Home Office
Disclosure: Some of the links below are affiliate links, meaning, at no additional cost to you, I will earn a commission if you click through and make a purchase. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.
I’ve been setting up my home office since I moved in last July. I wanted this to be one of my favorite rooms in the house since this is where I will be spending the majority of my time. It has undergone many minor updates in my short time here, but I think it has finally come together into a cohesive space!
As I tinker with each room, I’m learning that I have a proclivity for warm neutrals, earth tones, and plants. Unfortunately, I did not know that when I started decorating my office in late 2020. I thought I needed things to be clean and white for me to focus. The end result was a sterile waiting room vibe that I hated. To be honest, I wasted a lot of money trying to find my taste during this process. What helped was subscribing to interior decorating magazines. I now have subscriptions to Luxe and Architectural Digest. I can’t say why it was more helpful that my insanely organized Pinterest board. But…it did the trick.
It wasn’t until the green velvet sofa arrived for my living room that I realized color wasn’t the enemy. I could still live a long and healthy life without ever hearing the term “pop of color” again, but I am less opposed to having the RIGHT colors in my environment. For me, those colors are deep chocolate, coffee, cognac, cream, green, orange, and sometimes purple. I also find that textures and patterns matter more to me than color. For instance, my favorite item in my office is my marble look desk.
After I found this perfect L-shaped desk, the main priority became lighting. During the summer, my office was flooded with enough natural light to make work manageable. There were a few rainy days that made me go searching for an old desk lamp in my boxes, but I was able to get by. As daylight saving time approached, I started looking for a ceiling fixture. I knew I wanted gold because of the legs on my desk. I also knew I wanted lots of light, so a sputnik chandelier seemed like my best option. I found this one on Amazon and started pricing electricians. Sistren….brethren…I’ve made several wrong turns in my life. Chief among them was choosing law over literally any other trade. The amount of money these people charge is INSANE! Rightfully so. No amount of youtube videos prepared me for the task. Long story very short, I decided it would be more cost effective to buy a fire extinguisher and have my neighbor install the light fixture.
Some of the items in the office, like my wireless mouse and keyboard are more about functionality than style. I also keep important reference materials close by in a hanging file holder that I got years ago from Target. In fact, a lot of the trinkets and decorative items in my office have been with me my entire legal career. Although some did not see the light of day until I moved here. That’s right, I’m talking about my degrees and awards lol. During my crisp white phase, I picked up multiple frames from Target to cover the bare walls and remind myself of my accomplishments. Not the least of which was actually getting them all hanged.
I have two gold frames that lend some warmth to the space, but the walls are still very bland. True story, my law school diploma is still in its original tube because its nontraditional size makes it impossible to economically frame. Eventually I will have to bite the bullet and get a custom frame. Hopefully before I finish paying for the degree.
I also picked up this sturdy mirror for $19 from Ikea. Although it is also white lol, it’s probably my second favorite piece in the room.
While my desk was the first piece of furniture in my office. The first item purchased for my office was this artwork from my parents! They bought it for me in March just after I broke ground on the house. I originally intended to hang it in the foyer, but the dimensions were off. I love this piece and it came in handy to fix an issue I have in all of the bedrooms in my house. The windows are off center. Typically, this would drive me crazy, but my mother has taught me several tricks to balance a room, and I will share each one with you as I implement them. Here, I used this painting on the larger wall to offset the imbalance. It looks amazing with the faux palm and drapes that I also purchased from Amazon.
Last but not least, I replaced all the carpet on the top floor of my home. I had always planned to replace the carpet so that I could get a puppy!! But I thought I’d be doing it much later in the process. However, I happened across an Empire Today ad for their 50/50/50 sale (50% off installation, flooring and sub-flooring) and I couldn’t resist. I went with luxury vinyl plank and it is nearly identical to the floors on my second level. The 50/50/50 sale is over, but you can still use code 1-2907IOT when you book your consultation.* I know it’s not a cute code lol but, you can receive up to $350 off your next project!
Speaking of projects, I will eventually return to this room with some paint or wall paper. Also, I am still in the market for a new chair and rug. But for now, I find the space fosters productivity. What more could you ask for in a home office?
*Disclosure: I will be compensated if you use this code