My new light + bright office

 

Welcome to my new office!

I’m completely in love with this space.

To catch you up on why I moved out of the pretty studio space and what I did to make this office much more pleasant to be in, read this post.

Now that the room is done and I’ve been using the office for a week or so, I feel so happy with the change. I LOVE working in the house, love having all of my stuff nearby, love being able to pop on or off of my computer in between laundry and errands and homework questions. Also? I love how the room looks and smile every time I walk by.

You may remember that I tore up the dingy carpet and painted the subfloor with two coats of latex semi-gloss paint (Anew Gray by Sherwin Williams). It is holding up great and I actually really love the simplicity of a painted floor, especially when paired with that great graphic chevron rug (from Target for $129 for a 5×7).

I just installed that cute basket light (from Pier 1 on sale for for $96) and I like the texture and natural wood tones it adds, and also how it mimics the curves of the arched windows.

P.S. I didn’t like those arched windows when we first moved in, but they are growing on me. Especially when painted out white.

Let’s talk about the dressers for a second.

I pulled them down from the studio where I had previously used three of them as the base with butcher block stretching across to form a great built-in-looking desk (see all the details here). Since there is not a closet in this little office, I wanted to use the dressers as they hold a ton of office/craft supplies that I like to have on hand. All three dressers would not fit in here, so I just used two (and put the third in the entry).

The dressers are the Hemnes dresser from IKEA. We cut off the legs and switched out the hardware for diy brass pulls which completely changes the look of the dresser. When installed per instructions, the tops overhang on both sides by an inch or so. I didn’t use the tops in the studio (I had a piece of butcher block as the desktop instead) and thankfully I held on to the original dresser tops. To give the look of one big piece, I pushed the two dressers right up next to eachother and just set the tops on. I may attach them, but its not a big deal to me if they are not totally secure.

Moving over to the side of the room, I installed a diy whiteboard that I’ve been wanting to install for a while. I originally bought all the pieces to use up in the studio but never got around to putting it up. I’m glad that I get to use it in this new office now!

It is just a sheet of plexiglass with stand-off screws and is such a minimal and modern way to jot down to-do’s and ideas without making a big visual statement.

I used these standoff screws but spray painted them gold for a brass look.

I bought a fresh set of wet erase pens with the most perfectly fine tips that make me so happy. My kids came into the office and tried to steal them to write on my board and I was all, “no way, Jose. That’s mama’s fancy whiteboard.”

Over on the other side of the room is where I set up my desk and computer.

I found this petite writing desk (from Target for $119) that fits in here perfectly. I love how simple it is and also that it adds some warmth with the wood tones. Also, I like having the little drawers to store pens and paper and random papers that I don’t want left out on the desk.

Because I just have a thing for open shelves, I pulled two of these from the studio and installed them in here.

The shelves are from IKEA and even with them screwed into studs, they don’t hold a ton of weight without tipping forward a little. Just an fyi.

I like open shelves for their functionality, but also because it is fun to style them and then change it up depending on the season. For now, I just popped up a few of my favorite clothbound books (the greens are so pretty!), a basket to hold stationery + envelopes, my scissor collection (why do I have a scissor collection?!) and linen files that hold papers, journals and artwork.

On my desk is a pretty leather mousepad from the Magnolia line at Target as well as a Magnolia vase I ordered from Pier 1. In order to qualify for free shipping with the light fixture, I needed to add a few more dollars to my order. I added this vase and I’m so glad I did! It’s really well made and the perfect size and shape.

And that is my new office! It feels so bright and simple, and totally right for me.  SOURCES

walls, ceiling + trim paint | Shoji White by Sherwin Williams

floor paint | Anew Gray by Sherwin Williams

rug | Black/White Chevron Woven Area Rug by Studio 62 for Target

dressers | Hemnes 3 drawer chest x 2

pulls | 10 pack from Amazon, diy brass finish (tutorial here)

black lamps | Column Lamp from Target with a diy finish by me (tutorial here)

pendant light | Cane Large Gray Wash Pendant Light from Pier 1

plexi glass | 30 x 36 Acrylic Sheet

standoff screws | pack of 4 from Amazon with diy finish by me (same process as shown here)

desk | Writing Desk in Vintage Oak from Target

chair | Helvetica Leather Office Chair (mine has a tall back which is no longer available, but the low back is equally great)

mouse pad | Faux Leather Mouse Pad from Hearth & Hand with Magnolia

vase | Magnolia Home Mini Amphora Ivory Vase

shelves | Lack Wall Shelf in White

Did I miss anything? If you have any other source questions, feel free to ask in the comments!