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When you work from home, you need a proper home office to work and stay creative. I’m so happy to share today’s post that’s 6 years in the making. Take a tour of our family’s home office complete with a custom desk build, updated wall color and textured basket storage. Scroll to the bottom of the post to find resources from this room tour!
First let’s take a glimpse of what our foyer and home office used to look like 6 years ago (and stayed that way for a few years):
As mentioned in my rookie home decorating mistakes post, we were naive home owners and this was also one of those rooms where we tried to match the paint color that was already there instead of choosing our own. Yes, we kept that ugly pinky/taupey color the previous owners used! We just didn’t seem to get the concept that this was our home and we could do whatever we wanted with it!
The office area was furnished with whatever items we already had in our apartment or picked up cheap (hello, Ikea, I still love you!). Nothing really fit. The space wasn’t used properly and it was an eyesore to me since its the first area you see walking into our home!
Fast forward a few years and we had a big need for a nice home office since I was working from home.
After looking at lots of DIY options or trying to piece together furniture items to fit the space, we decided to go the custom route and turned to Dyer Cabinet Shop. They had previously done work for our brother-in-law’s AWESOME basement bar so we knew they’d do a great job for us. And they did!
Above is the design drawing they gave us after going over our wants in store and having our space measured.
The cabinets give us great closed storage while the bookshelves give us easy access to commonly used items.
Sure I’d love to style the bookshelves in the cute way that my favorite home decor bloggers always but this felt more functional for our family’s needs. I need to be able to read those book spines! :)
When you work on fun brands, their toys become part of your home decor!
We have a paper shredder under the desk which we use to shred papers maybe on a monthly basis. I created “Shred” and “File” baskets to help hold items that are in staging areas to reduce the desktop clutter. That book on right on the bottom shelf? It’s one copy of Gone with the Wind I hollowed out as our ring box for our wedding!
A printer is a must for all the free printables I design for the blog and the parties I style! At least this wireless one has a sleek style!
A place for everything and everything is its place! Since the girls are not really around this area, this is usually the most clean spot in the whole house!
Let’s talk about this money tree. We received it as a house warming gift from my aunt when we first moved in 8 years ago. It’s grown and grown, needing new pots and new locations. Now it’s so big that it covers the framed picture from Derek’s Grandma’s home that we made over and hung there a few years back. It shows the German town that his family was from and I love it in our office space but yeah, after looking at these photos I realized we probably need a new spot for that picture frame so you can see it, huh.
On the other side of the room, we have one of Derek’s latest projects 2 years in the making, our fauxdenza. We spotted this look on DIY Playbook and purchased the base cabinets to store all my wide scrapbook collection.
Instead of a single board across the top, he opted to try a different method, biscuiting boards, routering and staining it to display in our home. I LOVE how it came out and kick myself everyday for not taking more photos of his step by step process. He’s so proud of this piece but little does he know it only makes me want to have him to more carpentry work! :)
He also created a little DIY hanger for a quick coat rack situation since we don’t really have a mud room, nor room for that here. This room is now more spacious, bright and functional for our family!
Thanks for letting me share this fun home office makeover and I apologize for it taking so long!
And because I always love to end with a before and after, here ya go:
RESOURCES:
Cabinetry: purchased at Dyers Cabinet Shop
Grommet Covers: Staples
Office Chair: Costco
Printer: Canon MG7700
Plant Pot: Home Depot
Rug: Fancy Trellis in Surg by Mohawk Home
Blanket: West Elm
Curtain Fabric: Joanns (Sewn to size by Nikki – Thanks again!)
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