I'm excited to finally share my new tiny office reveal! This under-the-stairs walk in closet measures about 3 feet wide by 12 feet long, with the staircase taking up a lot of the vertical space. I think most people thought I was crazy for trying to turn this into a working office. But with some careful planning, small furniture, creative storage pieces and a LOT of my husband's hard work (a TON of work), we somehow made this little tiny office dream of mine a reality. I'm giddy just typing this in this very space!
When I look at the before pictures, and remember what this used to be, I only have two words: HOT MESS. Since we've lived here, this closet was a mishmash of storage space for craft supplies, books, paper products, clothing and whatever stuff we didn't have room for somewhere else. It was bad. Real bad. The actual structure of the closet was a disaster. There was a giant heating and cooling vent weaving through the floor. There was asbestos tile and patches of floor that were missing. An oddly positioned wood beam that served no purpose. A few unfinished sections of drywall and decomposing ceiling. It was not pretty to say the least, but it did hold a lot of stuff.
When we decided to move Marshall into my former office, I kept trying to figure out the best place to relocate the large work desk that we built, my computer, office supplies, and other things that I really wanted to still have access to. My mind would not rest until one day it dawned on me that maybe this closet could be transformed into just enough space for me. I ran it by my husband probably enough times to wear him down until he finally (reluctantly) agreed. I married a patient and very loving man. That's an understatement right there. None of this could have happened without him. I need to sing his praises because he worked many nights and weekends, cutting and installing countless boards and flooring, painting, painting and painting some more. We hired professionals to reroute the vent and update the electrical (which was the biggest investment), but the rest was all him.
We searched high and low for the right boards that would create that shiplap look (channeling my inner Joanna Gaines) and finally landed on new wooden fence posts. We considered leaving them their natural color but I really wanted the room to be all white, including the stairs, which was probably the worst part to paint.
How great does that look?!? We picked out inexpensive laminate flooring to match the rest of the downstairs. I really like the contrast. It started to look like a real room! If only there were 3-6 more feet of space...
This closet actually has two doors, one from Marshall's room (it truly is a closet) and one leading to the rest of the house. It's kind of fun to be able to go through to both sides. This may sound silly, but I've always wanted my own little "place under the stairs".
I could not WAIT to move my things in and figure out how everything would fit best. Marshall put the new desk to the test, which was actually a very narrow console table we had in the living room. Anything wider would not have fit, and anything smaller would not have supported my (large) computer.
I also had a small filing box on a metal stand that was perfect for extra desk space and to store my printer underneath. I stacked my white storage boxes and some baskets under the stairs.
I really hoped to be able to fit a small chair and side table to sit and read or have an occasional visitor. I picked up this adorable white chair at a local charity garage sale for $8. I created a small bookshelf-table by stacking two wooden crates from the craft store. Andrew made the floating shelf above for my jars of art supplies. The metal baskets used to be in another room and were from Hobby Lobby. Isn't it cute? I occasionally sip cup of tea in this spot while enjoying a few quiet moments in the morning.
A wreath and some prints hanging on the wall, along with a metal letter organizer and one of my burlap cork boards cozy up the space. I didn't want it to feel cluttered, just a few pieces that make me happy to adorn the walls.
I'm sure I'm forgetting some details, but I'm just so thrilled that it's done and that it turned out waaaaay better than I even imagined. My growing baby belly is still able to fit behind the desk! I've been pregnant throughout this entire makeover, so I'm curious to see how much "roomier" it will feel once baby arrives.
Even though there were quite a few times I thought about giving up and got really discouraged with this project, I kept picturing what it could be like. I'm so glad Andrew was willing to work so hard to make it come to life. Don't let anyone talk you out of your dreams! It may take some time (or a lot of time) and there may be setbacks, but keep looking for new ideas and solutions. It will be worth it!
It's been a while since we've had a room makeover to reveal! I am excited to finally share Marshall's new bedroom. This project started brewing in my mind almost as soon as we found out we were pregnant with our second baby boy, and I could not wait to start working on it. Except, I had to be extremely patient because there was a looooong list of other projects that needed to happen first, before this one could. Patience is not one of my finer virtues!
This room has seen many arrangements over the last 10 years that we've lived here, but most recently it was my beloved home office. I was quite spoiled to have an entire room with a large dedicated work station, craft supplies, a comfy reading corner and a TV. It also doubled as a guest room when needed. Here's a look at the before. You can read more about my home office and the awesome desk we built.
We always knew that if we needed it, it would become our third bedroom (as it was intended). There's no one I would rather have enjoy this space than our soon-to-be big brother, Marshall. At 2.5 years old, he is so fun and sweet and high energy (with a side of crazy). I wanted to make his room fun and functional with some of his favorite things.
We left the paint color the same, a tan/taupe with a hint of gray, which was the perfect neutral for my simple color theme of navy blue, red and gray. I started with the bedding and found a navy blue comforter with a reversible gray side. I knew I wanted to keep the red chandelier (minus the beads and baubles), as well as the beautiful hand-made red alphabet quilt that my friend Nicole made. Marshall likes firetrucks so I thought they would be perfect for bed sheets.
Finding the right bed frame was one of my favorite parts. I picked up this maple frame from our local charity garage sale for $8. $8 people! I couldn't wait to paint it. What I really mean is, I couldn't wait for my darling, patient, helpful husband to paint it. He did the most beautiful job! Here's a look at it before (with some light sanding). It wasn't in bad shape at all but it had some wear and tear. I really wanted it to make a pop of color in the mostly tan and wood room.
I just love it!
I kept the shelves that were already on the wall and styled them with a few fun things I already had. The little red lantern matches the bigger red lantern on the night stand - I love when coincidences like that happen! I purchased these adorable vehicle prints from a shop on ETSY. Marshall was so excited about them. I wanted to tie in a few touches of firetrucks to match the bed sheets. So cute.
I switched out the curtains in our living room so Marshall could have these gray and white ones to add visual interest and pattern.
I found the perfect spot to hang this sweet "I love you more" sign that was gifted to me by my friend Heather, from Reclaimed Palette. It goes so well with the wood accent wall in the room!
I wanted Marshall to have a desk that he could grow into, and this is the one from my bedroom growing up. It's also the very first furniture project I did that launched my blog 8 years ago! We moved it from the kitchen and switched it with another piece. I made a cork board and a magnet board with large frames that I already had. We also had a bookcase that fit nicely in the corner.
Of course, Marshall's tee-pee had to have a spot in his room. He still loves running in and out of that thing, which was a gift on his first birthday. Along with his basketball hoop.
I searched for quite a while for the right dresser and found this one on Craigslist. It was probably the most expensive piece in the whole room (at $50). I like how the light wood compliments the wood accent wall. There is a mix and match of furniture in here, but I know it will be well-loved and I'm not worried about it getting "beat up".
I'm so happy with how everyting turned out and came together. More importantly, Marshall is enjoying his new "big boy" room. It makes me so happy (and sad at the same time), to see him growing up, but I love each new stage and watching him learn and grow. I hope you love your new room, Marshall, because it was made with love just for you!
