Home Office Makeover Update and Design Plan

A couple of weeks ago I told you that I was giving my home office a makeover, and then I left you hanging as I took time off from the blog and social media. Well, I'm happy to report that during my break, I was still forging ahead and making progress in the space. Today I thought I'd share an update along with my (rough) design plan.

Home Office Makeover Update:

Where do I begin? Let’s start with paint since that's the first decision I made about this makeover. One of the things that inspired me to tackle this makeover is the new Emerald Designer Edition “Designer Color Collection” from Sherwin-Williams. (SW is my go-to for paint, but this post is not sponsored. I just get strangely excited about new paint colors.)

Because I’ve worked with Sherwin-Williams in the past, they were kind enough to send me brochures about this fabulous collection. There are 200 new colors, and they're divided into five categories. You can view them here. There’s something for everyone.

Which one are you loving? My hands-down fave is the Classic Collected, which has soft shades and statement hues. I like this category because it has the most color variations. The palette looks like a rainbow where the others have a more refined focus. (I also love the Rustic Refined collection for blues and greens. There are some stunning shades.) All of that is a roundabout way to tell you I found so many colors in this collection that I NEED in my life and my home. One of the colors I was immediately drawn to was SW 9677 Kingston. It’s a beautiful and relaxing shade of minty green.

As I mentioned in my previous post, I picked this color somewhat blindly. Typically, I like to sample and test, but with the current stay-at-home order, I just boldly ordered the paint. Thankfully, my instincts did not let me down. I’m loving how the color freshens the space. It’s also been a joy to add a bit of my personality to a room where I spend so much time.

I'm including photos of my progress in this post. Because this room faces south, the color is reading bluer than on the paint sample, but I don’t mind it one bit. The color has a chameleon quality that makes it look different throughout the day and from various vantage points in the room. This is one of the reasons I recommend testing paint colors on your walls. Depending on many factors (lighting being the big one), colors can look completely different in your space. Speaking of paint colors, I wrote about how I choose paint colors HERE. I also recently shared a post with all the paint colors I’ve used in my home. You can find that HERE.

So that’s my progress to date. (I'm keeping my fingers crossed that I'll have the room completely painted by the time this blog post goes live.) Once the room is painted, I’m turning my attention to the closet. I don’t need a clothes rod in there, so I'll be ripping that out and adding three more shelves. This closet was a hot mess before, so I’m hoping that the additional shelves and functional storage will turn it into an organized and beautiful space. All-in-all, I’m enjoying this makeover and loving how it’s coming together. So now that you know where I am in the process, let’s talk about my plan.

Home Office Design Plan:

I wasn't sure about creating and sharing a design board for this space. As I've mentioned, my intention for this makeover is to take my time with it, get a sense of the space as it evolves, and decorate it as I find the right pieces. While that's still the goal, I thought it might be helpful to have a general vision on paper, so here's what I came up with:

Of course, this is subject to change, but for the moment I'm loving the general feeling. I'm still trying to use a lot of what I already have. And although there's a mishmash of furnishings, they somehow work together. (At least I think so.) I added a rug and chair that I sourced online. I probably won't have those exact items in my space; I just wanted something to keep in mind. Even though I like the general plan, to me it lacks color and personality. But no worries. That will come through art, accessories, and the inspiration and ideas I put on the bulletin boards. I'm not sharing sources at the moment, but will have a full list available once the space is a bit more complete. However, I did want to offer image credit to @yasminemei who's image I used at color inspiration for this space. (Her flower photo is on the bulletin board on my design plan.)

Home Office Design Questions:

After I announced the makeover and showed the before photos of my office, I did get questions/comments about the placement of my desk. I arranged it that way for two reasons.

1. I can’t have my chair facing the window because the winter sun comes right through the two windows and blinds me. It’s very distracting. (It’s not as bothersome in the summer when the sun is higher in the sky.)
2. I do not like to have my back to the door. That might seem weird given that I live alone, but I still don’t like it.

I have experimented with various arrangements and think I've found one that suits me. I'm also trying to keep my desk in the center of the room, under the light fixture, so that I can select a fixture that hangs a bit lower without constantly worrying about hitting my head on it.

Anyway, that’s an update on my progress, plus my plan. I wrote another section about designing a space but have decided to save that for a post dedicated to the topic. It’s something I realized and pondered during my Instagram break. I think it’s important (and something we tend to forget in this social media-driven world), so I’m looking forward to sharing it with you in a future post! I hope you enjoyed this brief update and are getting a better idea of my vision for my home office! I’ll be sure to post another update when more progress has been made!