A Colourful Home Office Redo
Are you eager to see Chloe's new tween bedroom
reveal? I am too! I'm waiting on just one more piece to finish off this room
and then I can share it with you all.
Her room is not the only one we've been working on. Let's call this the year
of "Redo" makeovers. Sometimes, it takes more than one try to get a room just
right. With all this time at home, it became apparent to me that my home
office was also in need of a do over. I first redecorated this room in 2018
and it hasn't really changed much since then. Let me show you around.
The office isn't bad and I know how lucky I am to have a dedicated work space
all my own. But there is definitely room for improvement.
Paint Colour
The first and most nagging issue is the paint colour. I loved this paint
shade, Tranquility by Benjamin Moore, when we first put it up. It's saturated
without being too intense. It's green and peaceful. It wasn't too bright and I
thought, could help me focus while working.
Working in this room though pretty intensely for the last year, I've found it
much too dark. No matter how hard I try, I'm just not a moody colour
person. This colour wraps around the walls and ceiling because of the
cove which doesn't allow for clean transitions of one paint to another. It
feels heavy and makes me sleepy!
This room gets amazing west facing light, yet it can feel both glaringly
bright and dark throughout the day. The grey green walls absorb the light and
deaden it.
I need walls that are lighter, brighter, and feel more alive. Window coverings
are also in order so that I'm not blinded by the afternoon sun.
Decluttering
Generally, I'm craving a calmer, cleaner space that feels more in tune with
the rest of the house. I haven't fully utilized the cabinet storage so I'll
rework my organization and create this wall as more of a timeless (and quiet)
backdrop to working.
Decor
The decor of this room also needs an update. I love this desk - it has a big
work surface and deep drawers - but the style is more suited to Chloe's
'new' bedroom so she'll be getting it. The rug is going too. I tried to be
more boho, I did, but the rug just isn't my style.
I also need to change out the IKEA hanging light fixture. I don't mind the
style of this pendant, but it casts very unflattering downward shadows. With
all of the zoom calls happening lately, that needs to get fixed ASAP!
Something that provides more general room lighting is appropriate.
Cable Management
The last big area for improvement is cable management. This is the terrible
(lazy) situation I've been living with. So many things needed to be plugged
into the modem and then I had a second power bar there temporarily because
one of the plug heads wouldn't fit and I never got to removing it so now
it's become this ridiculous setup. I barely open this cabinet door because I
can't stand looking at this mess.
Ok, now that you've seen the room's shortcomings, are you ready to see what
it will be transformed into? Here is the mood board for my bright and
classic home office:
Home Office Plan
The room will be more tailored and traditional. I'm replacing the colourful paint and accessories with a neutral palette, rich on texture.
I think of this as "doing more with less". First, I'm going to simplify the accent wall and clean up the display. The artwork in the room will be sparse but will have impact. I'm also going to add layered window coverings with interesting details. And I'll make the design more cohesive by bringing in a desk and a desk lamp with traditional lines.
If you follow my Instagram stories, you'll know that we've already started this work. There's still more to do so follow along. I can't wait to have this 'new' room to work in!
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