Tag: Office

Fixer Upper Friday: Office Reveal

In a previous post I shared with you how I was rearranging/repurposing entire rooms in our fixer upper#2. The office space (formerly the master bedroom) was slowly coming along and I gave you this sneak peek.

Formerly the master bedroom, this new office space is slowly coming together.
Formerly the master bedroom, this new office space is slowly coming together.

Lots of progress has been made since this photo was taken! I’ve been bargain hunting for furniture and accent pieces and trying to figure out a pretty way to dress up those closet doors pictured above. I think I’m finally getting close to the look I’m after. Check out the pics below!

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I’m all about repurposing, so when I discovered that some old bookcases I had fit perfectly into that closet I was pretty happy. I removed the mirrors from the front of the closet doors and replaced them with some decorative metal sheeting (find it here). All of the furniture was purchased second hand and cost less than $100 total! As for the wall hanging, I got it for free from an acquaintance that was in the middle of a move. If you love it as much as I do, I found a comparable piece here. My next step is to find a light fixture to hang above the desk. I’m debating between several options like this flush mount chandelier or this three pendant light fixture.

It’s still a work in progress, but I’m really falling in love!

Fixer Upper Friday: Repurposing Entire Rooms

As you know, I’ve been spending a lot of time working on fixer upper #2, the five bedroom house my family owns in Pennsylvania. De-cluttering, painting, patching, and otherwise re-imagining. When we first bought the house,  we used three of the bedrooms as bedrooms, one as a walk-in closet, and the other as an office. At the time, we had school aged kids, different career demands, and lots of visiting family members. Now, the kids are all off to college, career demands have changed, and family get-togethers are hosted in fixer upper # 1. Because life circumstances change, the purpose of the different rooms in your home can change as well.

Who says you can’t switch around the functions of entire rooms in your home? This is what I’ve been doing in fixer upper #2. I’m completely re-imagining the blueprint of the rooms around the house. So far, what used to be the walk-in closet is now a stunning bedroom and what used to be the master bedroom is slowly becoming the new and improved office (I’ll dedicate a separate blog post to the office when it’s complete, but I’ll give you a sneak peek here!). The two bedrooms on the top floor which were the kids’ rooms now make up our pretty guest quarters. Progress is slow and steady, but it’s progress nonetheless.

Check out the new master bedroom and the unfinished office space!

new master bedroom that was formerly a walk-in closet
new master bedroom that was formerly a walk-in closet
Formerly the master bedroom, this new office space is slowly coming together.
Formerly the master bedroom, this new office space is slowly coming together.

Spring will be here in no time. What better time to start switching things up in your home?!

Fixer Upper: Home Office

Office Redo 1

This is definitely not a finished project, but I’m in the process of renovating the main office located on the first floor of my fixer upper. I only call it the ‘main office’ because it’s where the wifi router is, and it’s the only room in the house whose sole purpose is office work.

With any room, I always focus on the walls, the flooring, and the lighting. Addressing those issues can instantly transform a space.

Sometimes, when you’re working on a fixer upper, you luck out. You spend an entire day pulling up old carpeting and linoleum to reveal a beautiful hardwood floor that just needs a quick cleaning and a coat of polyurethane. Sometimes, however, you dig up the very reason that previous owners covered the floor in the first place. Sigh. This is what I uncovered in the main office.

Office Floor Before

For reasons that I can’t begin to understand, at some point linoleum was all the rage. Homeowners basically just poured tar directly on hardwood, put some kind of paper on top of that, and then finished it off with thousands of tiny nails, and then linoleum. Like, seriously, I’m not making this up.

There are ways to painstakingly remove all that crud and refinish the floors. Unfortunately, most of these ways involve floor steamers, small putty knives, and hours upon hours of work. I decided to just cover it with self adhesive tile for the time being…without tar.

Office Flooring

Office Redo After

Office Redo 2

I gave the walls a fresh coat of paint, and let the natural light from the windows work it’s magic on brightening the space. I also made that cute wall calendar out of paint swatches! No need for applause. I just lifted the idea from the internet…right before I lifted the free paint swatches from the store  🙂

My main goal throughout all of my projects is to maintain function… and eliminate clutter… oh, and keep the cost as low as possible. My three main goals… I’ll come in again! Hats off to you if you get the reference without having to follow the link!

I’m pretty happy with the progress of this room so far. Remember guys, sharing your stories and any words of encouragement are greatly appreciated!

Turn a Closet into a Home Office

Nothing says, ‘all grown up’ quite like the need for a home office does. Monthly budgeting, family scheduling, meal planning, and more all take place in this much-needed command center. If you’re lucky enough to have an entire room dedicated for this purpose, you may have found that clutter has begun to overtake the space. It’s like a purse. The bigger the purse, the more unnecessary crap is crammed into it.

So in the spirit of downsizing and de-cluttering, I decided to convert a closet into a well-organized home office.

Closet Before.jpg

Closet After.jpg

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1. Keep It Simple

There really isn’t much to it. An office requires just a few basic things: space for a laptop and printer, a writing surface, space for paper sorting/filing, books, and small office supplies. Shelving mounted on tracks and brackets allow ample storage, and can easily be adjusted to suit your needs.

2. Purge. Purge. Purge.

Get rid of all the old office supplies. That printer that you have to tap three times before it will print… throw it away. The same goes for papers. Keep only what’s necessary.

3. Plants

I am an herbicidal maniac, not purposefully, but I have literally killed every houseplant I’ve had. Fortunately, artificial plants have come a long way since I was a kid. Some of them look amazingly alive, and need absolutely no care beyond the occasional dusting. They’re a perfect choice for any space that doesn’t get a ton of natural light (like a closet), or for anyone that’s a serial plant killer (like me).

I think the best feature of this closet office is the fact that when it’s not in use, I can close the closet door and enjoy the rest of the sitting room.

What are some of your favorite home office and organizing ideas?