Design plan to update my colorful home office.
I finally got around to renovating my office that I’ve been thinking about since this time last year! I’m excited to make this room a little warmer and cozier.
If you’ve been reading TDC for a while, you know that I tend to slow down in the summer. I did some research a few months ago and I’m pretty sure I have Summer Seasonal Affect Disorder.
For as long as I can remember, I’ve lost my energy and enthusiasm in the heat. The sweat, the humidity, the bugs (mosquitoes love me), the heat… it all drains me.
But once these slightly cooler days come, I feel like I’m back to normal! I feel happier, more energetic and ready to take on new projects! I love fall so much.
I’ve done a bunch of projects myself before the summer, and the office remodel is the first thing I want to do in the second half of the year. I hate to call it a remodel… I’m just adding to what I’ve already done.
This room started out very pretty and bright, but there wasn’t much design:
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Even before we moved into this new house, I had planned out the furniture layout in my mind. I wanted to put my desk in the middle of the room and build a wall of bookshelves on the wall behind it.
This beautiful green paint color is called Vintage Vogue and is from Benjamin Moore.
My plan for the second phase of the space is to add some drama. Since this room gets a lot of natural light, I feel comfortable choosing darker colors on the walls.
I’ve been craving a more library-like feel to this space for a long time. The office is the perfect room for a quieter atmosphere!
I’ll be installing wood paneling along the bottom third of the walls. This time, my plan is to do a more detailed take on the wood paneling look in our powder room:
But of course in dark green, the color of Vintage Vogue. I hope to add a more personalized look with some additional molding around the ornamental work. I think it will look more like a library with the added details!
I wanted to break up the dark color on the walls a bit, so my first step was to find the perfect wallpaper for the top two-thirds of the walls.
It was very beautiful and the green color seemed to match the built designs perfectly.
Unfortunately, the blue background was much lighter than what was pictured online. I was very disappointed, because I really liked that dark blue with the green bookcases.
But the green was more of a bluish green (which is why I wish I always had samples available!). There was no way I would repaint the bookcases, and I didn’t like that green very much anyway.
I tried another version of this design, this time in the matching green color. But I realized that I didn’t like the design as much as I expected.
It would be very expensive if we only wanted to cover the top of the walls.
I love the antelope design on this fabric, and busy wallpaper wouldn’t work with it, or art or curtains in the room.
I don’t want to have to change much of what’s already there, just add to it! 🙂
So, I stepped back and decided to go with a more simple but classic look. Something more neutral and that would fit in well with the other designs in the room.
I love the warmth and texture…it would be perfect!
It has a slight green tint that looks great with green bookcases:
Oh, it’s so much better! It gives me the feeling of being in a library, but I can still decorate the place easily. I really like it.
This wallpaper is similar to the grey grasscloth wallpaper I used in our bedroom, with a light texture. It looks like real grasscloth wallpaper, but costs much less than real wallpaper.
My next project is to remove some wallpaper from this room. Before I built the shelves for these bookcases, I installed a beautiful cherry blossom wallpaper (in a neutral color) on the wall:
It’s very pretty, but I really wanted to simplify this end of the room. My plan is to remove the existing wallpaper and then paint the back the same color as the built-ins.
I’ve been slowly starting this process over the past week. Luckily it’s been pretty quick and easy! I use a sharp razor blade to make light scratches around the edges of the wood, on the walls:
Fortunately, the wallpaper came off the walls pretty well.
I always install the wallpaper before building the bookcases. It takes a fraction of the time compared to after they are installed, and it is easy to remove.
I did have a couple of very small areas where the drywall pulled up a little, but that was because I pulled the wallpaper up too quickly:
This part of the project won’t cost me anything, as I have extra paint to finish the bookcases.
The only big thing I wish I could buy for this update is a new rug. I love the one I have, but I wish it was a little bigger:
I bought this smaller size from At Home years ago, but can no longer find it online. I really wish I could find a larger size in the same design.
I have an electrical outlet on the floor of my office, so I’d have to cut a hole in it somehow. I think I can figure it out.
Otherwise, the lighting and curtains will remain the same. I may add some touches to the decor on the bookshelves, but overall, this change will be limited to the walls only.
I can see it in my mind and can’t wait to start sharing the progress! I’m feeling energized now that it’s not 95 degrees anymore! 🙂
Do you get your energy in the warm or cold months?
