Redesign--Budget-Friendly Home Office
I think my favorite projects are budget-stretching redesigns for clients. They push my creativity and I love the challenge of how to achieve the design with limited resources.
This project was a redesign of a home office, located in the smallest bedroom of the house. The room had a low ceiling and one small low-set window. It was packed full of furniture, and the furniture was packed full of books, papers, CD's, DVD's, and VHS tapes. The client loved the lilac wall color but it clashed with the yellow hue of the laminate on the desk top. The arch of the lace valance made the window feel even lower.
Here are the Before photos:
I started this project by working with the client to identify the pieces of furniture that would remain in the room--the two bookcases, desk, desk chair, file cabinet and TV. The predominant color of the desk top was the starting point in determing the color palette for the room. Since it was such a small space I opted to work with all neutrals.
I wanted to remove the lace valance and replace it with neutral panels with a vertical pattern so the window would appear both taller and a bit wider. The panels were bought on clearance and hung at ceiling height to make the window appear taller. I pulled the wall color from the panel design.
To add some texture to the room we selected a multi-colored neutral shag rug. The client fell in love with the corner chair you see in the After photos, and while not part of the original design it is now the client's favorite piece in the room. We also hung a large framed print behind the desk chair, adding more warmth to the space.
Since this is a redesign the bookcases are not "staged", and the client's diploma was returned to the wall. However, since the client so generously donated most of the books, DVD's, etc., when we finished the room there were actually two open shelves on which we could place decorative objects.
The After photos:
A few weeks ago the client told me that she never really enjoyed being in her office before the redesign. She hadn't realized how crowded the room was and she never felt the space was very relaxing. Now her favorite thing to do is to take her morning tea in her redesigned office. She is fully enjoying the new space and she's still "editing" the contents of the bookshelves.
With a little creativity and diligent shopping, even on a limited budget you can turn "average spaces into beautiful places"!
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