Hi all! Our house is new, we custom built it, but as is the case sometimes...had to make a few sacrifices due to budget (d@mn budgets....wouldn't life be more fun without them!) :) This little study is one such sacrifice. Architect had specified built in bookcases on the right wall, which would have helped balance out the asymmetrical windows (those are that way in this room due to staircase placement and to keep facade symmetrical.) Well, I went nuts with trim and built-ins in the rest of the house, and didn't hesitate to sacrifice this little used room, which is tucked away from the main part of the house. But, it has bugged me, and I have postponed WTs, new rug...and anything else because I just felt like it would not really address the awkwardness of the room. Plus, it is small (12x13) and the bookcases really would have cut into furniture placement.

Lo and behold...opened my Aug Southern Living (which is great this month) and my favorite designer, Phoebe Howard, did the entire SL show house! It is so fresh and pretty (check out the green kitchen!) and she did a little study with built-in bookcases that included a little niche where a loveseat fit! Oh, it is so cute, and I think just a perfect solution for me, too. She did the whole room in green, though, which is a bit dark for me. I was thinking I would like to do the built-ins in limed oak, which is so pretty to me, and I haven't seen a ton of it here in NC yet. What do y'all think? I would get a new rug, probably a wool sisal with a herringbone pattern, and drapes, plus of course, a love seat in place of the sofa and probably remove the wing chair, getting 2 club chairs instead. I am very excited, but dh brought up a question I didn't consider....would the limed oak look funny against our dark brown oak floors? Hmmm....I hadn't thought of that, what is the GW opinion?

Sorry such a long post....here is awkward room currently. I wish I had a link for the SL Idea House.