The Reveal of Our Home Office Makeover


Once our built-ins were complete, it was time to focus my attention on the rest of this room. And I’m happy to say that it came together so quickly! The furniture arrived about a week after we finished up the built-in project and once it came, I was able to get this room into shape. The timing of the furniture delivery couldn’t have been better.  The DIY projects were done and we were ready to finish this room up! My office furniture and design plan

If you remember this blog post, I shared my design plan for the space and I actually really stuck to it! Let’s take a look at our home office makeover and what it looks like now…

Our Home Office MakeoverOur home office makeoverBlue velvet sofa from ArticleOur office built-ins

Yep. It’s all done and I cannot get enough of this space. I swear, I’ve been working more in the last two weeks because of this room! It’s so cozy in here and I find myself lighting a candle at my desk, turning on the lamps, and working well after the sun goes down. Who knew that my productivity would skyrocket because of this?! Or maybe I’m just not quite as tired from DIY’ing those built-ins for 20 hours every weekend (haha!).

Let’s dive into each spot in the room and discuss…

The Coziest LoveseatLoveseat from Article

As soon as you walk into the room, you’re greeted by my large wall muralย (I still can’t believe how fast that DIY project went!). The colors in the wall muralย complement both the blue velvet sofa (similar) and the dark built-ins, beautifully. This loveseat is from Article (similar) and it fits here perfectly. If we would have chosen anything longer, it would have been too large for this space.ย  In addition to the loveseat, Article provided a few other pieces for the office. I worked with them in our living room (our front window chairs and gorgeous dining set!) and I’ve always been pleased with their high-quality pieces. Delivery is fast & easy and they have an awesome return policy. Blue sofa from Article

While I work at the desk a majority of the day, I’ve been sitting over here when catching up on Instagram stories and answering comments and direct messages. It’s firm, but not too firm. And the velvet is so luxurious. I sometimes lay across or put my feet up on the leather pouf. Pillows on a dark navy couch

I added a couple of pillows (striped from HomeGoods, lumbar from Amazon) and it’s complete!Brass lamp

This brass lamp has a marble base and it pops next to the blue sofa (kinda how the brass hardware pops against the built-ins). I think it’s so important to carry metals throughout an entire room so it looks cohesive and this lamp helps do just that. I turn on this lamp in the evening when the sun goes down and it makes the room soft and glowy.

A Colorful RugColorful loloi rug

The rug was an inexpensive Amazon purchase and I’m so happy I went with some color! It’s the red/navy in a size 5×7.5. It’s the same brand as my living room rug, so I knew that I would like it. Plus, you can’t beat that price tag. Colorful rugBack before I worked on this home office makeover, I couldn’t take calls in the office because it was so echoey and cold. Now with this rug and the loveseat, it’s the best spot for conference calls.

My Large Oak Desk

Large wood desk from ArticleThe oak desk is amazing. Seriously, it’s just so good. The light wood color is gorgeous and goes well with the decor in the rest of our home (and with our hardwood floors). But it’s the size that I really love (I got the 54″). It’s really deep so I can have items on my desk (water, candle, etc.) as I work away, without feeling super cramped. My wood desk from Article

I debated a few layouts with the desk, but ultimately this was the winning spot for it! I like that I can sit in the chair and glance to the left to look at the built-ins. And if Finn is hanging out in here on the couch, I can easily chat with him. Sitting at my desk working away

A few people asked about the glare on the computer screen, but it hasn’t been an issue. The arched window faces east, so it’s sunny in here early on but I really don’t start working in here until 9:00 am or so. I spend my mornings on my laptop in the kitchen eating breakfast and watching the news. So when I get up here, there isn’t any direct sunlight shining on my screen. So far, it has been a great setup. Hidden compartment for cordsThe desk doesn’t have any drawers, but I don’t need them because I have more than enough storage in our built-ins. It does have a compartment at the back for cords that is a genius idea! We still need to get all of our cords organized in here, but essentially you can place a power strip back here and plug in everything you need (computer charger, phone charger, lamp, etc.) and it folds down to hide all of the cords. Then I’ll just have one simple cord from the power strip out of the bottom of the desk to the wall right next to it! I didn’t want a messy cord situation, so this was the perfect solution. My clean and minimal desktop

Finn wants to add a monitor in here because he likes to work with two screens, so this desktop setup may change in the coming months. We’ll see as we play around in here. Use a cake stand to display items

As of now, I have a little cake stand holding my business cards, a brass pencil holder, and my AirPods. I always recommend a cake stand to vary the heights on a surface and group small items. I also have a candle in here because I’ve been lighting one every night when I start working later. It feels like such a treat. Plant and lamp

On the other side, I have this cute little desk lamp and a pothos plant (you can read more about my favorite indoor plants in this blog post).

I still have my old desk chair (sadly, no longer available to link), but I’m looking to upgrade to a “real” desk chair. You know, the ones that are great for posture and your back…but not necessarily the cutest? I still haven’t pulled the trigger! I use the leather pouf under the desk to prop my feet up sometimes and it makes for a comfy setup.

The Built-InsOffice makeover with built-in bookshelves

Obviously, you are very familiar with the DIY built-ins in this space! I’m still incredibly smitten with them and I find myself staring over at them when my mind wanders while working. DIY Playbook Headquarters

I’ve been tweaking the shelves a bit here and there, but for the most part, they look the same from when I shared the big reveal last week. Our home office makeover

This look really does say it all…this is by far my favorite feature in the room! I’m planning a big post with my tips to style built-ins, so be on the lookout for that soon. And if you can’t wait, you can check out this blog post with my dos and don’ts for styling bookshelves.

New PlantersPlanters from Amazon

There isn’t a ton of room behind the desk, but it needed a little something. I purchased this large planter from Amazon and planted a snake plant inside. Then, you guys remember this cute planter and Chinese Evergreen from my indoor plant post? Both look great tucked away in this corner and they’re doing well in this room. For more indoor planting tips, head to this blog post.

Brass ChandelierBrass chandelier in the office

This simple brass chandelier is a stunner! I added soft white bulbs to it and I turn it on at night for a pretty glow. It’s super budget-friendly and my contractor installed it in about five minutes (no electrical projects for me when pregnant!). Because the room has vaulted ceilings, I had to swag it to the center of the room. If you have a similar situation, be sure to buy a light fixture with a chain-link cord so you can move it accordingly and then just hang a J-hook from the ceiling (into the joists) so it holds. You can read more about swag light fixtures in this blog post.

Before & After

First, here are the MLS photos from the office before phase one of our renovation.

Our office before the renovationOld doors in officeLarge and bare officeMy wood desk from ArticleOur home office beforeOur office makeover and wall muralOur home office beforeOur new DIY office built-ins and budget breakdownOur office beforeOur home office makeover

Home Office Makeover Source List

Home office makeover source list

Hardwood Floors // Wall Color: Benjamin Moore “Ballet White” // Trim Color: Valspar “Simply White” // Built-In Color: Valspar “Chimney Smoke” // Built-in decor sources in this blog post // Drawer Hardware // Cabinet Hardware // Chandelier // Wall Mural (c/o Photowall) // Loveseat (similar) // Rug // Striped Pillow (HomeGoods) // Lumbar Pillow (no longer sold) // Floor Lamp (c/o Article) // Leather Pouf (no longer sold) // Oak Desk (c/o Article) // Table Lamp (c/o Article) // Pencil Holder (old from Anthropologie // Business Card Holder (HomeGoods) // Cake Stand (HomeGoods) // Black Planter (HomeGoods) // Large Floor Planter // Small Floor Planter

What’s Next? Blue velvet sofa from Article

Well, I actually have ONE more project left in here! Remember back in this blog post when I chatted about wanting to create an acrylic whiteboard in here? I made one for the wall across from the loveseat and it turned out awesome. I’ll have the full DIY tutorial for that on the blog tomorrow. Be sure to head back here for all the scoop on that easy project!

Casey

Catch Up On the Home Office Makeover


The Year of Casey

Hey there!

Iโ€™m Casey Finn, the voice behind The DIY Playbook. I’m a Chicago gal teaching you how to design, DIY, and maintain your home…by yourself! Learn more about me right here.