Taking a break from painting my soon-to-be office to get back to my Making it Yours series and button up the last of designs around this pink Persian-style rug.
I’m always tweaking the format, playing around with it to see what’s an improvement and what falls flat. I’ve created narratives for the fictional people that live with these designs, I’ve done five variations (which felt like whoa too many, and I’ve done quick changes within a series to play with the palette. This fifteenth round has been all about expanding on the ‘why’ of each choice that goes into the finished design. I intended to space them out a bit too, but then I think I myself spaced, and here we are with the third look coming long after the other two! (Oops.) So let’s get into it.
We’ve already seen a tween’s bedroom and a living room (with a bonus alternative color scheme), and now we’re finishing up with a home office. This has been a fun one to come back to and work on right now since I’m in the middle of setting up an office for myself! I get to work in one of these office chairs I’ve been eyeing.
PRETTY OFFICE CHAIRS: Carson Desk Chair, Ballard Designs • Liv Upholstered Wingback Office Chair, Crate & Barrel • Reeves Desk Chair, Pottery Barn
Next, some storage in the form of these modular bookcases, either in the warm brown or black finish.
STORAGE: Tremont Modular Bookcases, Arhaus
And of course you need a desk in a home office. I love a good writing desk, but it’s not as practical as one with drawers or a flip-down tray for the keyboard (a feature I like in my current desk). Here’s a mix of options I would consider, all in black (though some are available in other colors).
BLACK DESKS: Cynthia Rowley Fleur de Glee Writing Desk, Wayfair • Niles Writing Desk, Birch Lane • Vintage Painted Desk, Chairish • Rubbed Black Quade Desk, World Market • Noir Portugese Desk, Candelabra • Knox Metal Desk with Hutch, Pottery Barn • Threshold Campaign Desk, Target • Maison Desk, Restoration Hardware
So we’re at a point where we can pick the basic elements now. The wingback desk chair is my favorite (I rounded up similarly shaped dining chairs not long ago), and I love the turned legs of the Noir desk (I am in love with everything that company is doing right now). Pairing those two up with the bookcases, I prefer the black finish. It could go a little matchy-matchy, but I think we’re good as long as the rest of the room adds variety.
BASIC ELEMENTS: Noir Portugese Desk, Candelabra • Liv Wingback Office Chair, Crate & Barrel • Tremont Modular Bookcases, Arhaus
On to the lighting. I want to bring back the floor lamp from last time. I like the thread of not only bringing back one piece, but incorporating other parts of the previous designs, just as you may move things around in your home over time. The more modern styling of the floor lamp plays nicely with what we’ve got going so far, and I like one of these cute marble and brass lamps for the desk.
LAMPS WITH MARBLE AND/OR BRASS ACCENTS:
Threshold Marble Base Edison Lamp, Target • Winding Course Table Lamp, Anthropologie • Cylinder Floor Lamp, Rejuvenation
I’m imagining that this home office is in a builder-basic suburban house, maybe from the 80s or 90s. Not a McMansion, just a comfortably sized home, but without much going on in the room architecturally. Standard white trim, mid-toned wood floors, and smooth, unadorned walls. A crazy spiky chandelier in the middle of the room could be awesome.
SPIKY CHANDELIERS AND SEMI-FLUSH MOUNT LIGHTING: Hudson Valley Sparta Ceiling Light, Lamps Plus • Arteriors Home Zanadoo Chandalier, Wayfair • Spike Ceiling Light, Shades of Light • Crystorama Galileo 8-Light Pendant, Wayfair • Arteriors Home Roxanne Flush Mount, Wayfair • Arteriors Home Hanley Ceiling Light, Lamps Plus
Time to put the whole thing together with accessories and finishing touches, like a throw to keep on the back of the chair, art (and a giant calendar) to dress up the walls, and a tray to keep the desktop neat.
Making it Yours 15: Pink Persian-Style Rug
Want to see all three looks from this edition together? I aim to please.
This is giving me a big boost of energy to continue working on my own office. I’m not implementing this look exactly, but if I could wave a magic wand and have this show up, I wouldn’t be mad at it. And I heard from someone that they were using the ‘tween bedroom’ as a guide for their daughter’s room, which just makes me so happy! I’d love to hear from you, too. Do you have a favorite, or a request? I’m thinking I’ll do the next round without any pink whatsoever for a change (how ’bout that?).
Marty@A Stroll Thru Life
January 25, 2017 at 11:11 amI love this grouping so much. I could really enjoy a space like this.
Peggi
January 26, 2017 at 5:44 amWowza! I adore everything about this room. I might even get some papers graded if I had that home office. Just kidding. I’d probably just sit in there and read magazines and write to-do lists. Amazing work, as always.
Danielle
January 26, 2017 at 12:03 pmSo pretty! I love that you always seem to find a new source for beautiful furniture/lighting/accessories – thanks for sharing! That desk is amazing.
Liz
February 1, 2017 at 11:56 amBeautiful! Thank you. Love the 90s suburban house office inspiration – my house!