The office is done! Thanks to Ed the wonder floor layer and IKEA furniture assembler. Everything went well except for having to take another trip to IKEA last week for a piece we forgot.
This is what we started with:
This is my side, Ed has the other side of the office. The wall with the windows aren’t visible here, but that wall was a really deep blue. Looked great several years ago. The desk is supposed to be “L” shaped but I didn’t like it that way. To hard to get into the cabinets. It’s even more messy than I remember. I should have cleaned before I took this photo.
Here’s the remodel! The paint is called Corner Brook A37-1 from ACE. The floor is natural red oak from Floor Traders.
This is my side of the office. I love that the chair glides across the floor to the bookshelf.
The doors to my office were a Christmas gift from Ed not long after we married. He rescued the stained glass I had in my barn and made them into doors. I love them. The long white bench next to the windows was also made by him. It’s a great place for the cats to watch the birds and squirrels.
It opens to hold all of our files.
This is the piece we drove back to IKEA in Bolingbrook to buy. The printer sets on the counter and the unit pulls out giving us more space to lay out (pile) our stuff. I like it because the drawers are shallow. That allows me to keep books I use often within easy reach and they have a place to go at the end of the day.
My personal space. On Pintrest someone had placed their digital frame over their desk. I liked that idea and stole it. My lamp is full of marbles.
I love this organizer I discovered at Pier 1 last spring. I keep note cards with plot points I don’t want to miss along with the print out from my book coming out in May to inspire me to write another one.
WHOA, BABY, it's GORGEOUS, girlfriend!!! Bet you go CRAZY on the books now … 🙂
Hugs,
Julie
Thanks Julie. That's the plan. Hope it works.
Thanks Sara. I think it looks bigger and brighter too. No more two color rooms for me.
It looks so much bigger and brighter! The floors are just amazing.
The before and after is amazing. I love the blue walls and that all the other furniture is white and soothing and keeps the eye from distractions, unlike my mismatched furniture and piles everywhere. It's an inspiration. I loved the files in the boxes under the window–great idea. Hubby's doors are beautiful.
Cora, I wish I had better photos of the before. I was just so excited to get started. It really is a huge change. And don't worry my pile will be back soon I'm sure.
I love it! Beautiful!
Thank you Kim.
Rebekah, I always wanted a loft bedroom. Why do you want to change to a regular one?
Angie, I hope it inspires God directed stories and lots of them. 🙂
Thank you Cara.
Lauren, I'm not sure you should change your location. You've written a lot of books. Just sayin'
oh, it's lovely! I want a nice office one day . . . but first, I'll settle for a bedroom that's not a loft.
That is beautiful! I'm sure it will inspire you all the time!
Absolutely gorgeous!
I want an office like this! I currently write in our dining room. We *have* an office, but it's so crowded and hot (too much equipment, only one small window) that neither of us actually work in there. Great job, Diana! Enjoy!!!
Charla, I'm pretty sure you are more capable than you know. And my ideas aren't original. 🙂 I tear out a lot of magazine photos.
I am so envious of your space! It looks fantastic and I need to borrow you for ideas to do something with my space.
I love it! You are amazing with ideas, I need to borrow some and have you come help with my space.
Julie, you're right. You don't need all of this to write a book. I didn't have it before I wrote my first book. The bench thing I saw on a Trading Spaces or something like that years ago. Collect the ideas. I did that on pinetrest too and then I was able to pull out what I could to use for this.
I wish I could write this comment in green, for jealousy. I'm saving it in Evernote so I can steal some of your ideas. I especially like the bench with files. But I tell myself that Shakespeare didn't have something like this to write masterpieces. I can't let myself say “I'll get that book written when I have the perfect office.”
Alright! I'm back on. I was having problems with blogger and couldn't leave comments. Thanks Bonnie for helping me out.
Anyway forgive me for one comment back to you all. I'm not sure if the page will reload again. 🙂
Thank you all for the comments. It's taken a long time to save the money for this project. and IKEA made it less expensive or it wouldn't look like this.
I hope you all get rooms to write someday or places to call your own even if it is a small closet.
As for organized, it's that way now and that's why I took the photos FAST before it begins to get used and the piles start colonies.
Oh!! The piles start colonies! That explains the multiple piles all over my office! ;~)
That's my belief, Carrie and I'm sticking to it. 🙂
Wow!! I love it … OK. Now I'm jealous! All your furniture matches and looks so fresh and clean … most of mine is yard sale pieces stuffed together to be functional. LOL .. oh, well. One day I'll have functional AND pretty!
I think you're guilty of tempting us to envy – it's beautiful! I do hope that it makes you equally productive – smehow ith me the less fancy my surroundings, the more I wrote! I started with an exercise book in the kitchen drawer, moved on to a box file that lived under the bed, then for many years had a 'ladderax' whch was a combination of drop down bureau and drawers in the corner of the bedroom. Moved on to a converted garage which I shared with the guinea pig and the table tennis table, and finally, when we moved house 3 years ago have dedicated study [that's what we call them in England] made out of the back of the integral garage. When we prayed round the house before we moved in, I felt the Holy Spirit whisper 'The foundations are built on faithfulness and the walls of praise. That is what I wish for you!
Great office….and so organized. Now come do mine!
Love it!! It is so bright and airy–and organized! It makes me want to do an office makeover, too! 🙂
Diana,
I love every bit of it, especially how organized it all is. Turning green with envy. My office is too small and so pile with boxes of books that I rarely use it any more. I told one of the boys who stills lives here that when his brother, whom he shares a very large room with, moves out next month, I want to trade rooms. He can have the small room and I want the bigger one so I can get everything organized like you have. I love those doors!!!
I LOVE it! What a great place to write!!
So beautiful, Diana. I just pinned your makeover on Pinterest for inspiration when I get my office in a few years.
Diana, it looks wonderful! I love it! So clean…I'm so jealous. Our house is a mess. LOL