Office: Luxurious Library
This bachelor wanted a cozy, rich library and reading room where he could escape, his own intellectual cocoon. The problem was that the room was not only bare (concrete floors, plain walls, uncovered windows) but it also had an unsightly electrical panel showing, an unnecessary second door to the bathroom and a door to a rarely used closet. We softened the room with a fun black and white shaggy rug and added dramatic bright-coral full-length drapes to conceal the doors and panel. We made the room inviting with generous, comfy chairs complete with a shaggy pillow and cozy tweed throw, and finished it with a graphic piece of art and a great arc light for reading. Now he has a room that can be the perfect retreat for cozying up with a favorite book, and a great place to settle in with a colleague debating their latest discoveries.
BEFORE
AFTER
Office: Feminine Den
Officially this was the homeowner’s office space, but she rarely spent time in the room because it was just a cold, ugly, cluttered space. She wanted a room that looked beautiful and would be less of a clutter magnet.
We rearranged her office furniture so that nothing blocked the windows and so her back wouldn’t be to the door when she worked. We painted the room a yellow the color of deep summer sunshine, and brought in elegant, comfortable seating where she could linger over a book. That made the space a room of rest, not just work and bills.
We rearranged her office furniture so that nothing blocked the windows and so her back wouldn’t be to the door when she worked. We painted the room a yellow the color of deep summer sunshine, and brought in elegant, comfortable seating where she could linger over a book. That made the space a room of rest, not just work and bills.
BEFORE
AFTER
Office: Work-From-Home Den
As a loving gift to her recently-laid-off husband, this woman asked me to salvage their home office so that he could feel the possibility of success again and have a space where he could possibly build a new business from home.
Together we emptied the room. It took two full days of sorting to figure out what would need to go back in... by the time we were done we discarded three garbage bags of trash, filled the recycling container twice, and taken two full carloads to Goodwill. They were troopers and we were all worn out by the end!
Then came the fun part. We painted the walls pear green, replaced the old overhead fixture, brought in the storage towers that were unused elsewhere in the house, uncovered his grandfather’s old desk, and arranged the room to feel like a cozy, warm library. We brought in a leather reading chair from the living room, and added a new chocolate shag rug, oversized clock, and two woven framed mirrors.
We didn’t have to buy a single piece of furniture for this room - it was all about purging and then making the most of what they already had on hand. Total cost for makeover (including the sorting and organizing time) $2100. Since this project he had built a successful business and has in fact hired others to work with him! That’s success!
Together we emptied the room. It took two full days of sorting to figure out what would need to go back in... by the time we were done we discarded three garbage bags of trash, filled the recycling container twice, and taken two full carloads to Goodwill. They were troopers and we were all worn out by the end!
Then came the fun part. We painted the walls pear green, replaced the old overhead fixture, brought in the storage towers that were unused elsewhere in the house, uncovered his grandfather’s old desk, and arranged the room to feel like a cozy, warm library. We brought in a leather reading chair from the living room, and added a new chocolate shag rug, oversized clock, and two woven framed mirrors.
We didn’t have to buy a single piece of furniture for this room - it was all about purging and then making the most of what they already had on hand. Total cost for makeover (including the sorting and organizing time) $2100. Since this project he had built a successful business and has in fact hired others to work with him! That’s success!
BEFORE
AFTER