Friday, April 18, 2008

My Home Office - The Good, The Bad & The Ugly

After closing my design showroom last year I moved my office into a spare room next to my Master Bedroom in my home. I love the room - it's mostly windows so it's sunny and cheerful but that's about all it's got going. (Yes, my windows are filthy! I'm going to go wash them right now!) I was going to change out the window treatments but quite honestly I just don't have the energy for that right now. Maybe later - for now I'll work around them.



It's a bit cramped for all of my stuff. I had my carpenter try to squeeze in the cabinets from my office in my showroom - it's a tight fit. We used as many units as we could but it left unfinished end pieces and panels now on the outside that were never meant to be exposed. My plan next week is to have it finished off so it looks as if it were actually meant to be installed in this space.


I had used this room previously as my sewing room and I had an old thrift store hutch that held my paints and other supplies. I decided to keep the top of the hutch and placed it on top of a unit of of file drawers. I think it will look okay when it's all painted and I like the glass doors. I'm debating whether or not to paint it a contrasting color?? I think it might be too much in such a small space.


My gigantic partners desk was meant to be used by two people - myself on one side and my assistant on the other. It is far to large for this new space and just one person so I am having it cut down a foot in depth. This will allow me to turn it to face the windows and give me more maneuvering room around it. (Note the hole so carefully cut in the side for wires. This side used to be up against a wall in my old office. This thing definitely needs some new end panels.


office side

bedroom side

This is my extremely ugly double sided fireplace that separates this room from the master bedroom. I have lived in this house for 10 years and have never done anything with these two units. I just could not make a decision since I hate them so much. The one on the Master bedroom side has a gross niche for the TV which is really the only place for it. (Notice my lovely cable coming through a hole in the wall - my husbands idea of wiring. This is the only way I can get cable in the office right now- it's going to have to go)

office side / bedroom side (with still gross TV niche and a raised hearth)

Here are the renderings for the build outs. Very simple layer molding and panels. All the wood work and cabinets will be painted white. I want to keep the room light and airy. The rest of my house is very rich and dark with wood and tile floors, lots of wood and colors ranging from cream to dark chocolate. I want this room to be a contrast.


This is the very ugly ceiling fan that is in place right now. Fans are a functional necessity here in the desert but I plan to chuck this one - all it does is blow my paperwork around and I need more light.



I think these are the final three candidates for new lighting. I'd like to go with something a bit more exciting but I'm on a budget here! I'm in desperate need of strong task lighting since my eyesight sucks at night which is when I do a lot of my drawing. I will also throw some recessed lights in while I'm at it. I'm thinking of using two number 1's side by side ( I wish I could find one with a red shade but I've given up) or one of the others. Which would you do?


I like this little window in the corner. I had to cover half of it to fit the cabinets in but I don't think it looks to weird. I'm hoping this will all be done in a couple of weeks so check back to see the finished room. I'm sure it will be an improvement!

11 comments:

Connie said...

I LOVED seeing your office. Would you please show us some more pics of your house?

cotedetexas said...

Actually I think it looks pretty good right now especially compared to my disaster area aka office.

Sacheverelle said...

Wow what a stylin home office. That room is so big & sunny.
What kind of cabinets are those?

Unknown said...

Hi Connie,
Thanks, If I ever finish any of my other rooms I'll give you a peek. I thought I'd have so much time on my hands when I closed up shop but it's been just the opposite. Now I work 24 -7. I am trying to finish up all the looses ends soon. Hopefully I'll have some other parts of the house that I can show you soon.

Unknown said...

Joni, I also refer to my office as the disaster area. I have always been good at dis-organized organization! I usually know exactly where to find each item amongst my piles of stuff.

Unknown said...

Sacheverelle,
Thanks, glad you like it. The cabinets were custom built for my showroom so when I moved them to my house I could only fit in a few sections. My carpenter is going to piece them together properly so they don't look so out of place.

Hill Country House Girl said...

I think it looks like a REAL home office. It makes me feel better about mine - you nailed me when you said "dis-organized organization".Your office is really lovely - you just see all the details YOU want to change!

I think we get to be such perfectionists when we are particular about beautiful spaces and create them for others..........and then the reality is that often we are the last ones we decorate "perfectly" for.....
Thanks for sharing your reality!

Margie Nance said...

Hi Jackie,
I like your choice of style one as well. I find that lighting fixtures that throw the light from the bulb down instead of up are harder on the eye when the light is being used for work. Sometimes it will throw the bulb reflection right on the computer screen.

Your room is awesome! It would be a wonderful place to work no matter what lighting you end up with.

Margie

Cemaya said...

I like light fixture #1 the best. So you have my permission. :) Are those pretty sconces in the second photo? And the chair in the second photo is lovely!

My office nowadays is busy with a 2 1/2 year old and a 9 month old in a walker obsessed with the fabric sample books! I find stuff everywhere..

Melissa @ The Inspired Room said...

I love it!! Thanks for sharing your space in progress!

Happy day,
Melissa

katiedid said...

It is very kind...and brave of you to let us take a peek! I think my own disaster area would scare you. Yours is obviously on it's way to being a very pretty and functional space...and reusing too! Very good for the earth, bravo. :)