My Home Office Reveal
I’m finally ready to share my finished office with you! After months of designing, planning, renovating, curating, and styling… I’m excited to give you the complete tour today. This room has certainly evolved since we moved in. Our first project immediately after moving into our home was replacing the carpet in my office with herringbone hardwoods– that was back in 2019. We stopped at that point to jump to another space. Over three years later, it’s hard to believe this is even the same room, as it has drastically changed. While it took longer than we expected, I’m really proud of this space and how it came together. Emmett & I put many hours into this room and I’m ecstatic to have a beautiful home office to enjoy for years to come! Click through for a couple before images, the full tour, sources, and to get a good peek of the details that went into this space. I hope you enjoy it!
First, let’s take a peek at a couple before images. I knew I wanted to get rid of the chamfered doorway and install pocket doors for privacy and acoustic reasons. We also desperately needed adequate lighting in this space, as there were no overhead or wall fixtures previously. My last objective was to create architectural interest and storage with a wall of built-ins. Before, it was a plain and ordinary space that wasn’t very functional for us.
Per usual, we took this room to the studs. It has new electrical, everything is level & true now, and Emmett did a great job with the finishing work. Here is a quick look at the room during the construction phase…
Ready to see the end result? This room has a ton of storage and is such a bright & cheerful space. I’m looking forward to spending many hours in my new and improved home office!
Where should we start? Let’s chat about the wall of built-ins first… because they’re my favorite part of the room. These extra deep cabinets are perfect for storing office supplies, swatches, design samples, and of course- plenty of books.
There were definitely some design dilemmas to solve when designing this gorgeous wall of storage (like the vents), but I’m thrilled with how they turned out. I have more than enough room for work things, decor, and aesthetically speaking- I’m pretty in love with those delicate X mullion details on the glass cabinet doors.
Speaking of glass… this might be the most difficult room I’ve ever photographed. I had no idea it would be such a challenge! There is glass on every wall and I was fighting reflections trying to accurately photograph this space for you. Photos really don’t do it justice. I just love the way this room feels in person and it was tough to replicate in images.
I’m thrilled to have a workspace with lighting! Previously, this room had zero hardwired light fixtures- which is kind of crazy. It was a big problem, given I usually work late hours. It always felt so dark and cave-like once the sun went down… not the most motivating work environment. Now I have a variety of fixtures that keep this room functional and warm. Maybe I’ll work on an after dark tour, if you’re interested?
Emmett even wired my secondary light fixtures, so my lamps & picture light are also on a switch for easy use during the evening hours.
Didn’t he do a fantastic job with the custom credenza I designed? He carved that hardware by hand. I’m so impressed!
Do you remember my custom window treatments I designed last year? It is so wonderful to see those installed again. I forgot how pretty they were!
I also installed a candleholder wall sconce from our shop, which I plan to swap colored tapers occasionally. I’ve only been working in this space for a week, but it has been fun to light a candle while I wrap up work each evening. I could definitely see that becoming a relaxing ritual… a glass of wine and a flickering candle if I have to work super later.
When I stumbled across my antique desk, the Facebook Marketplace seller also had this barley twist console table for sell. We snagged the pair and restored the both of them. I’m smitten with the shape, classic black finish, and it fits perfectly in the corner of my office.
Speaking of vintage, another little find I styled… this brass trophy! I was digging the delicate shape and thought it would be ideal for holding my favorite pens. It’s dated 1956 and is solid brass.
Do you spy my intaglio? I wanted to keep this window corner vignette clean, simple, and interesting. It’s a nice spot to display art, a favorite candle, or new design books. Here’s a closer look at the art…
I’m a fan of mixing mediums, installing different subject matters together, and stacking or pairing pieces for an eclectic gallery look. Isn’t the frame beautiful? I love that one!
My desk turned out really lovely! It needed more repairs than we thought, but Emmett spent the last month fixing each drawer, the stretcher, sanding, and even re-doweling the legs to make sure it is extra sturdy.
In my floor plan, I always envisioned the desk to float in the center of the room, anchored by a rug. This antique desk is really the perfect piece for this space, as it deserves to be the center of attention. It’s one of my favorite antique finds to date!
This room doesn’t have the square footage to include additional chairs, but I did squeeze in a skirted ottoman that can easily float around the space. I’m also planning to keep one of my leopard print chairs in the entryway (just outside the pocket doors), that can be pulled in if needed. I’m not meeting clients or taking in-person meetings in this office (since it’s inside our home), but Emmett occasionally likes to join me for a good brainstorm session. Having an additional spot to quickly sit was on my “must include” list.
My gallery wall is basically what my equestrian dreams are made of. As a horse girl, these framed prints stole my heart and remind me of home! I’ve had so many questions about these gorgeous works. I ended up putting them in the shop, in case anyone is interested. You can either snag them individually, or buy the entire gallery– as I have it installed here. It’s definitely a vignette that feels very me…. and they make the perfect backdrop for my vintage marble horse.
A certain someone (ahem, Peggi!) surprised me with the coolest vintage iron horse! It has a beautiful patina. I thought about hanging it on the wall, but then opted to keep it out on my desk so I can have it close by. I’m going to use it as a little desk dish. It’s the perfect size for containing my memory cards and desk clips, which I’m constantly losing.
I’ll admit, I still need to screw casters onto the legs of my desk chair. The chair itself is actually really comfortable, and it fits my antique desk. That was quite the challenge- finding a chair that was short enough to slide under the old desk and still felt comfortable. It’s upholstered in Crypton performance fabric (since it’s white), and I tossed a new decorative throw pillow on there for a fun pop of pattern.
My daybed has basically turned into a glorified dog bed. While I’m working, both Cash & Crosby lounge here. I knew it was going to happen, so I can’t be mad… it’s cute that they want to hang out with me while I work. The daybed is almost the size of a twin bed, so I also imagine that when our nieces or nephews come to visit, one of the kids could easily sleep here if needed. It’s super comfortable since it’s down, and it would be simple to remove the bolsters and toss on some sheets. This vignette just makes my heart so happy…
When shelf styling, I kept things loose and organic. There is so much structure in this space and lots of hard edges, so I wanted to break the grid a bit with some imperfect book styling. I allowed them to fall and shift naturally.
If you’re wondering where all these books came from… 100% of them came from the thrift store or from my own reading collection. Check out this post for tips on thrifting books! I paid no more than $2 per book.
If you’re curious about any sources that went into this space, I tried to curate everything in a collage below.
Click right on the objects to be redirected to the source, or use the numbered links below to shop my finds… not all are clickable.
01: custom window treatments // 02: chandelier // 03: ceiling medallion // 04: horse gallery wall // 05: lancaster table lamp // 06: large tulip arrangement // 07: girard table lamp // 08: barley twist desk (linked similar) // 09: desk chair // 10: credenza (linked similar) // 11: skirted ottoman // 12: picture light // 13: vintage sculptural horse (linked similar) // 14: silk ribbon pillow // 15: scalamandré pillow // 16: vintage landscape art // 17: olive herringbone throw // 18: daybed (linked similar) // 19: vintage wood stool // 20: green taper candles // 21: candleholder wall sconce // 22: poppy relief art // 23: side table (painted white) // 24: blind contour drawing // 25: match strike // 26: horn handle candle // 27: sisal area rug // 28: portraits of home book // 29: rubia embroidery pillow // 30: fluted bone inlay box // paint color: benjamin moore ice formations // herringbone hardwood floors
Please let me know if I missed anything or if you need a link for something. I’m happy to share details on whatever you need!
We’re diving into our entryway renovation this weekend, so I didn’t get any great pulled back shots of our pocket doors because chaos has already ensued… but I’ll be sure to share a wide shot of my pretty pocket doors once the entryway is more put together.
Interested in seeing the evolution of this space? I’ll link my progress posts for you below, if you’d like to check those out…
- How to Install Herringbone Hardwood Flooring
- Project Introduction : My Office
- Designing My Built-Ins
- Office Demo & Planning
- Installing the Pocket Doors
- Installing Drywall
- Choosing Paint for My Office
- Office Renovation Update- Custom Items
- My Office Built-Ins and Millwork
- An Antique Addition for My Home Office
- Custom Window Treatments
I still can’t believe this room is finished. It has been a lonnng time coming and I hope you enjoyed the end result! I’m over the moon that I get to work here everyday. If you feel inspired, feel free to share. I’d love to hear your thoughts in the comment section below. Hit me with your questions or anything else you might like to know or say about this space. Emmett & I are definitely celebrating finishing this project! I hope you have a fun weekend ahead, too. See you on Monday! Thanks again for following along and for your encouragement. I hope it was worth the wait.
