Office Makeover – 99% complete!

So, please don’t judge because I am obviously not an awesome photographer but I wanted to share the progress on my office.  I’m very happy with how it turned out and it is already functioning so much better for me!  I say 99% complete because, as designers, we are always tweaking and improving upon things in our homes…we can’t help it!

Anyway, here’s where we left off…I moved my desk to under the window which made me hugely more productive and I added a second desk as a credenza on the other wall.  Here’s an “in progress” shot:

Love, love, love my desk under the window!

After working at my new desk for a couple of months, I realized I needed a lamp at night…so the search began!  I knew I didn’t want a task lamp or something that looked too functional.  I think that lamps are kind of like sculptures so it was important to find one that I really loved and…voila!  I fell in love with this lamp!

West Elm – Turned Table Lamp
I was so excited when I got it that I opened it that night and took a quick picture! Love it!

Meanwhile, my family had been working diligently to finish my pink chairs for my birthday!  You can read more about the transformation in my previous blog post.  I couldn’t wait to see how they would look in my office!

The chair, desk and lamp are a great combo!

Note: it is usually suggested to add pops of color in odd numbers…therefore, it worked out that I only ended up with 3 pink and 1 silver chair.  The silver chair stays in the living room while the 3 pink chairs “balance” each other in the office.

The chairs in “action”!
A bit messy but very functional.
Another messy shot of the office…

So, the last step (for now) was to get the credenza a bit more organized.  And when I say organized, I really mean I need more bins to hide my stuff! I went to Target and found these cute black & white chevron bins that hold a lot…and we know how much I love chevron!

The end…for now!

Overall, I love that my office is crisp, functional and can easily transform back into a dining space.  All I do is add tablecloths over the credenza and desk and I instantly have 2 buffets!  And, most importantly, my office allows me to think creatively while designing for my clients.  What more could I ask for?  Hope you enjoyed the blogs, thank you for riding along on my journey!

office makeover…part 1 – ideas and organization

So, recently I have fallen out of love with my office space.  I am running out of usable space to work and would love to move to a bigger space but that is not in the cards at the moment.  Add to that, it seems like a ton of designers have recently updated their offices and I am bombarded with beautiful inspiring spaces on a weekly basis.  No sense fretting over it…instead, I will dream up ways to transform my existing space!

P.S. I kind of think that my frustration with my office is because I am super busy with work and it is an unnecessary distraction to daydream about an organized and inspiring space…

First, here are a few spaces which get me inspired and anxious to be creative!

Love the windows & crisp color palette!
I like the eclectic and functional feel of this space.
Multi-functional yet bright and open!

Since my office also doubles as my dining room, I need to consider dining seating.  I love this photo and I already have this table!

Love the floor mirror and the soft blue/grey of the chairs!

I have been scouring Craig’s List and finally came across these super cheap chairs that I will refinish for my office/dining room.  See my colorful inspiration photos below…

Definitely in need of some TLC...

Now, these are my before and in progress shots…

I moved my desk in front of the window, feels more open and kind of like Sex & the City!
I've started to accumulate more stuff that doesn't fit anywhere...
I ordered a matching desk which works as my new credenza! Yeah!
Much more organized but it needs color!

Stay tuned for progress updates!

My Dream Office

So, it has been a couple of years and I am still obsessed with the color white.  It is the absence of color which has a very clean, soothing effect if executed properly.  The key is to balance the textures and lines of the space to create the warmth normally found in a room with more color.

Here are a few images I pulled together as concepts for my future office space.  I love the lines of the furniture and the crispness of everything.  I can already imagine the uncluttered backdrop to allow me to create beautiful spaces for my clients!  Mixing in weathered wood elements, satin silver finish, natural raffia and classic white marble offset the sleek white lacquer furniture fabulously.  Of course, the room would not be complete without my accent color “du jour” in the form of bright pink area rugs!