As someone who works from home often, my office is a space I spend a significant amount of time in. I want all the rooms in the home to reflect my style and personality, but I especially wanted to have a personal office space that reflected those things, inspired me, and made me want to be there. It was the first room I focused on decorating when I moved in, and it also ended up being the most expensive. More on that later. The office is now my favorite room in the house, and I loved seeing my vision come to life. Here’s a look at how it all came together.
The Inspiration
I’m a firm believer that every room needs to start with an inspiration board. Whether it’s a physical board like mine or you’re gathering photos and resources in a virtual board on Pinterest, you need to have a starting point to get you to the finish line. As I was pulling images, I considered what inspired me, how I needed the room to function, what colors caught my eye and I gathered quotes that spoke to me. I pulled everything I was drawn to and narrowed it down from there.
Once I had all of my inspiration images in front of me, I pulled aside the ones that stood out the most and started to identify a cohesive style. I placed everything on a board and referred to it often as I began sourcing items to make the vision come to life. The inspiration board really helped me conceptualize the space, so I knew what I was looking for.
The Design
The thing that stood out to me when I looked at my office inspiration board was that I wanted bookshelves. I ended up with several versions on my board, so this told me that I needed built-in shelves to be the space’s focal point. I asked around to find a good builder to help me design something custom because I wanted to display some special items and store my many scrapbooks. The master craftsman I selected lived nearby and did an amazing job. When we met to discuss the project, he sketched it out as I talked. I was amazed at how quickly he was able to visualize what I wanted from my words. I wanted something that was masculine in its weight and feminine in its detail.
He created two perfect shelves that flank both sides of the window, connected by a frame at the top. He included beadboard panels to add texture and a delicate framing all around. The cupboards at the bottom of each were designed to be the perfect size for my scrapbooks to live in, and the shelves are adjustable in case I ever want to change the styling pieces. I was able to visit his workshop throughout the process to ensure the project was coming along as planned and to select the stain color once it was ready. I felt so connected to the finished piece because I was involved in the process from start to finish. My only complaint is that it took much longer than I thought it would. And when I talked earlier about this being the most expensive room in the house…these shelves are the reason. Custom work and labor from a master craftsman is expensive, but worth every penny. If your time and budget can accommodate a custom piece, I highly recommend it.
Depending on where your office space sits in your home, you will want to ensure the design flows with the rest of the house while also fulfilling your vision. One thing I’ve discovered while styling my home is that I have an eclectic style and an obvious color palette. I love a mix of warm pastels with an emphasis on pink, coral, green, blue, and gold. I like a neutral base shade on the walls so that these colors can pop in the décor and not be too overpowering. So, beige it was.
The rest of the room was designed around the shelves. My next priority was finding the furniture that would provide the function I needed and complete the vision. I’m someone who thrives in surroundings that are visually stimulating, so my best work would be done in a room that met those expectations. The inspiration board guided me as I went on a treasure hunt for the right pieces.
Putting it all Together
I came across the prettiest French Louis XVI chair on Etsy with tufted velvet upholstery in a vibrant pink color, and the wood structure had a gilded gold finish. Like, was this a dream? I literally had to have this chair if I had to drive across the country to get it.
It was a pricey piece and got a little more expensive to have it shipped, but it’s one of the best purchases I’ve ever made. I marvel at its beauty every day.
I found the French-style desk at an antique shop and loved the feminine shape of it. It was painted with white chalk paint, had nice vintage hardware, and was super heavy. Originally, I had planned to keep the color, but once the bookcases were made, it felt like the desk needed to be stained to match.
I am not much of a DIYer, so I had it done by a professional, which probably cost more than the piece itself. But it was worth it because I know this piece will last a lifetime and then some. My desk faces the window, giving me a wonderful backyard view and bringing in lots of natural light.
Another thing I wanted for my office was to be a home for my collection of vintage portraits. I decided to use the big empty wall to display a gallery of them, which has grown over the years. I now have almost 20 portraits of beautiful women from different eras. Each lady on this wall was special to someone, and I love thinking about who each of them is and what they were like in life. I affectionately refer to them as ‘The Ladies’.
Styling the bookshelves was the final piece of the office puzzle. The shelves are filled with meaningful mementos, books that inspire me, photos of important people, and pops of color that sprinkle the palette through the room. Everything on these shelves brings me joy.
When I worked for Marshall Field’s, I was featured in a Detroit News story when they were changing over to Macy’s. I didn’t even realize this photo was being taken so imagine my surprise when it ended up as the lead photo in the story. It is flanked by a ceramic bust of Queen Elizabeth that I made in the 9th grade. 🙂
I’ve always been fascinated by politics and the history of it in America. I’ve got a collection of books, some vintage campaign buttons, a vintage bust of Thomas Jefferson, a newer bust of Ronald Reagan and a vintage print of John F. Kennedy.
This globe belonged to my Dad and sat on his desk for years. It’s so special to me. The mini E.T. was a gift someone gave him that he thought was so cute. It was on his desk too. So, I added his office name plate, along with a photo of my niece and nephew and a little watercolor painted by my niece.
This is just a small portion of my vintage Vogue magazine collection, topped by a ‘vintage’ photo my sister took of me. I guess I wanted to be in Vogue. Lol.
The Reveal
I couldn’t be happier with my office. It’s pretty, has a ton of personality, and is filled with very special things that make me happy. When I bought the house, I knew that this room would be my office and that the space would be where I spent a lot of time working and creating. It motivates me to work hard at my day job and inspires my creativity to write this blog and work on other fun projects.
With custom built-in features, a few key pieces of antique furnishings and a lot of meaningful decorations, I have designed my home office into exactly what I wanted. I could not be more thankful for it.
~ Beckie