Country Living published this great home office/guest room makeover a couple months ago. I think it is awesome and totally inspirational.
Here is the before. Looks like a regular old misc. room, right? Most of us have a room like this in our house…
Here’s the fabulous after:
Notice:
1. The awesome Osborne & Little wallpaper. It totally makes the room for me. Don’t be afraid to wallpaper a small space with a dark and/or busy paper!
2. The vintage chair in the original funky green upholstery. Save yourself some time and money and find vintage furniture that matches your fabric or wallpaper. Or find fabric/paper that matches a great vintage chair. Either way.
3. Gold-leafing looks like a fun project. It really spiffed up this used-to-be-boring-white bulletin board from Ballard.
4. Mix patterns! See all the fun patterns on the walls, rug, and office accessories? Like the leopard trash bin on the gorgeous Dash & Albert floral rug.
5. Paint the doors and trim! The painted trim and woodwork in this room brings so much warmth. Imagine how bad stark white trim would look?
6. Use vertical space when you’re working in a room with a small footprint. Like the behind the door magazine rack (above) and the high shelf (below).
7. Add {ribbon-trimmed!} shelving to office closets. Guests don’t need much more than a luggage rack and a hangar or two (like below), and it would feel so good to be this organized. I especially love the idea of being able to put all these papers and files behind closed doors. Out of sight and out of mind!
8. Are you like us, living in a big city where space is at a premium? Who can afford to give up precious space for a guest bed? The double-stacked, premium Aero Beds are actually really comfortable, and easily fold down to a small, storable size. This family keeps an Aero Bed and other guest room goodies in this armoire below.
Looks great, right? Check out the article and a few more pictures here. It’s a good thing we’re moving soon, or I would be completely overhauling our office/guest room after seeing this article!
All photos courtesy of Country Living Magazine.
what a fabulous make over. I only wish I had an extra room, ha!
Woah – awesome!
Great post! I love your blog, by the way. I recently read every post you have ever written. :) Great job… and so inspiring. Thanks for making my days a little better!
Kelly
wow! i was so shocked when i saw the after! the first picture is honestly so close to what my office looks like, i am totally inspsired now! i wish i could wallpaper.
misc. room with lots of great furniture in it — how great are those little chrome stools??
and I think we’re design twins, too. I’ve noticed you have a thing for Jen West — we’ve saved all of the same pictures of her work posted on Style Court!
jenny! i am so glad you found my blog and i saved your life! the costa vida in maine is really good and the owner is super nice! he loves coming out talking to people especially those who lived in utah or are from utah.
so i have had your blog linked to mine since about the first week we were here in beantown-i found it off of megan slade’s and i LOVE it. you are SO talented. i love your style, always have! i should leave more comments! i love country home and gardens, i get the magazine! well this is the longest comment ever! if you need the address to costa let me know! it only takes an hour to get there and you can hit up the outlets on the way ;)
that’s awesome. great room. I’d love to stay there. I’d prefer something less floral if it were my work room… but I do love the mocha tone to the walls.
I once painted my living room a dark purply color, BM Tropical Dusk, it sometimes looked gray, sometime a little brown like this, and sometimes dusky purple. It was actually a great color, even in our small room, and made a great background for watching tv.
Oh! I love this. And I am moving soon and trying to find a great design for my new office… I’ve been inspired. :)
i LOVE what you did with this room! i also love your blog, so inspiring. :)
hey-any idea if that slow draw is a file cabinet? and if so….where on earth can i get one???? love!