Home Office Tour and WeWork

Since becoming a work at home mom (yay!), having a dedicated work space and home office is vital. Earlier this year, after my son was born, I left my full-time job (which I loved) to be a stay at home mom (which I really love even more). Now, I am a freelance graphic designer and art director. For me, it's the best of both worlds. 

Almost two years ago, I did a complete home office makeover. Including building a custom desk, reupholstering my office chair, painting a chandelier, making burlap message boards, and other fun DIY projects. My combination office/craft room/reading and relaxation spot is one of my favorite rooms in our home. A few things have changed, but much has remained the same. Here is a tour of my work space and a few must-haves that I included in the design. 

A LARGE DESK
My biggest must-have was a large desk with ample work space. Enough to accommodate two computers, a sewing machine, tools and still have room to work. My husband and I built a custom desk that spans the length of the room. It's awesome! Believe it or not, sometimes I still wish it were larger. I tend to make a mess when I get creative and there never seems to be a shortage of papers, folders and miscellaneous items.

STORAGE
Another must-have was plenty of storage. We used deep cabinets from IKEA as the base of our desk. We also brought in a large storage hutch from another room to keep craft supplies. Everything has a place and can be stowed out of sight! 

A COMFORTABLE CHAIR
In addition to my desk chair, I wanted a place where I could sit and read, journal, sketch and just relax. This comfy chair and little side table is one of my favorite places to sit with a cup of tea and recharge. 

GOOD LIGHTING
One of my most favorite elements of this room is the chandelier I spray-painted bright red! It definitely lights up the whole space and makes me happy. No more boring crappy lighting. I also bought a pretty little mercury glass lamp for my side table, which casts a warm glow in the evening. Proper lighting can make or break a room. Especially when you're trying to work. 

INSPIRATIONAL ITEMS
If you spend a lot of time in a room, you should surround yourself with things that inspire you and make you happy. I have all types of items in my work space that make me smile. Milk glass vessels, antique cameras, jars of buttons, ribbons and supplies, photos of family and friends, cards and keepsakes, inspirational quotes. Being surrounded by pretty things makes me enjoy working and crafting (and even paying bills). 

Your space doesn't have to be huge and it doesn't have to be perfect. It just has to be someplace you like to be and can accomplish what you need to get done. Functional as well as fun. As simple or as fancy as you like. As long as the basics are there - a desk, chair, (electricity if you need to be plugged in), paper, pens, etc. Maybe sunlight and fresh air are all you need some days. A change of scenery. A coffee shop. A bench at the park.

If you don't have your own work space or would like to network and connect with others, WeWork offers shared office locations around the globe. They also offer discounts and benefits to their members. If you run your own business, or you're a freelancer like me, sometimes a professional office space is beneficial. To learn more, visit WeWork.com. I have not had the opportunity to use one of their office spaces yet, but I definitely plan on keeping them in mind. 

DIY Custom Work Desk

The biggest project of my home office makeover was making a custom work station that spans the length of the room. I wanted and all-in-one, wall-to-wall desk with plenty of space to fit my computer(s), sewing machine and tools, with room left for crafting. I thought about it, researched and planned quite a bit before settling on purchasing two IKEA cabinets and building a wood top to fit. I considered finding a large desk on Craigslist, making one out of metal filing cabinets, purchasing kitchen cabinets, using butcher block, searching for old office conference room tables, you name it, I think it crossed my mind. But nothing seemed quite right (or it was more than I was willing to spend).

I was hugely inspired by the wall-to-wall desk that Young House Love assembled. 

They were inspired by the desk that Lindsay built in her basement office. I was too. Her step by step process gave me the courage and how-to to give it a try. 

I made a quick little "blueprint" to build my desktop. It was extra tricky because there's a 31 inch vent that juts out from the wall. I had to select 2 different size planks of wood and cut them to fit around this. 

Here's my handsome handy man, helping me pick out the perfect pine boards and transport them home. We used a total of 3 boards to make our desk top. 

At home, we cut and stained them. We had stain leftover from refinishing our staircase, which was the perfect color. I love when that happens! 

Selecting the right pair of cabinets to serve as the desk base was also a little tricky. They had to be the right hight, wide enough and strong enough to support the desk top, provide storage and not be outrageously priced. The IKEA "AKURUM" white base cabinets fit the bill (without the legs). The only problem - I don't live near an IKEA. This has been a problem for quite some time. Shipping was more than the price of one cabinet - yikes. Dear Swedish shopping wonderland, if you're reading this, please open a store here. I can give you an Excel spread sheet a mile long, listing your eager customer base, just waiting to be loyal shoppers. The solution to my dilemma - my sweet Father in Law, who lives near an IKEA, drove there, picked them up for me and gave them to my husband during one of his visits to PA, and he drove them home to me. They are both my hero's!

I was excitedly determined to assemble them - all by myself. How bad could it be? Actually, despite IKEA's notorious reputation for difficult furniture assembly, these were fairly easy to put together and took no time at all! This probably looks worse than it was. That's just my giant cat investigating. 

Once the cabinets were in place, it was time to assemble the top. 

We basically lined them up and used large and medium size metal brackets to screw them together tightly. The cabinets are wide enough that they rested perfectly across. 

Here's a look inside. There's so much storage space! It's fantastic. I added brushed nickel cup handles and bar pulls on the doors (they didn't come with any). 

On the left, is my computer work station (with my printer underneath). 

On the right, is my sewing machine and craft area. 

This is my Singer sewing machine that my Mom got for me when I was in 8th grade. It doesn't have any crazy patterns, programs or bells and whistles, but it's always worked so well. I learned how to sew on it and I've been using it ever since. 

I love how the wood top turned out. It's got it's own character and grain. I'm so proud that we made it and it's one of a kind. I also like accessorizing and arranging things on it. A milk glass vase from my girlfriends to hold pens and pencils. A glass dish from a thrift sale. A live succulent I got at Peddler's Village. Old books. Mason Jars. Things that make me smile while I'm in this room. 

I'm so happy and thankful for this work/craft space. The end result was even better than I imagined! 

If you're considering building a desk like this or something similar, I definitely recommend  you try it. Don't be afraid to do it yourself - get out those tools and make it happen! You can customize it to fit any room, big or small. You may even surprise yourself - and save some money while you're at it! 

Desk Before & After

My childhood desk sat in our basement for 2 years, with it's 70's style speckle-painted finish (I know it was in style at the time Dad). I had been meaning to repaint it or do something with it. My crafty friend Christy painted an entire dining room set black and it came out beautifully, so I decided to try it. Using a hand sander (which my husband taught me to use) and sand paper, the labor began. This was the least fun part. I purchased black oil based gloss paint from Lowes, along with some charming silver knobs to replace the old gold handles. Once we started painting it black, the excitement started to sink in. Two coats was all it took (it helps to have a husband who is a professional painter). I fell in love with the fabric I used to reupholster the chair from Joann Fabrics. The project definitely took some elbow grease and a few days to let the paint dry completely between coats. But the effort was well worth it! I love how it turned out!