It’s been a while since I posted about my office, which is funny considering it’s the room I spend the most time in. I often find myself daydreaming about new ideas for this space when I should be focused on work — can daydreaming count as part of my job? I hope so. Right now the office is my priority. This year I plan to grow and expand my business in new directions, so I want the room to feel refreshed and functional for the challenges ahead. I’ll share more about those plans soon.
My office is on the small side, about 11 x 11. I wish it were larger, but I enjoy the challenge of making the most of what I have. If budget were no object I’d install built-ins and wood floors, but for now I’ve chosen a few affordable updates that add function and style so the room feels ready for new creative work.
Today I’m sharing a few updates I’ve already made, and more changes that will happen over the next few months.
Although the rest of our main floor has hardwood, the office still has dark brown wall-to-wall carpet with a lighter brown vine pattern. It’s quite dark, so I’ve always layered a rug on top to brighten things. While some creatives prefer a neutral backdrop, I get energized by pattern and color. Since I’m keeping my Anthro curtains in the room, I thought a stripe would be fun.
I found a durable, wide-striped indoor-outdoor rug at Lulu & Georgia and they kindly sent it to me. It covers most of the floor, so I almost forget the brown carpet is underneath.
I love the rug — it makes me smile every time I enter the room, and a smile when you walk into your office is always a win. You might recall I also found a round wood mirror through Lulu & Georgia for the kitchen; they have a lot of charming pieces.
Before the holidays last year one of our old laptops died, so we replaced it. Tired of my tiny 13-inch screen, I upgraded to a 27″ iMac for the office. I worried I might miss the mobility of a laptop, but I haven’t regretted the switch. The large screen is glorious, and having a dedicated desktop makes me feel more productive because I actually go to my desk to work.
Note: I list some of my blogging, camera, and office gear in my online shop if you ever wonder what I use or see in a photo.
As often happens when you change one thing in a room, another update followed. Since I’m spending more time at my desk I wanted a comfier chair. My thrifted swan chair needs reupholstering, so I hadn’t used it for a while. I tried a yellow metal chair for the color, but it wasn’t comfortable for long stretches. My daughter, who worked at Restoration Hardware, found a tufted nailhead chair that had been a floor model and was marked down for a small upholstery flaw. She brought it home and I love it — I’ll repair the corner and it will be good as new. I still plan to find a proper ergonomic office chair that also looks good, but this one is a great interim solution.
On a whim, and because we’re fond of Rub n’ Buff, we decided to glam up the black metal label holders on my desk with a touch of gold leaf.
A little metallic detail goes a long way — the label holders look more refined and cheerful now.
I plan to move the desk to the left side of the room and repurpose it as a console so I’ll have more surface area for spreading out projects. Eventually I’ll take everything out, paint the walls, and rearrange the layout, so the room will look noticeably different the next time I share an update.
Do you remember what this room looked like a few years ago? Eek. Definitely not inspiring.