The first big room renovation award goes to … The home office! For no other reason than Joe and I need to stop laying out all of our work stuff on the kitchen counter. Let me tell you, we needed this makeover badly. The new house has been such a headache since we moved in. This is the first fun project we’ve gotten to do, and I am OBSESSED.
Over the summer, we stopped into a Restoration Hardware Outlet and found identical desks pretty beat up and, fortunately, deeply discounted. The idea of combining the two single desks into a functional double desk became the kickoff point for the office.
The Wall Details
Our home was built with very traditional details, as can be seen in the baseboards and crown moulding. I didn’t want to get rid of all those expensive details, so my goal was to add and alter the space to make it more modern (aka more “me”).
Picture moulding is typically traditional. I used this trim to make it a little more modern, but the pole wrap detail in the middle is what really took it to the next level. The floor-to-ceiling boxes really draw your eye upward making the room feel larger. The GORGEOUS dark grey paint color is the other element that adds the modern vibe in here. It’s Prairie Smoke from the Magnolia collection at Ace Hardware. Not only is the color incredibly, but the quality of the paint blew me away as well.
The Desk
Since this post is just an overview of the office design, I’ll link the desk flip blog post here if you want more details. We wanted sitting space, standing space, lots of file storage space, and room to hide all the charging that happens in an office.
This design delivered all of the above, and more… We’ve been using it nonstop! I sanded down the two desktops and stained them to tie back to the whitewashed oak floors. I followed this order… Pre-stain conditioner, Colorwash Whitewash, Classic Grey, then a light coat of Early American to add some warmth. I used the Prairie Smoke paint color on the base, along with the pole wrap to tie into the walls.
We added a seating area opposite the desk for a more comfortable work area. It’s a great spot for brainstorming future projects, so I put the DIY woven push pin board in that corner. It adds a little bit of warmth and texture off the dark walls!
The art and beautiful light fixture are from a local spot, Elm and Iron. I chose a neutral rug (linked here) to avoid taking away from the floor and desktop. I used gold curtain rods, mounted all the way up to the ceiling, to add another gold touch and draw your eye upward.
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