When we moved into our dream home a year ago, I wanted my office to be an artistic space without limits. One that I would be excited to come and work in and feel inspired by. What I didn’t know is that I would soon be spending 90% of my time in this room. This meant that the room I had originally designed didn’t work for my needs as a business owner, artist and honestly, grown-up. An experiment gone ALL wrong make my office feel like it should be a room for a 6 year old girl. It was time for another home-office makeover. One with intention that would fit the needs of my job and creative desires.
With the husband out of town for the weekend it felt like the perfect opportunity to paint the walls, add some wallpaper, and steel the rest of a set of bookshelves from my sister that was originally in my grandparent’s home. (The other half of the set sits in our family room downstairs). In 48-hours I was going to turn this office from childhood bedroom art experiment into the office I now never want to leave.
It all started with a dream…
Planning Out My Home Office Makeover
I commit quickly to ideas. I start to form a vision of what I want a room to look like and when I’m just applying paint and wallpaper, the vision comes to creating quicker than expected. (As for our bathroom and Kitchen, that’s a whole difference process I’ll write about later!)
I knew that I wanted to cover up the multi pink wall I created a year ago when we moved it. Covering up the wall meant that using a dark color would be easier, and I liked the idea of creating a statement wall with a deep hue that felt cozy and calming. Another thing to consider is that my computer backs up to this wall where I edit photos so the color of the wall will change the way I see color in images (Hence the pink wall not being a great idea). Most photographers stick with a neutral grey but that’s too boring for a wall, so I chose a deep blue. Still neutral, but it pushes my whites when I’m editing photos, which I like. I’m all about the high contrast look in all my creative endeavors.
The no prime pain that only needs 1 coat comes with a limited number of colors. If I weren’t in a rush to get this done in 2 days you really should take samples and choose the final color that way. I’m not so good with the whole patience thing and usually just commit. If I did this over though, I would go with a deeper blue that’s a little more neutral and less vibrant, but I’m still happy with how this came out.
Choosing Wallpaper
I love wallpaper. If I could be buried in it, I would. It adds color, texture and so much personality to a room. We re-did our entryway a few months ago with an African print and I’m obsessed. So I had to have some in my home office makeover. I did the back wall which shows up on my Zoom calls. It also is a great space for my art and was carried on to a mini wall when you first walk into the room.
Here is how I choose wallpaper. Look for bigger prints because the tiny ones can be too busy or not show up. I went with a wallpaper that is Art-Deco inspired and in a color scheme that feels feminine without feeling childish. I also don’t like the peel and stick wallpaper. This is great if you don’t want the commitment of wallpaper. I’ve also heard some wild stories about it falling off after the crazy wildfires this year because the rooms got too hot. It’s not meant to last forever, and I want my wallpaper to last at least as long as we live in this house which could be upwards of the next 10 years.
Pasting to the wall and aligning the paper isn’t hard. If you pre-measure and cut the strips before you stick to the wall, it’s even easier because the weight of the roll won’t make it slide down the wall.
Give it 24 hours to dry before adding art back to the walls or putting furniture against it.
Before + After Home Office Makeover
An office I literally live in and don’t have a problem doing just that. The new bookshelves I added on either side of my desk opened up the rest of the room so much that it never feels messy. I painted the remaining walls a stark white. Surprisingly there are a million shades of white out there. Again, testing paint is the safest idea and not winging it like me. I might have gone with a while that had a bit more warmth to it but it really doesn’t bother me. I also always go with an eggshell or stain on our heavily textured walls. The semi-gloss or gloss will make the room feel brighter with the reflection but it will also highlight the texture.
With my art on the walls, Audrey Hepburn photos aligned in a row and rug in place, I couldn’t dream of a better space to create, consult and build the business I’ve always dreamt of.
Just 48-hours and a few buckets of paint can really change the way you look at your work space. If you feel uninspired, I really suggest you do a little home-office makeover to find your groove again!
