My New Year’s Resolution This Year: Whip My Home Office Into Shape
Hey there, welcome to Postbox Designs! Usually I’m sharing my Interior E-Design client’s projects, but today I’m taking you inside a peek into my very own home, to show you my recent Home Office update.
When we first bought our house five years ago, we were intrigued by our Master Bedroom Suite. This tucked away space contained our bedroom, bathroom, walk-in-closet and this bonus space. I tried to claim it as a yoga studio, but my husband convinced me (rightfully so) that a Home Office would be a more practical idea. And at that time, I was working as a traditional Interior Design in an outside office, having no idea that in a few short years I would be working full-time from home! So this quiet, fairly isolated space is a savior when my three children are being their crazy selves downstairs.
And honestly, while my Home Office space was totally usable…it wasn’t very inspiring. Especially because I spend my days making other people’s rooms more beautiful. So my New Year’s goal this year was to create a Home Office design that made me WANT to use the space. And honestly, everything is really budget-friendly, and a lot of the accessories were snagged from other rooms of my house to give this space new life.
My Home Office Makeover: This is Where the Magic Happens!
So here is a peek into my newly updated Girl Boss Home Office, where I work every single on my Interior E-Design projects. I’ve tried to include links to as many of the items as I can, or I share how I DIYed an item to make it work into my room, so you can grab them for your space too!
My Home Office: The Before
So this is what we started with when we moved in: a little nook between our bedroom and bathroom. Because our Home Office is so open to our bedroom, I wanted to make sure it was something I could literally wake up to seeing every.single.day…because it is the first thing I see when I open my eyes!
Home Office Design: Girly Meets Neutral Meets…Practical
I can’t help it, I’m a Mom of 3, and I just HAVE to think of practicality first. I love accessories as much as the next girl, but I’m most concerned about a space that is usable, not just pretty and frivolous.
Plenty of Storage Space was my #1 Goal.
Tons of Space to Spread out was my #2 Goal.
But since it is primarily MY Home Office, I also wanted to add some “girly girl” to it with pops of soft muted pinks, grays, and yellows.
Home Office Project #1: Thinking Through What You Have & What You Need
Everyone’s Home Office needs will be totally different. But for me, I knew I wanted to have a lot of different storage options for when I work on my client projects. So here are some of the different storage solutions I used:
Small Portable Drawers: I found mine at HomeGoods, but you can find something similar with these Mini Drawer Units. I use mine for all of the different parts of my Postboxes I create for my clients. Each of my clients get a Room-Inside-a-Box so I store items like labels, tags, ribbons, and tissue paper in these mini kraft drawers. Each one has a little label so I can keep everything organized.
Photo Display Boxes: All the way to the right on top of my desk, I keep a stack of pre-assembled Postboxes. I actually buy these gray boxes off of a photography website, and they are meant to display client photos. But they are the perfect size for my Room-Inside-a-Box packages that I send out. I’ll spend a few hours watching a Snapped marathon and pull together a couple of dozen Postboxes. That way I can snag one when I’m ready to mail out my client’s project!
Rose Gold Metal Desk Set: I love this pink toned metal Desk Organizer Set. I have a tray (not shown) where I keep an entire project’s items together. I may have fabric and paint samples, notes, and drawings for a particular project, so I keep them all together in a tray until I am ready to pull together their Postbox. And I use the filing system (on top of the back desk) to keep the less fabulous, but super important papers, such as receipts and tax documents. There are so many combos of Desk Organizers so be sure to find the combo that works best for your needs.
File Cabinets: I keep EVERYTHING hidden in these drawers-everything from office supplies like printer paper, extra project boxes, stationary, etc. Scroll down below to see more about this whole area!
Home Office Project #2: The File Storage & Second Desk Area
Remember how I wanted TONS ‘O STORAGE? I not only wanted to maximize storage, but also create a second work area. I definitely spread out when I work on client projects, so that way I could use the back area to keep out projects, while keeping the main desk open for my laptop area.The back storage area was inspired by the (very beautiful) Pottery Barn Bedford Office Desk collection, but that would have put me back several thousand dollars. Instead, I went about to re-create it, and I used four file cabinets and had a plywood top cut for it.
The file cabinets I scored from the sketchiest Craigslist location I’ve been to in my life. The seller ended up being a nice guy, but I had to dig through a small landfill in his backyard and grab these four cabinets, while continuing to look over my shoulder to make sure my car wasn’t stolen. I peeled outta there pretty quickly after loading them up. Three were tan and one was black. But it was a pretty straightforward paint job. I rolled on the paint and it took three coats. I primed first, then used a small roller brush for a smooth finish. If you want to save yourself some time (and lots of hassle) you can buy pre-finished white file cabinets. For a more modern look I love these White File Cabinets and for a more traditional look, I’m digging these Home Decorator’s White Wood File Cabinets.
My original intent was to remove the hardware and add new. But that was easier said than done. So I moved on to “Plan B”. After really looking at it, I was thinking I could jazz up what was already there. I used some black craft paint and a tiny brush to cover up the industrial looking hardware. To give it a pop of color, I added turquoise craft paint right inside of the hardware. I loved the end product and so much simpler.
There were a million ways to create a countertop for over these file cabinets, but I needed something budget-friendly, custom, and something I could do myself without any major DIY skills. In the end I decided to use a simple, inexpensive plywood top, and fancy it up.
Do you know at Lowes and Home Depot they will cut down your wood for you? FOR FREE. This has saved my marriage. No more pleading for the hubby to pull out his equipment Sunday evening when I have a project in mind. Then to finish off the rough plywood edge, we added a small 1/2″ molding to the front. This way you can’t see the raw edge of the plywood and it makes it look a bit more polished.
To turn it into a rich walnut shade, I spent $8 in stain and about 20 minutes of my time. I used Miniwax Stain in “Walnut”
Home Office Project #3: The Maps
The maps are my favorite part of the room! The rustic wood frames are from Hobby Lobby during a 50% off frame sale. If you are patient…the sale will come. You can also use this very similar Rustic Wood Picture Frame for the same vibe. I knew I wanted to use maps to decorate, but also wanted something that felt personal. So, I used a map from towns that were special to our family. One is from our current town, one from my hubby’s college town, one from a favorite vacation, and one from the beloved family cottage. It took a bit of searching, but I found the free maps online and simply printed them out on my home printer. It added the personal touch to Home Office design. I will say right now-unfortunately I don’t have a particular source for finding these maps-some came from government sites, others from Googling. But Etsy is a great source for getting custom town maps as inexpensive downloads.
Home Office Project #4: Layering in the Accessories
I wanted to layer in a few accessories to make my Home Office Makeover feel homey and complete! I found this concrete pot with faux plant at Homegoods, but you can find a similar look with these Concrete Planters with Succulents. The little rock next to it is a “treasure” my youngest daughter gave me on a recent trip out in our back woods. I love how she saw the beauty in this little rock, so I wanted to show it off and remember her joy.
I grabbed two of these petite Pink Cloud Table Lamps from Target. And this sparkly pink cup I snagged for $3 for the Target Dollar Bin!
Home Office Project #5: The Desk
The “desk” was actually a small dining room table that I used as a desk. Searching for “desks” online wasn’t coming up with the look I wanted. But if you try to think outside the box, you can find a wider selection on sites like Craigslist. I ended up searching for “dining tables” found this dining table listed for $50. I used a quart of paint to go from a slightly beat-up, stained finish to this charcoal color. I decided to use a “semi-gloss” finish so I could easily wipe it off. A similar color to this would be Benjamin Moore’s “Storm”
Home Office Project #6: The Desk Chair
When I first quickly pulled together my Home Office the first time, I snagged a chair from the Dining Room. Who else is guilty of that? But it drove me crazy to look at the missing set every time I passed my Dining Room. And you know what happened every time we entertained?
Yup, I had to trek up a flight of stairs and drag the chair back down for my dinner guests.
So this year it was a goal to get an office chair that go to…STAY in my Home Office! I didn’t want a bulky “standard” office chair that looked like an executive’s chair. I work from home, and my Home Office is INSIDE my Master Bedroom. I wanted something that looked residential, casual, and clean lined.
I was thrilled when I found this little beauty on Wayfair: the Bel Dining Chair is modern and simple, and even rated for commercial use (so it will be super durable and sturdy). I spent WAY too long debating on the color (I was really tempted to go with the teal), but in the end went practical and went for the Gray option. And to make it extra comfy I used this Nude Diamond Pillow from Etsy’s Laurel and Blush.
I’ll be honest, for most Home Office or Kid Playrooms I design, I usually try to find a Dining Chair instead of a typical “desk chair”. You tend to get a LOT more options with style and color, and they are going to be the same height as a typical desk.
Home Office Project #7: The Rug
The rug is from Rugs USA, they are hands down my favorite place to buy rugs for both my home, and my client’s projects. If you have young children or crazy pets (you know the type, I have two myself!) at home, I don’t always suggest in investing in an expensive rug. Their rugs are not only gorgeous, but budget friendly (you will be amazed what you can find for under $100) and I have been thrilled with the quality.
When you are putting a rug over carpet you want me make sure it is thick enough to hold its shape over the soft carpet. I would stay away from thin and flilmsy rugs as they will buckle under the furniture. My carpet is also fairly low pile-if you have fluffy carpet, a rug may not work well.
My rug is the Tribal Rosette Pastel Rug, mine is the 5’x7′ size, and I just centered it under my desk area.
Home Office Project #8: Adding in the Personal Details
I told you I totally nicked items from around my house to include in my Home Office Makeover! I bought this ceramic hand on a whim from Homegoods, and never had a great place for it…until now. You can find a similar look with this White Peace Sign Hand Decor. And a friend of mine gave me a copy of this amazing book, The Mommy Shorts Guide: Remarkably Average Parenting. My kids love to flip through it to look at the funny pictures, and I can relate a little too much at times. A must-have for every Mom or Dad out there, who has more than one child!
I also included little items like a framed photo of my daughter from a memorable vacation, the little rock my other daughter gave me, and a drawing from my son. All of these sweet little mementos remind me why I chose to open my own business and work from home…so I can still be there for my three kiddos. Being their Mommy always comes as #1. And in terms of decor…these items are all totally FREE!
A Home Office Design That Actually Works
I am soooo happy that I finally took the time to make this space into a place I love. Best New Year’s Resolution ever. I literally spend hours upon hours in this space every day, and now I actually look forward to working here! And it makes me smile when I pass it. I typically use my gray desk to work from my laptop or pull together my Postboxes. Full disclosure…from this angle I can also see the TV! I usually have reruns playing in the background for a little extra noise.
And while I’m sure my desk will NOT stay this organized, I’m enjoying this phase where everything is clean and neat.
And here is one last shot of my newly made over Home Office:
So there it is! My very own Home Office. This is where I am hanging out when I write these blog posts, or designing rooms for my E-Design clients all over the country. I’m usually barefoot in a messy bun, and sometimes have a cat on my lap, and my Labradoodle at my feet. Sometimes I break it up and work from my bed, eating a lunch of graham crackers.
I know, I live a thrilling life, don’t I ?! But it is real life baby.
But I wouldn’t change a thing about it. If you have any questions on my Home Office makeover, or want to pair up with me to work on your own project, just drop me an email at kristin@postboxdesigns.com and I would love to chat all about you.
And a HUGE thank-you to Wayfair for sponsoring this post. While this is a sponsored post, but I can say with 100% truth that I source items from Wayfair every single day for my clients. And I have their items sprinkled throughout my entire home. Plus, I’m totally smitten over their free shipping.
A Free Home Office Design for You
As a work-from-home Mom I KNOW how important it is to have your own space. Whether you have your own business, paying bills, or just having a space to call your home-I want to help you carve out a spot that can be all yours.
So I designed this FREE “Girl Boss” Home Office design. You can find it (along with the Shopping List) hanging out in my FREE RESOURCE LIBRARY. When you sign up, you’ll get an email with the link and password to access everything inside-dozens of free designs for every room of your home.
You can download this FREE Home Office Design + Shopping List right here:
You can do this!
Cheers, Kristin
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