Remember when I said I’d post pics of a project I’ve been working? Yeah, it took me a lot longer than expected…sorry about that.  I have a confession to make: that project is our home office.  And we finished it this winter…not recently.  I’ve been a little discouraged with the progress on some of my work projects, and I was itching to post something recently that I finished.  My home is a project right?!

I’ve always been shy/embarrassed posting pictures of our home because a lot of pieces are from IKEA and inherited…things not a typical designer would have in their home.  However, I’ve had a lot of interest in blogging about this subject.  So here I am, coming out of my shell.  You can still have a nice home and still showcase yourself on a tight budget. We did!

Our reading Nook.  The bookcase is from IKEA. I’m still searching for the perfect knobs to put on the cabinet doors to make them a little more customized.  The wingback chair is a recliner that Mick unexpectedly brought home one day from his parent’s house.  The original fabric was a creamy-floral, heavy upholstery fabric.  It was nice and neutral, but obviously I wanted something funky.  I got it reupholstered from Red Fox for $500 (including the fabric–a steal of a deal).  If you’ve inherited sturdy, well-made pieces; the best way to update them is getting them reupholstered.  I would never be able to find a reclining, wing-back chair for $500.  I LOVE it. I really do recline and read in it.

Our desk is another big feature of the room. It takes up an entire wall. I decided to place it along the window wall because–well, I like to look out the window and daydream sometimes. I need a lot of workspace to hand draft, spread my samples out on, and open catalogs and books. Although, I’m learning having a large workspace can quickly crowd a space. Remember when I blogged about our four computers? I don’t lie people. There they all are…still a sensitive subject. The window treatment is my pride and joy. With a lot of help and coaching from a dear friend, I was able to make a pretty sweet shade. My seamstress bid me $700 for the shade! And that’s with my hook-ups! That was way out of our price range, and something that Mick and I didn’t discuss in our budget. So I had to be a DIYer…I found the fabric for $2/yard at Design Company Fabric’s step-down sale (I live for those sales), and was able to make the entire shade for about $70. A lot of man-hours were put into it, but I made one of my best friends from the project.

Our gallery is pretty fun. Hanging the pictures just draws your eye up…and really makes the room seem a lot bigger. We picked a neutral grey to be the backdrop of all the craziness. The gallery is a collection of pictures and objects from our travels and experiences we had individually before we were married as well as together. Nothing explains us more than this wall.

Now to address two of my favorite features: the wallpaper and chandelier. I got the wallpaper from Walls.  A fantastic wallpaper/home decor store in SLC…they also happen to be a sponsor. I really wanted to use wallpaper in a design. None of my clients were brave enough; and I do enough talking about it, I figured I should eat my own words. Now, I have a lot funkier, younger taste than all my clients. I’d NEVER suggest something this funky in their homes. However, for a young, design-loving, inspiration-needing couple, it’s perfect. The bookcases and window cut the pattern up, so it’s not too overwhelming. Now does anyone want to try wallpaper?!

The chandelier is another great find. Lighting was a HUGE problem in the room (somehow my BEFORE pictures are lost in cyber world). We had great natural lighting during the day, but at night there was horrible lighting. We had five lamps to help light the room. Soooooo, I found a 12 bulb, teal chandelier on craiglsist for $70 and was sold. Let there be light. Most people settle with the light fixtures that come with the house, but I believe a good light fixture can really make a room.

There you have it, the office of an interior designer. This is a place where we work, read books, Mick does his pushups, and Pixi and I wrestle.  I love it.