Home office - follow up on posts

11 years ago

We have been renovating building and decorating for going on three years. This time I wanted my whole house done at once in once cohesive style. We are almost there.

Of course, like many have found, a process that you imagine to be pure fun (with just a tinge of guilt over the expense), has really been draining. I have dragged my feet on the last few bits.

Among the last square inches to get decorated is our office. Really, it is a place for DH and I to sit while we are on our laptops. The kids sometimes stroll in for homework help, or we collar them for homework surveillance. IN any event, it is a workhorse of a room and one we spend many hours in, say, surfing GW ...

I was mentally prepared to accept that the office was not going to be too pretty. Some rooms you just need to function and can't tart up very much, kwim? Our printers and other sundries are in the closet, but I really like a file cabinet handy.

The desks are his and hers (mine is white marble left from my kitchen slab, his is grey marble and larger). His is actually my old dining room table from my NYC apartment. The chairs and lamps are his and hers, too. I would like new chairs, but the comfiest ones seem way too mod. (Any ideas??)

In the 10" long "nook" area, I was able to recycle a fair amount. I reused my old sofa from my last kitchen, had bookcases refinished, and found some great framed english hunting aquatints at a charity auction. (thanks for the hanging advice,all).

About the only new thing is the "bookcase". It's supposedly from an old french department store (1st dibs always gives things an inflated provenance to go with their inflated prices). It's not terribly practical but it does help make up for the lack of drawer space when you use tables for desks. I made tea stained labels for it.

The only other thing I bought was window shades, albeit reluctantly as we have beautiful views and total privacy. But glare was an issue. There, I ended up doing one large fabric shade across each double window (I'd posted on that question).

So, here it is, a real room, really used, but prettier than it was!

the "nook"

{{!gwi}}

french dept store shelf

{{!gwi}}

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Comments (18)

les917
11 years ago
I think you have created a very nice space, while still allowing it to be the 'workhorse' that you and your family need.

I would love to see some art on the desk side of the world - perhaps a series of things above the windows - to bring some color to that side. Maybe a large wall clock above the French cabinet(which is very cool).

I would also like to see a larger lamp put on the file cabinet, to give more light to that whole space, and perhaps, down the road, an inexpensive pair of plug in swing-arm lamps hung on the sides of the cabinets on either side of the couch. That extra lighting would allow you to leave off the overheads most of the time, creating a warmer ambience in the space, and much less shadow as you work.

Also, it could be fun to make a slipcover for the filing cabinet, one with a velcro panel on the front to allow access to the drawers as needed. Another romantic print to work with the couch and the feel of the space could be great.

You have done very well - I would LOVE to have that space for my own!
woodland_babe
11 years ago
I love it too. Great Job!!! I agree that some kind of slipcover over the file cabinet would be great. Maybe even just over the top and sides. Maybe a bigger or darker color basket on top of the file or some house plants.
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mtnrdredux_gw
Original Author
11 years ago
Thanks Les and Woodland,

Hmm, maybe some art between the desks ....

As for the file cabinet, I think a skirted file cabinet looks like a skirted file cabinet. Especially one this size. I will have to give it some thought. If I could make it look vintage in some way, perhaps. I am thinking just to paint it a custom color (the bookcases are Farrow and Ball slipper satin) might help, and I wonder if I could find interesting hardware to replace the handles... Does anyone know of oversized bin pulls? about 5.5x1.5

Desk chair ideas anyone?
hilltop_gw
11 years ago
To me the different sides of the room reflect two entirely different styles....one side cozy/warm and the other contemporary/industrial. Is it possible to replace the file cabinet with something less metal, like the Wildon cabinet in the link below?

Or give the file cabinet a fun paint color or replace it with a furniture type piece....not necessarily this color, but something similar to grab your attention and balance out the utilitarian desks? Even a shabby chic type piece would work.

vintage paint

Here is a link that might be useful: Wildon cabinet
mtnrdredux_gw
Original Author
11 years ago
Hilltop, you are right.

I am thinking that changing the hardware on the file cabinet will be useful. Maybe even an antique door pull with plate (eg see link). And a coat of custom paint. I might have a small oil to place on the wall between the windows, too.

I am so glad i didnt just give up on this room.
Annie Deighnaugh
11 years ago
Nice space...good job.

Is there room to put a side chair next to the white desk? Seems when I'm working at the desk, someone always wants to sit down and talk to me about something....

When it comes to a desk chair, comfort and function are number one for me. Having spent all my career working in offices, an armless, supportive secretarial chair for me is my go to piece.
Fun2BHere
11 years ago
If you use a tailored slip cover, I think it will look like a slipcovered table, not a file cabinet. You could use the same fabric as your shades, perhaps piped in a color or pattern that would pick up on your sofa. Also, you could wallpaper your file cabinet. The link below shows a cabinet that has been painted and wallpapered. This project only did the drawers, but you could do the whole cabinet.

Here is a link that might be useful: Design Sponge Project
mtnrdredux_gw
Original Author
11 years ago
Hi Fun,

Still not sold on the fabric covering, for this size and shape cabinet. I worry it'll look like a giant tea cozy! Plus the cost of having my upholsterer do it, especially with piping, would probably rival the cost of a new, wooden cabinet!

My DH suggested he could put the file cabinet in the closet, but I am really questioning giving up the storage space to do so. No matter how lovely the room, if it is a mess it's still a mess, and in my experience the best way to stave off a mess is by providing ample storage.

He also suggested we just buy a new, wooden cabinet, but I don't like too many of those.

I am pretty sure we are going to get it painted, and then change the hardware. I found someone 8" pulls with a backplate, in a cool antiqued finish that I think will go with the other hardware in the room.

I also found some old maps I had, and glass clip frames, to hang artwork in the wall space between the desks. Probably some vintage maps I bought.
porkandham
11 years ago
It looks great!

Could you put a decorator round on top of the file cabinet, and cover it with a tablecloth?
kitchentime
11 years ago
I love the room. I would do two things. 1). Add a fun basket on the filing cabinet like from the link below for example. 2). I don't think the couch pillows add much. Almost better without.

What a great room. I would almost be inspired to do the things I should be working on if I had a room like yours!!

Here is a link that might be useful: Etsy
Fun2BHere
11 years ago
I'm sure it will look great. In the link to Design Sponge on my comment upthread, they replaced the hardware and it did make a difference.

I forgot to respond to your comment about chairs. You are right that all of the cool chairs seem very modernist in design. For my own home office, I decided to go for function over form and am using a chair like the one I've linked below. It's comfortable and relatively unobtrusive.

Here is a link that might be useful: My Chair
PRO
Diane Smith at Walter E. Smithe Furniture
11 years ago
Nice job!

The french department store bookcase and the toile loveseat are my favorite pieces.
Sueb20
11 years ago
Love it! Especially the bookcase.
anninthedistrict
11 years ago
I like your room very much. I agree that the filing cabinet needs help.
I like the idea of paint and hardware idea. I wonder if there is the possibility of a wooden slipcover? Ideas I have are painting and hardware with a wooden top and sides. or just paint and hardware with a cool wooden top that might "tie" the two desk tops together?
It looks lived in, in a very good way.
jessicaml
11 years ago
I love it so far! Les had good suggestions for adding to the walls.

What about painting the file cabinet (maybe recovering with veneer or beadboard first?) and adding a wood top? Cheaper than a new wood cabinet and easy to DIY, plus adds come warmth and contrast.

A fun contrast-top file cabinet make-over (love the color).

How do you feel about modge podge? You could find a fabric to echo the sofa.

Of the office chairs I've seen so far, I like the one posted by Fun2BeHere or a non-office chair, like this one from daydreamhome.com:

Here is a link that might be useful: Insanely pricey but awesome hardware
mtnrdredux_gw
Original Author
11 years ago
Hi Jessica and Anne,

Funny, my DH wanted to clad it in wood, too. But I don't want to hide that it's a file cabinet, i want it to look like a nicer, maybe vintage file cabinet. That said, we do have some scraps left over from our wide plank floors, and I am thinking that it would be nice to use as a top for the cabinet, to bring a wood tone to that side of the room. Great minds think alike!

We bought paint to match the trim and bookcases, and plan to paint it. I really wanted to use skeleton keys with a backplate, but Anthropologie no longer sells them! (see below). I used them on some of kitchen cabs and I think theyd have looked great here, but c'est la vie.

{{!gwi}}

I like the ones you linked too, but the opening is 5 1/2". so I can't use those.
I ordered the ones linked below, hopefully they will work! I got them in a dark bronze finish, to echo the anthropologie hardware on the bookcases (http://www.anthropologie.com/anthro/product/shopsale-decorative/A22665178.jsp

Oooh, i love that chair. But mine is a leather high back swivel with goose neck arms ... not sure I can give up the comfort for that style... sigh

Thanks, SueB, Deedee, Pork and Kitchen!

Here is a link that might be useful: in bronze..
marcolo
11 years ago
Here's an interesting vintage filing cabinet--right there in CT. The drawers look narrow but they actually have some sort of nifty "patented" pop-up system.

Here is a link that might be useful: Vintage filing cabinet
mtnrdredux_gw
Original Author
11 years ago
Marcolo,

How kind of you to look on my behalf. The one you linked to was only 20" high if i read correctly, and sold! Too bad, it was indeeed very local, unlike much of the furniture ive fallen for on first dibs!

It did lead me to some lovely tiger oak antique file cabinets, but they are too big. They would feel like a wall between the two desks. Too bad, some are very lovely and my prints have tiger oak frames.

Home office - follow up on posts

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