Monday, November 23, 2015

The Office: Before/In-Progress

Ahh, our home office. Probably the room into which I've put the least amount of effort (second only to possibly the guest bedroom). I've allowed myself to slack, because it's not one of our primary living spaces. Murphy does like to sleep in it so he can keep an eye on the neighbor's chickens. Yes, chickens. But besides naps, it doesn't get a ton of use. 

But, as I'm spending more time in it as I think about starting a potential business (more on that soon), I'm realizing it's time to spruce up a bit so the inspiration can flow :) 

I'm sharing some pre-spruced photos here today, but it's probably more accurate to call them "in-progress." I've added a few new things to the room and although I've got most of the key pieces in place, there's still a long way to go. 

Here's the vision for the finished space:



For this room, I want there to be a good mix of masculine and feminine pieces, and the color scheme of black, grey, malachite green, and brass accents fits into that perfectly. I think it feels modern but also classic, and will hopefully result in a room that appeals to both B and I. 

I'm into the sort of old-worldy, den-like vibe, and want it to feel like a cozy room where you retire after dinner with your slippers and a nice scotch Meomi Pinot. It seems like the perfect time to tackle this room too, since winter is coming (#jonsnowlives) and what's better than a warm, comfortable room when it's cold and snowy outside?

As it is today, many of the main pieces are in place, but the room isn't pulled together by a long shot. The space is basically a square, about 14 x 14.

This is the view looking in the doorway from the hallway outside: 


The office sits in the very back corner of the house, with a short hallway leading to it from the TV room, and a longer hallway leading to it from the front parlor.

The room is technically a bedroom, which I believe simply means it has at least one window and a closet. 

The closet is in the photo below, and it's a fairly generously-sized one. It's handy for storing extra printer paper, file folders, and other not-so-attractive office essentials. 


We painted this room the same Benjamin Moore Revere Pewter as the rest of the house, although now I kind of wish I would have gone with a darker grey in here. I'm going to hold off on changing the walls until the other pieces are in place, but I think this might be the room where I finally get to use Farrow and Ball Down Pipe, which I've been dying to use somewhere:



I'm keeping most of the furniture in this room. One exception though is the chair:



Although I still really like this chair, and it is in excellent condition, I think the grey velvet chesterfield I included in the collage above will work better to achieve the overall look I'm going for. Besides, I think I can re-purpose this one into the guest room upstairs where it should work fine for another few years.


I've moved the desk around in here a few times trying to find the optimal position for it. It's a little awkwardly positioned right now on an angle, but I think it's okay. I definitely prefer cleaner, more symmetrical positioning in general, but the issue here is a lack of outlets where I need them. If I had my druthers, it would be centered on the back windows facing out, but it just doesn't work from an electricity standpoint. But, at least this way I can see out both sets of windows and also into the hallway while I'm working.

The new rug is an overdyed emerald green oriental, and I have all the heart eyes for it: 


It's so pretty in person, and the color really complements all the wood in this room nicely. Once the floor-to-ceiling green drapes are in place, I think it will look stunning.

The drapes will be key to providing nice sight lines from the front of the house. As you can see below, you can see into the office all the way through the hallway from the front of the house: 


I like that the green will carry through from the hallway runner into the green of the office. The powder room is also off that hallway, with its dramatic green zebras, so the whole series of spaces should tie together nicely.

Once the drapes, chair (likely with an ottoman), and possibly a new overhead light fixture are in place, then it will simply be a matter of zhushing up the accessories in here:

 

To that end, I've already started adding a few things I like, including the brass armillary, green vases, and the Abe Lincoln bust. I need to add a few more books and possibly a couple more pieces of artwork, then I think we'll be in good shape. Hopefully a final reveal will be coming soon! 

Happy Thanksgiving, Everyone!


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