Tuesday, May 29, 2018

My Office/Library Makeover!

Back at the end of September, Tom and I bought a house.  There was a smaller room upstairs that we didn't have any immediate plans for, so I kind of claimed it for my bookshelves, which were among the first things I unpacked after we moved in!  I also stored my computer desk in there, and since my books and desk were up there, it made sense to turn the room into an office and library.  The previous owners hadn't done a lot with this room, so I went to work making over the space!

Here's the room before:


And here it is after:


My sister had the fantastic idea of painting a chalkboard wall, so that was one of the first things I did.  It'll be cute to write messages or to-do lists on.  Then, I wanted to change the main color of the room.  It was a beige color, which I normally love, but I wanted something different.  I decided on a pale yellow color, to make it bright and cheerful without being overwhelming.  My mom was such a big help with the painting!

My family was so generous with housewarming gifts: a new desk from my sister and her family and a cozy reading chair and blanket from my dad and stepmom.  These pieces came from Wayfair; it can be a bit pricey, but they also have a lot of amazing sales, so it's really just a matter of keeping your eye out for a good deal.

Then I picked out some décor for the walls.  I found some cute bookish prints on Etsy here and here.  I also wanted to incorporate a Harry Potter-inspired painting I did at a paint and sip class.  The last thing I added was a Little Mermaid canvas, which was an awesome Christmas gift from Tom.





The finishing touches included some new floor and door moldings (thanks, Dad!), a fun area rug, and valances for the windows.  My mom and I found some cute desk accessories (a storage box and basket) at Michael's.  The lamps were things we already owned, and the large white cabinet in the room was left by the previous owners and acts as our linen closet.


I'm so happy with the way it turned out, and I can't wait for all the reading and blogging I'm going to do here!

27 comments:

  1. I have always wanted a little book nook. How lovely you have that! I absolutely adore the color scheme.

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    1. Thank you, Sam! I'm excited to finally have the room for it.

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  2. So awesome you have a room like that. It came out great!!!

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  3. Wow wow wow this is impressive! I absolutely love the look of this room, and I've also been wanting to have a chalkboard in my room for a while, so now I'm also envious, lol ;)

    Happy reading and blogging in your new office! It looks great.

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  4. I love it, it looks so great!

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    1. Thank you! I'm so glad it's finally finished.

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  5. I love how it turned out! The dark chalkboard wall really helps the wainscoting pop (can you tell I watch a lot of HGTV??)

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    1. Haha, me too!! I think the black and white looks really good, too.

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  6. Ooh, I love it! The chalkboard wall is such a neat idea. I really love the Harry Potter-inspired print and the Little Mermaid one! The entire room looks great, I hope you love it in there. :) I hope to one day have something similar!

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  7. Very, very nice! Just love it and love the combo of yellow and gray - cheerful and soothing. I have an office/library too and it's where I spend a lot of time. Enjoy yours!

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    1. Thank you so much, Kay! I didn't really think I was a "gray" person, it's more modern than I think most of my style is, but it worked here!

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  8. Isn't it every bookworm's dream to claim a room in the home and fill it with books. That chalkboard idea is amazing btw and that chair just begs you to sit and read.

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    1. The chair is so comfy, and I can't wait to start using the chalkboard. I definitely think I have room for more shelves, too ;-)

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  9. This is so perfect! I love everything about it. I'm so happy for you :)

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  10. I LOVE IT!!! I was going to ask if that is a chalkboard wall! That is one of my goals when my fiancé and I get a house. Too cool!

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    1. Thank you so much, Erica! Yep, it was just chalkboard paint, now I need to get some chalk!

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  11. oh that is so pretty, a bit jealous over here

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  12. Hey Angela! Hope you've been well. I'm slowly clawing my way back (again!!) after getting so far behind (again!). :) I love what you did with the space and it's so nice that you have made yourself such an incredible library and office space. It's important! I love the chalkboard and the awesome reading chair and artwork! It all really came out so well and I hope you have a lot of great hours in there.

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    1. Aww, thank you so much, Di! I had a lot of fun putting it together, and I'm so ready to start using it!

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I'm so glad you stopped by, and I would love to hear your thoughts! Comments are always greatly appreciated!