I didn't show a before/after picture of the office, so here's the best I can do! The "real" before picture didn't have a a window (which changed the entire room), new insulation and of course, no electrical/lighting/etc. What a far way we came in 2/3 short weeks! This project taught me so much, but primarily about the power of space. Although small, when done right, a small space can be just as efficient as a large one.
THE OFFICE (and connecting 1/2 bath) are FINISHED!!!!!!!!
As of today, I'm no longer working in our kitchen or the guest bedroom! No words can say how THRILLED I am to have my own space to work and spread out.
Our handyman/contractor extraordinaire, Robert Shotlander and his assistant Aubrey (who are honestly more like family these days) did an AMAZING job. I can't say enough wonderful things about their work and attention to detail. They were here for 2-3 weeks straight (see the before pics here...they really started from scratch). I cannot believe this used to be the disgusting (this word deserves to be bold, trust me), bug infested storage room for Bruner's tools and lawn equipment.
I feel like a kid on Christmas morning! It's everything I desperately needed in order to keep my work and life together. And it turns out Bruner's likes his new, real shed even more, so it was a win-win situation.
Of course, there are some loose ends that aren't finished like the wall decor...I want to add an inspiration board/bulletin board as the back splash underneath the bottom shelf. I'd also like to add some kind of simple window treatment, and the awning will be here next week, etc. BUT...those details mean nothing to me right now—I finally have space to breath!
Here's a peek at the connecting half bath below (separate post coming soon). There's a closet door separating the two rooms, and that bathroom also leads out into our den. I love having access to the outside (especially when I come and go during the day) AND to the house, so I'm right there anytime too!
Love the exposed brick, which was a hidden treasure we found when gutting the room.
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This cabinet was a must for storage. It holds all of my binders (I'm a huge binder junkie/dork), paper samples and books. I can't wait to get in and have time to organize everything, but for now, it's all there and in ONE place which is what matters!
Someday I'll get around to making pretty printed labels for those binder spines...someday...
I found these old hand-crafted letters at Charles Phillips Antiques a few weeks ago. I spent a good 30 minutes digging through a huge bucket in a hot barn for these treasures...so we will definitely need to find them a home here soon....
Outside entrance is in progress.. The awning will be installed next week and we're adding some stones with mondo grass...
And Calder says:
"That's it for now folks! We need to get back to our real work."
Making progress on the office! Floors are supposed to be put in tomorrow...we shall see, but no doubt the guys are working hard and we've come a long way in 1 week.
Several people have asked about where it attaches to the house. Here's a better idea..see that open storm dorm behind the pretty lady in hot pink?
And the window to the far right is new and makes all the difference in the space. It's almost like it should have been there the whole time...
Imagine a dark charcoal awning (with great looking iron spears...my favorite), a new paint job around the door, and stones or pavers leading up to the door... YAY FOR PROGRESS! Stay tuned. More coming soon.
And here's one from our Halloween playdate last Saturday. It was rainy so we opted for Sarah's house over the pumpkin patch. If this doesn't brighten day nothing will. That peeeeeecock was hanging in there like a champ!
When I told you the "before" pics of my office would scare you, I wasn't kidding. But believe it or not, we've made a lot of progress the past few days. Plumbing, electrical and insulation are all DONE.
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Stay tuned for more updates about this crazy office reno/more like demo...
And on an even brighter note, here are some of my favorite pics of my sweet girl from this week...
She is so fun and goofy! The craziness around this house doesn't phase her for one bit that's for sure!
After months of searching for a new office space and/or a new home, it's official. We're staying put for now, and have chosen to bloom where we are planted!
I've outgrown my home office (which is a part of the kitchen) and just need more space away from the central traffic area of the home. View my current office here and here. So after looking at many homes on the market and weighing all of our options, we've decided to stay put and we're turning our storage shed (which is luckily connected to the house) into my office. The storage shed is where Bruner's tools and lawn equipment were stored, so we bought a free-standing storage shed from Lowes and put it in the backyard, and everything has been moved...so we're ready to start the process TODAY! Turns out he likes his new and improved space much more, so it's a win-win situation! The same awesome handyman/contractor we used for the previous home office project and our kitchen renovation (and everything else we've ever done) is doing this project as well. I trust him and know he's capable of everything I want and more, which makes this so much easier.
The room currently has no AC and will have to be completely gutted, along with the half bath it connects to, so we've got a project on our hands that's for sure! We're definitely doing this on a budget, yet at the same time, making sure we design a space that I can work in for years to come as well. The room has a door with direct access to the driveway (which will be so much easier when I come and go from appointments throughout the day). In the end, I am still home, which was the most important thing to me.
Designing your own office space from scratch is fun. I have the floor plan ready to go, and I'm finalizing the details this week as they're busy gutting the room and rewiring it, etc. We're adding a window, which will make this little room come alive. Natural light is so important, especially when you're designing things all day long! I've been pouring myself over Pinterest and my decorating binders for ideas and inspiration. It's going to the perfect space for HBD, and I'm so thankful we had this as an option.
Much more coming soon. Here's a peak at some of my inspiration....
Stay tuned! Half bathroom renovation details coming soon...as well as some current pictures of the storage room, which may scare you!