The Big Reveal...My Home Office

Here it is! My home office! I completed it this week, with my dad's help, and I love it! I've been working in the space for a little over a week, but I wanted to hang a few things before I showed you all the final product. I think it's perfection. Keep reading to get all the details on how I pulled this space together.

As you know, this is what the space looked like before I got started. I loved this space, for it's original purpose, but I needed a place to call my own. A space where my laptop wasn't always on my lap. Where I wasn't using my coffee table as my daily desk top. I place where I felt like I was a little more organized while still being a part of the daily family grind.

I was inspired by this HomeGoods Instagram photo when I starting thinking about my initial design scheme. I loved the mix of colors and eclectic design. I started my search at our local, and favorite, antique store, but never really found what I was looking for. We went to a couple of other local places, but again nothing screamed "take me home." My first purchase was the black writing desk from Target. I blogged about it in my original Wednesday Wants and it was honestly the best fit!

My mom and I actually got the bulk of the room from HomeGoods. After we had the desk, I knew I wanted to add fun pops of color to contrast against the black. I literally set up a space in the aisles of HomeGoods and loved getting feedback from others who passed by. It was all very favorable. I was heading in the right direction! Yellow and gray is one of my favorite color combos and the touch of blue just pulled it all together. 

My dad was the painter. He insisted. I told him I would help, but he said it was a small space and a one person job. I let him do it. I wasn't going to argue. I love the color. It's Winter Solstice from Benjamin Moore and I find it to be such a soothing shade of gray. 

As for the accents on the desk, I didn't want a lot. It's not a huge space to begin with, but I wanted to make it personal. A letter "A" for obvious reasons, a sweet reminder of needing daily glitz from my friend Julie, a candy dish for moments of weakness, a coaster, and fun pens in a cute holder rounds it out.

     

The knobs that came with the desk were perfectly fine, a brushed nickel that goes with the rest of the room, but I wanted something a little more me. I went with vintage inspired crystal knobs and they are simply divine! The yellow cabinet is actually my parents, a piece I have coveted for years, and when they couldn't make it fit in their house, I basically stole it from their basement! It's the perfect place to hide all my clutter. Printer paper, extra catalogs, and other work necessities all fit neatly behind closed doors. And, the rustic piece is lovely!

 

 

In addition to the mirror, a style I've always admired, I knew I wanted to add a few extras to the wall. I decided to frame my first catalog with the company. I wanted something to remind of where I started.

And lastly, my daily motivation! Who doesn't need a little something to keep them going in the right direction, even if they feel as though they are running off track! This saying resounds with me. In taking my Leap, I believed I could, so I did! 

And there you have it! My home office. What do you think? Did I nail it? I totally believe I did! It's everything I thought it could be and more. I'm happy here. I feel motivated to work from here daily. And I find I could stay here long past the time I need to take McKinley to school or head to bed at the end of the night. I've finally found my space!

It's Friday!! We have another full weekend and I can't wait to get started. I hope you all have a fashionable weekend that brings you joy!

See back here on Monday!

Muah!

My Home Office Reno

Things are really starting to take shape in the home office reno department. My mom and I have been shopping for my desk, chair, and other accessories to help the space pop. I'm really going for it in the color department, something that will make my office a cheerful space on a daily basis. I purchased the paint over the weekend and can't wait to start putting it on the wall. But before all that, my dad has been working on some minor wall repair. We had a leak from my husband's shower last year and it did a little damage to the corner of the wall. Nothing big, but enough to get it fixed. And after that, it will be time to paint. I'm so excited!!

Remember back to the photo of the space in my den that I'm going to make my office?

Well, I thought I would share a little more insight into my current working conditions so you can see why I'm in need of an "office". My den is long and narrow, but bright and homey. However, the space where I work isn't really all that conducive to working. Here is the other half of the room from where I will eventually work.

This is my current desk! It's my coffee table. And as you can see, it's really a large piece of furniture that allows me to spread all of my stuff out and really dig into work. Did you hear the sarcasm dripping out of that statement?

And don't you love my computer stand? The floor is the perfect place to print from, right?

So you can see why I need a space of my own? This isn't an office. This isn't a motivational place to get my juices flowing. This is a place where I lose focus. Where I get lost. And I can't wait to move over to a place that gets me excited!

Here is a glance into the colors of my space. I'm in love!

As for the wall color, you all know I'm dying to have a gray room, so I'm going with a gray accent wall. I love the color of my nails, Essie Petal Pushers, and it was a bit of inspiration when choosing a color! However, I decided it might be a little dark for the room, so I went with Winter Solstice. Love!

And that's it! My home office space, color scheme, and wall color. Again, it's taking shape, from a visual standpoint, and it will start taking muscle shape this week! Stay tuned for more updates!

Happy Monday!

Wednesday Wants - A Home Office

I am trying to start a business. I'm not sure I've really talked about it here, but about a month ago I signed up to be a Stylist with Stella & Dot. It's the perfect business for me at this point in my life. I want to work, need to work, but I don't want to work in an office building where I'm there 8:00-5:00. I want to set my own hours, work when I want to work/can work, and make money while doing so. With Stella & Dot, you do just that. And, within the two months, I've been fairly successful. At least in my eyes I have.

But one can't really have a business without a space to conduct it. I could work out of a coffee shop while McKinley's in school, but that's not really efficient. I would be spending money on coffee when I could have my own brewed coffee at home. And I'm such a people watcher, I would probably spend all my time doing just that! I'm not going to rent space to work in because I'm not at a point where I can spent that kind of money. And, sitting on my couch in the den and working from my wicker coffee table isn't all that great either. It gets the job done for now, but I need a space that I can call mine and spread things out when needed. And, I could really use an office for my blog as well. It's a two fold office!

We don't have an extra bedroom in which I can turn into an office, so I'm thinking of working with a small space in our den. I would still be a part of the day to day life. In sight of McKinley when he needed me, could have on my TV for that background noise I need on a daily basis (I don't really watch it, it's just there for noise), and it's really all the space I need for the time being. 

    

So here's what I'm thinking of doing over here. Taking out the two chairs and bookcase and place those in storage. If we were to ever move, they would be needed in the next house and I love them too much to part with them. I would paint the back wall an accent color like Durango from Benjamin Moore. I've always wanted a gray room and the color would compliment the Antique White we have in the rest of the room. And, I think having an accent wall would help define the space. From there, I would start building the office with furniture that compliments the rest of the room. Here's what I've come up with. I started with the desk as that's the focal part of the office and where most things get accomplished.

 

1/2/3/4/5

I checked out a couple of new interior sites like One Kings Lane and Joss and Main and I like what I saw! I looked at my favorite designs like Mid Century Modern and Shaker, but I also looked at a few glam pieces like number five! I mean, what girl doesn't a full on mirrored writing desk. Oh, and that's what I chose, writing desks. I didn't feel like I needed a huge desk within my small space. I love all of these.

My color pallette will probably run in the reds, but I do love yellow! I've always wanted a gray and yellow room so who knows. These swatches are from Joann's and they're gorgeous!

So what do you think of my ideas? Do you have a home office or looking for a space within your home to create one? Let's go on this journey together! There are so many things to address from here!

Wednesday Wants: Confessions of a Bedroom Update

I am obsessed with home remodeling and interior design. I have no formal background in either, but I love to pretend I know what I'm talking about! Confession: I really don't have a clue what I'm talking about! We have a relatively small home. A sweet home, but a small home. There's not a lot of room to move furniture around. Confession: There isn't any room to move anything around, so I spend my time updating with paint, accents pillows, throw rugs, bedding, lamps, and other room decor. 

As of late, I'm ready to change out some things in our bedroom. A couple of years ago I changed out bedding, adding new lamps, and curtains. I had aspirations of painting my walls gray, but never got around to it. However, my mom recently showed me a magazine pic of a gorgeous blue bedroom and I can't get the idea out of mind! The blue I found is New York State of Mind by Benjamin Moore and couldn't be more appropriate! Painting is super time consuming, but not difficult, and finding the time to do it is something I can't seem to do. But I'm dreaming of a blue bedroom and I've put together a little collage of all the things I would love to add to our room if I ever get around to a remodel.

This is our room currently. I love the bedding! But I just think it's time for a little upgrade to the rest of the room.

I love Mid Century Modern designs and the bedroom suit I found online is very similar to something I would love to own. I would definitely give it a facelift. New paint and knobs would do the trick. It doesn't have a mirror with the dresser so I would just add my own. A tufted headboard seems so chic and a little opulent, but I would feel like a queen getting in bed at night! Confession: I would love to DIY my own! I would add an area rug under the bed for more warmth and texture and a monogram throw would add another dimension to the bedding. A few little accent pieces here and there would complete the room. Check out my picks.

What do you think? Anything you love? Hate? Would pick for your own room? 

What do you do to try and make subtle updates to your home? I would love to hear your confessions!