Home Office Makeover Update and Design Plan

This Post May Contain Affiliate Links. Please Read Our Disclosure Policy

A couple of weeks ago I told you that I was giving my home office a makeover, and then I left you hanging as I took time off from the blog and social media. Well, I’m happy to report that during my break, I was still forging ahead and making progress in the space. Today I thought I’d share an update along with my (rough) design plan.

Home Office Makeover Update and Design Plan #homeoffice #office #makeover #design #designplan

Home Office Makeover Update:

Where do I begin? Let’s start with paint since that’s the first decision I made about this makeover.

One of the things that inspired me to tackle this makeover is the new Emerald Designer Edition  “Designer Color Collection” from Sherwin-Williams. (SW is my go-to for paint, but this post is not sponsored. I just get strangely excited about new paint colors.)

Home Office Makeover Update and Design Plan #homeoffice #office #makeover #design #designplan

Because I’ve worked with Sherwin-Williams in the past, they were kind enough to send me brochures about this fabulous collection. There are 200 new colors, and they’re divided into five categories. You can view them here. There’s something for everyone.

Home Office Makeover Update and Design Plan #homeoffice #office #makeover #design #designplan

Home Office Makeover Update and Design Plan #homeoffice #office #makeover #design #designplan

Which one are you loving? My hands-down fave is the Classic + Collected, which has soft shades and statement hues. I like this category because it has the most color variations. The palette looks like a rainbow where the others have a more refined focus. (I also love the Rustic + Refined collection for blues and greens. There are some stunning shades.)

All of that is a roundabout way to tell you I found so many colors in this collection that I NEED in my life and my home. One of the colors I was immediately drawn to was SW 9677 Kingston. It’s a beautiful and relaxing shade of minty green.

Home Office Makeover Update and Design Plan #homeoffice #office #makeover #design #designplan

As I mentioned in my previous post, I picked this color somewhat blindly. Typically, I like to sample and test, but with the current stay-at-home order, I just boldly ordered the paint.

Thankfully, my instincts did not let me down. I’m loving how the color freshens the space. It’s also been a joy to add a bit of my personality to a room where I spend so much time.

Home Office Makeover Update and Design Plan #homeoffice #office #makeover #design #designplan

Home Office Makeover Update and Design Plan #homeoffice #office #makeover #design #designplan

I’m including photos of my progress in this post.

Because this room faces south, the color is reading bluer than on the paint sample, but I don’t mind it one bit. The color has a chameleon quality that makes it look different throughout the day and from various vantage points in the room.

This is one of the reasons I recommend testing paint colors on your walls. Depending on many factors (lighting being the big one), colors can look completely different in your space.

Speaking of paint colors, I wrote about how I choose paint colors HERE. I also recently shared a post with all the paint colors I’ve used in my home. You can find that HERE.

Home Office Makeover Update and Design Plan #homeoffice #office #makeover #design #designplan

Home Office Makeover Update and Design Plan #homeoffice #office #makeover #design #designplan

So that’s my progress to date. (I’m keeping my fingers crossed that I’ll have the room completely painted by the time this blog post goes live.)

Once the room is painted, I’m turning my attention to the closet. I don’t need a clothes rod in there, so I’ll be ripping that out and adding three more shelves. This closet was a hot mess before, so I’m hoping that the additional shelves and functional storage will turn it into an organized and beautiful space.

All-in-all, I’m enjoying this makeover and loving how it’s coming together. So now that you know where I am in the process, let’s talk about my plan.

Home Office Design Plan:

I wasn’t sure about creating and sharing a design board for this space. As I’ve mentioned, my intention for this makeover is to take my time with it, get a sense of the space as it evolves, and decorate it as I find the right pieces.

While that’s still the goal, I thought it might be helpful to have a general vision on paper, so here’s what I came up with:

Home Office Makeover Update and Design Plan #homeoffice #office #makeover #design #designplan

Of course, this is subject to change, but for the moment I’m loving the general feeling. I’m still trying to use a lot of what I already have. And although there’s a mishmash of furnishings, they somehow work together. (At least I think so.)

I added a rug and chair that I sourced online. I probably won’t have those exact items in my space; I just wanted something to keep in mind.

Even though I like the general plan, to me it lacks color and personality. But no worries. That will come through art, accessories, and the inspiration and ideas I put on the bulletin boards.

I’m not sharing sources at the moment, but will have a full list available once the space is a bit more complete. However, I did want to offer image credit to @yasminemei who’s image I used at color inspiration for this space. (Her flower photo is on the bulletin board on my design plan.)

Home Office Design Questions:

After I announced the makeover and showed the before photos of my office, I did get questions/comments about the placement of my desk. I arranged it that way for two reasons.

  1. I can’t have my chair facing the window because the winter sun comes right through the two windows and blinds me. It’s very distracting. (It’s not as bothersome in the summer when the sun is higher in the sky.)
  2. I do not like to have my back to the door. That might seem weird given that I live alone, but I still don’t like it.

I have experimented with various arrangements and think I’ve found one that suits me. I’m also trying to keep my desk in the center of the room, under the light fixture, so that I can select a fixture that hangs a bit lower without constantly worrying about hitting my head on it.

Home Office Makeover Update and Design Plan #homeoffice #office #makeover #design #designplan

Anyway, that’s an update on my progress, plus my plan. I wrote another section about designing a space but have decided to save that for a post dedicated to the topic. It’s something I realized and pondered during my Instagram break. I think it’s important (and something we tend to forget in this social media-driven world), so I’m looking forward to sharing it with you in a future post!

I hope you enjoyed this brief update and are getting a better idea of my vision for my home office!

I’ll be sure to post another update when more progress has been made!

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

15 Comments

  1. Grateful to find your post! The room look great. We are painting my daughter’s room Kingston SW. I did samples…thought my eyes were playing tricks on me. She says it’s green. I say it’s blue (FYI, Shes 3 years old ha). It picks up other colors and changes somewhat significantly based on lighting and time of day. It’s a pretty color. Thanks for sharing.

  2. I love the direction this room is taking! It is going to be stunning when you are done and put your own stamp on it. I can’t wait to see the progress. Thanks for keeping us in the loop!

  3. It’s amazing what a difference a paint job makes. We had our entire home painted last fall – too much for us to do. Even after trying out several samples of Sherwin Williams in our family room/kitchen area when the paint went up it looks different at different times of the day. In fact, one wall will look brighter or softer depending on the lighting. Our daughter generally works from home, but our son-in-law has been working at home for the first time. They decided to take over a bedroom for his home office. My daughter placed a desk in the middle of the room with it facing the door. It looks really great and our son-in-law isn’t sitting facing a blank wall.

    After 50 years of marriage (today!!) we still work constantly on our home and yard. Improving, making changes, decorating, and yes, cleaning, are still so important to us. I love to see what other people are doing and use a lot of what I see as inspiration for my next project. I always have a list in my decorating notebook for upcoming projects. I think it is what keeps us young!

  4. Hello Michael, the colour you have chosen for your home office is a colour I am always drawn to in life. To me, it is a fresh, happy, soothing colour that inspires me when I’m around it. It will be lovely for you to witness the changing hues of your home office as the sunlight moves around the room throughout the day…an extra surprise. I love how you have chosen to take your time and see how your room unfolds, waiting for that special piece to turn up in your antiquing/thrifting travels. It is all a part of the journey. So many people look for an instant fix this day and age and are somehow very disappointed and unsatisfied at the end of their project. I hope you are enjoying your new project and cant wait to see the finished results. Stay well Michael, much love from Australia…
    Jodie

  5. The fact you don’t like your back to the door is Feng Shui at work! Facing a door is best, if possible. I just launched an online course teaching WFH entrepreneurs how to organize, arrange and decorate their home office for maximum creativity and productivity, and this is one of the concepts I teach (and how to overcome it if you don’t have an option!)
    I love the minty green color and can’t wait to see all you do in this room! Have fun!

  6. Loving your design! I’ve been putting off painting my daughter’s room for months simply because of lack of motivation, but your post gave me the push I needed to get it done. Thanks, Michael!

  7. Love the color choice. At first I thought it was kind of mint green (which I liked), but as you panned around the room, I love that it looks so different in different light. I love colors like that.

    Looking forward to seeing the finished product.