina
August 16, 2011 at 1:39 pmAre the kids’ table and chairs from Ikea as well? It’s all very cute.
Making it Lovely
August 17, 2011 at 8:52 amYes.
Kahli
August 16, 2011 at 1:58 pmThis is all just very lovely! I really love that white ceramic owl too!
Rebecca @ beautiful square feet
August 16, 2011 at 2:05 pmLove the new office! Also love the wall colour with that rug! Good choice!
Miss B.
August 16, 2011 at 2:08 pmSo neat, wish my desktop on my computer was as organized. The color on the chart looks sagey but in your photos it looks more taupe either way you did a beautiful job as always!
Wrenaria
August 16, 2011 at 2:09 pmWhere did you get that adorable owl? I am pretty sure I NEED it.
Making it Lovely
August 17, 2011 at 8:55 amIt’s a vintage cookie jar that I found on eBay.
Jenn
August 16, 2011 at 2:10 pmAbsolutely love it! Where can I find the screensaver? Thanks!
Making it Lovely
August 17, 2011 at 8:56 amThe screensaver is called “Wish You Were Here” from Veer.
Claudia
August 16, 2011 at 2:33 pmGosh, I love your owl. Is it vintage ? Haha, I see just that Wrenaria thougt the same.
Making it Lovely
August 17, 2011 at 8:56 amYep, vintage. It says “PoppyTrail” on the bottom.
Peden
August 16, 2011 at 2:42 pmThis looks great! Very pretty – a little more grown-up, but still very fun.
I would love to know more about how you tidied up your cords!
Making it Lovely
August 17, 2011 at 8:57 amI wrote about tidying up the cords here. That’s an older post though, and they look even better now.
LisaInIllinois
August 16, 2011 at 3:11 pmLove everything about this space. I mixed leftover paint from various projects and actually created something very close to your wall color. It is in my guest bedroom and beautifully soothing.
ellen patton
August 16, 2011 at 4:18 pmWow – very cool! And I love the phone.
Annika
August 16, 2011 at 5:01 pmWell done! Very nice colormatchings!
Alison
August 16, 2011 at 5:36 pmI 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.
Making it Lovely
August 16, 2011 at 9:20 pmI 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.
Wendy
August 16, 2011 at 6:28 pmlove your office make over! fabulous!
jbhat
August 16, 2011 at 6:37 pmIt looks sooo pretty. Love your style.
jbhat
scs_68
August 16, 2011 at 7:02 pmLooks great! Can you tell me where you found the desk? Also, how did you make the two-tone cabinets? Thanks.
Making it Lovely
August 16, 2011 at 9:21 pmThe desk was from west elm and the storage cabinets are IKEA Effektiv units with glossy white doors.
Rose
August 16, 2011 at 7:14 pmLooks great! Remember you can cross off “painting your office” from the 30 before 30 list now!
Making it Lovely
August 16, 2011 at 9:41 pmOh, you’re right! At least I did it before I turned 31 (next month).
Sarah
August 16, 2011 at 7:49 pmIt looks really great – clean and simple and I LOVE that phone! where did you get it?? ;-)
Making it Lovely
August 16, 2011 at 10:08 pmIt’s by Crosley, made to look like an old phone!
Maria @ Orchard Bloom
August 16, 2011 at 8:08 pmLovely office! I’m digging your phone!
Viktoriya
August 16, 2011 at 8:09 pmThe 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!!
Adventures In Babywearing
August 16, 2011 at 9:03 pmLove the chair!!!
Steph
Lianne
August 16, 2011 at 9:34 pmI 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.
Karl
August 16, 2011 at 9:53 pmWhat is the beanbag / footrest, and where’d you find it?
Making it Lovely
August 16, 2011 at 10:09 pmIt’s a Moroccan pouf. I wrote about it back in March ’09.
Nikki
August 16, 2011 at 10:38 pmWhere did you get the banner? It’s adorable.
Making it Lovely
August 17, 2011 at 8:58 amHere’s more info on the banner.
Krishann
August 17, 2011 at 9:11 amIt 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 :)
Amy
August 17, 2011 at 9:21 amThe kid’s table and chair is an awesome idea! I love that!!
Edyta
August 17, 2011 at 9:28 amIt turned out so pretty! Love the gray and pink combination! I bet it feels so nice to work from there now :)
Kasey
August 17, 2011 at 9:36 amHow lovely! I would love to have a work space like this.
Kathryn
August 17, 2011 at 11:03 amLove that screen saver! Where did you get it?
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Kristen
August 17, 2011 at 12:50 pmLooks beautiful! Where can I get your screensaver?
Sandra Yeong
August 17, 2011 at 1:17 pmLovely 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.
Kari Shimmel
August 17, 2011 at 5:43 pmGreat 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!
Emma
August 17, 2011 at 10:41 pmI love your owl! (cookie jar?) Great work on the redecorating!
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August 18, 2011 at 8:59 am[…] happened to notice two office makeovers on the blogs and lets face if, offices need comfotable […]
Gill
August 18, 2011 at 10:05 amJust Lovely! x
Jacqueline
August 19, 2011 at 12:25 amAbsolutely LOVE IT!!! What a gorgeous color palette.
Marcelle Rebelo
August 19, 2011 at 11:08 amHi, 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!
Nikki
August 19, 2011 at 5:10 pmIn 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!
CBO
August 19, 2011 at 7:27 pmPlease don’t reupholster that chair ever!! It’s gorgeous. Beautiful space. Bravo.
Mary G
August 20, 2011 at 9:15 amHi Nicole,
Love your blog. Can you tell me where you got the sweet kids table…looks metal..is it?
Thanks
Sil
August 20, 2011 at 9:32 amWow, I looooooooooooooooove it!
I want that chair, too! Where did you find it?
XOXO
Sil
Sarah
August 22, 2011 at 5:44 amGreat choice of color – often home offices look so cold and stark, but this is a room you want to spend time in.
Melissa
August 23, 2011 at 9:09 amJordan 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.
Natalie
August 23, 2011 at 4:10 pmThis looks fantastic!! You truly did a wonderful job. Very chick, yet still livable. Well done! :)
Kimmie in Fort Worth
September 4, 2011 at 12:45 amGorgeous! My favorite part of the room, by far, is the rubber band around the cabinet knobs to keep out curious toddlers! ;)
Susan Miles
September 9, 2011 at 12:33 pmBelevation 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!
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April 5, 2012 at 8:04 pmReally lovely, Nicole. Thanks for sharing!
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