Writer's home office - help making it feel more spacious? (RUGS/WALL)
Hi! I've got a small home office which I use to write. It will always be rather messy by the nature of my work (yes, the crap on the floor is on purpose; the evil pea green walls are not), but it feels both claustrophobic/chaotic and austere. I want to make it feel both more spacious and cozy & inviting.
What wall color or treatment do you recommend? Would removing the picture rail and painting one tone to the ceiling make it feel more spacious? And what about the floor?
The limitations are that I often use the floor to organize material -- I LOVE beni ourains and shag rugs and wish I could have one in the room, but I need a flat-weave rug.
I love Navajo rugs. But I can only afford one MAX 3'x5', while 6'9 is the proper rug size for the room. Could I layer a smaller Navajo on a monochrome rug? Or would that make the room feel more chaotic?
Some images of rugs I liked below the pics of the office. The first six are room size. The rest would have to be layered, though I have no idea how to do that well. I would love your input!
Comments (8)
decoenthusiaste
6 years agoYou're right to consider removing the picture rail. It gives the feeling that the ceiling is at that height when you have that pretty ceiling up above. Pick a rug that calms you and the space. A color you love from it will become the wall color. Rustoleum is one company that makes a primer that magnetizes your paint so one convenient wall can serve as your organizing space. Working on the floor will become a chore eventually, and magnets will allow you to move the pieces of info around at will.
Take the wall color on up to the trim boards around the ceiling detail. Don't know if those metal tiles are original, but if so, you might want to investigate returning them to their original glory (if you have the budget or can save up.) You need a new light too; something more in keeping with the era of the tiles would be better. We only see two walls of your space, but I'm thinking one or two tall bookcases would allow you to eliminate the rickety looking shelf system you're using. It adds to the chaotic feeling you mentioned.
Do you write at a computer? Some people prefer to have the window behind them to illuminate their desk. If glare on a screen is a problem you might prefer facing the window, or staying where you are now. To cozy up and soften the feeling, flank the window with stationary or draw drapes (your choice.) To enlarge the space visually, match drapes to the new wall color.
I'm a writer too (currently have a book at the editor) so I get that a space must enhance the writing experience. Best wishes.
Eve
6 years agoThank you so much -- this is so helpful! Just two questions:
1) I love the Rust-oleum idea, but does the primer magnetize the wall enough to hold, say, a heavy piece of paper with a magnet?
2) Regarding a light, do you think a flush light would work? If not, what kind of pendant would you recommend? I love ones with a strong feeling of nature to them (see below), but I don't know if this would be over the top.
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Comments (31)Hi Eve. The neighbour's palisades are not a common view on this forum... You're clearly from SA! (I am too) I would keep the current desk. I much prefer working at a large desk, regardless of the clutter or lack thereof. And you have the space for it. And it's wood (don't really want to switch that for the modern flimsy stuff do you!) Consider a smaller secondary desk, a sorta work-in-sight desk, for what you're not currently working on, or the printer, spare stationery, etc. You could put that beneath the window, with bookshelves to each side, and the main large desk near the west wall, facing east. Alternatively, the main desk against the south wall. (shown in the pics below) You should have space for a second chair, relaxing type, away from the desk. Keep a rug, whether this one or another. It makes a place cosy like nothing else. Lose the mirror - they should be functional or reflect something of interest. Replace it with art, something that gives you the calm feeling you're looking for. Look into wall lighting, for ambient cosy light. Were I you, I'd focus on getting the shelves first. You could have someone build them to fit the space perfectly, though free-standing. This will get you started on organising the space, which will work wonders. And the other additions can come as ideas, time, and budget allow. Suggestion - at the time of day you typically work, clear everything out of the space, aside from the desk and chair. (That means everything on the desk too). Move the desk and chair around to various positions, and sit for a bit in each. You'll find yourself visualising the rest of the space when you do. Find what suits you. Sometimes facing into/out of a room, lighting, random unexplainable preferrence, perception of space, etc, all makes a difference and you'll notice it best in reality. The pics are more or less accurate in dimensions. You can replace the pinboard and art with bookshelves along the north wall, can't have too many....See Morehelp with making my MCM home more cozy
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Comments (31)Lucas, you have some decent furniture to work with. I think you need some fine tweaking, color and some art work for the walls. Or some wood shelves and a bit of life via plants. (that half dead corn plant doesn't count! lol) here's an arrangement w/your desk under the window. your walls need some extra help. for example, look at this soft sage/gray wall color. would look nice w/your wood furniture, chair and your rug. Here's how to position the desk under the window. I like this w/floating wood shelves over the desk. if you move the desk back to the other wall, try a new wall color maybe an accent wall, Or something a bit more masculine, try BM Kendall Charcoal. bring in some other wood shelves (can you DIY? go to the lumbyard and get some walnut boards. cut to size. float them w/lag bolts or grab some brackets of some sort) I like the dark wall color w/a soft white for the other walls. have you seen the DIY wood shelves w/the iron pipe fittings? you could easily make up something like that for the walls. another layout floating the desk in the center. chair in the corner, bookcase on the one wall. can you install a semi flush mount light in the center? How about some artwork or photographs? your walls are very empty. you have anything w/a bit of color? I think if you did that one wall in a dark color like the green or this black, maybe hung some pendants like this, did a cabinet in one corner w/a nice plant on top, it would look nice. perhaps this type of set up. you can do some simple DIY bookcases. look at Ikea BillyBookcase hack. (see links below) you could easily copy these shelves. even on a smaller/thinner level, painted dark like this, would look perfect in your office. center light, rug, wall decor. maybe a glass door?? https://www.southernrevivals.com/office-makeover-reveal-ikea-hack-built-billy-bookcases/...See More
KD
6 years agoEve
6 years agoWow -- thank you; these are such fantastic and helpful thoughts! A couple follow-up questions if you're willing -- you have a great sense of space! I've posted pics of the four sides of the room so you can get a better sense. (The window faces due east.)
1) The room is 12.6x10.5 feet, and the chandelier diameter is 15 inches, so sounds like I do need a bigger one -- and perhaps some task lighting. I'd love to put a small pendant or something over the desk itself, but I don't want to put another hole into the great metal pressed ceiling. So maybe a nice arcing desk lamp?
2. Location of desk. I actually have a HUGE old bank desk (more than 6'x3') -- it feels too big, but it's a beloved possession of my partner's and we wouldn't have anywhere else to put it. I wish I could reach a pinboard or whiteboard right behind the desk, but at more than 3' in depth it's too big! Perhaps leather pads would divide the surface space? In terms of placement, I don't love facing the window, since the view is of my neighbor's crummy spiked wall. I actually like having the desk away from the wall and the window behind me -- but I worry that having the desk away from the wall will make the room feel smaller, and I heard that's bad "energy depleting" feng shui. Don't know how seriously to take that.
3. Shelving. I do need a way to keep lots of books in the office. As you can see, I bought some floating pine boxes a while ago and didn't know what to do with them, so I made an arrangement over the desk. As you suggest, it feels chaotic -- more peaceful would be to have a piece of art behind my writing space. Do you think I could just move this floating shelf arrangement to another wall, or would it always look ungrounded?
4. Organization -- I do need an organization system for files and receipts, and some large system to post and rearrange MANY (at times hundreds) of post-its and material, and a whiteboard. Do you think one whole wall or even the southeast corner (where the reading chair is) devoted to that would look bad? Again, I wish I could have the whiteboard and pinboard in a place I could reach it from the office chair, but I can't figure out how to configure the furniture.
5. I simply never use the reading chair, so I've been tempted to take it out. I'd like to have a reading space in here, but I'm not sure it's in the right place, and it feels as though I'd need a small table and a floor lamp.
6. Is an 8x10 rug the right size for this room?
7. Last question -- in theory I've always loved images I've seen on Pinterest etc. of trompe d'oeil-ish wallpaper murals that increase the felt size of the room. But I can never tell if that would look super hokey in person. Any thoughts?
Eve
6 years ago
loobab
6 years ago
loobab