you might find some ideas on Houzz for your home office, but i'm sure you will get lots of suggestions.
The floor is beautiful. It's so nice that light streams in and complements the room. I think black shelving would darken it too much. There are desks that can hide printers, and cords can be stored so no one trips on them, although I would suggest they should be easily accessible. If it were my room :) I would face the window. A table with a lamp and maybe reference books could go in the space between the shelves.

i would put a cabinet to hold files between them. it could be a little taller than the base cabinets in the builtins, for interest.
then either more shelves or art above.

the desk could then float about 3' from there, centered in the room.

the blank wall could hold a photo collage with diplomas and certification certificates included with nice photos of what he's worked on (if that applies to what he does. if not, just nice art).

and i like the light color of the builtins. they look lovely.

Thanks for the suggestions, so far. For me, the white is too feminine and/or cottage like. I'm thinking the darker color would make it feel more masculine. This is pretty much the ONLY space in the house that is solely for my hubby's use. I really want it to reflect him. I will definitely incorporate certificates/degrees etc. I'm not sure how much of that is at his work office, but I know we also have some photos from outings and things that would work. Oh, and I should add that the door to this room is paned glass, so you can see the space from the family room and kitchen.

I don't think black is needed here but you might paint the trim and cabinets to match. Might be the camera but they look to be two different shades of white/cream. You have an outlet in the recess so I'd put a filing credenza there for the printer and hang art above it. Then float your desk and chair out in front of it so your back is to the cabinets/recess. Get an area rug about 18" wider than the desk to put under it and to extend far enough into the room for a nice reading chair/guest chair to sit on it too. Here are three identical chairs in different fabrics that would work nicely.

I think painting the bookcases black would be too dark in there and would make the room feel heavy. Altho if it is for your hubby, I get that you want to make it feel more manly. Do you know what the wood is like underneath the paint? You could try sanding/stripping them and then staining the wood for a manly den?? It would be a lot of work but maybe worth it? I've also seen people wallpaper the back inside wall of bookcases and you could go with something masculine looking in a print there too.

you could paint the inside of the cabinets a charcoal grey, and the walls (if you dislike the color) in the same color, but only 50% or even 25% of the colorant.
white and shades of grey is a lovely, masculine, and elegant look.

plus it's a nice neutral backdrop for anything you or the haus-man would like to bring in.


edit; *haus-man is my silly way of saying husband.

Like the built ins! think I would leave the cabinets white. If you paint or wallpaper (a grasscloth or something with some texture) the wall behind the shelves it could give it a more masculine feel. I like the idea of putting some file storage in between the built ins and the desk floating in the middle of the room. A nice area rug underneath the desk also

I suggest a lighter color on the walls, like a pale gray. Paint your cabinets black and put a shelf in the recess atthe same height as the top of the base cabinets. Wireless printer is a must. Some nice artwork like nature photography in the niche and a big leather reading chair on the side, a jute rug, you are good to go!

Don't paint the bookcases, it will make the room dark. I would get a built in desk for between the cabinet and possibly shelving above the desk. You can get the desk built with a back panel, grommet hole in the countertop and see no wires.

I have a friend who painted he built-in corner hutch black-ish and left the trim white...it looks amazing! I say go for it.

Paint back wall of cabinets, possibly same color as walls or wallpaper the back. You could put thin table in blank space for printer. Do not put desk where his back would be to door, bad feng shui. As for art, you could put framed poster of his favorite sports team or of city where he grew up, something that is meaningful just to him. Don't forget the rug suggested by decoenthusiaste. Woven blinds for windows.

I did the wallpaper behind the shelves to darken the shelves worked well and less work than painting. Most offices never have enough storage so a complmentary cabinet in the middle of the shelves will be used. Place the desk so he faces the door with inviting client chairs Nice room

If you can't stand the white - try lighter gray walls and charcoal grey shelving. I do like the idea of just painting or papering the back of the shelves and adding a file or storage cabinet between. Top that off with a great piece of art or a tall sculpture. Your choice of accessories will be what makes the room masculine. You can get a wireless printer - it can sit on the desk or shelf without a bunch of wires.

I would paint the bookcases a lighter shade of the wall color - try it at 50% with 25% on the back walls. You do know how to get 50% - 25%, etc. - ask your paint store to use the quart measures in a gallon can of paint. 1 quart measure for 25% and 2 quart measures for 50%. You could also put grass cloth on the backs of the bookcases and the niche.

For the desk i suggest coming out from the niche between the bookcases. Can be paint grade lumber painted the same as the trim or stained wood, possibly even a black transparent stain if you want that touch of black in the room. Holes can be drilled at the wall end of the desk for cords as there is an outlet. Put the printer under the desk at the wall end on a low shelf. Some printers might even fit on the bottom shelf of the bookcase. Have file drawers at the room end of the desk. Top drawer opens toward the windows, bottom toward the opposite wall - or both to your preferred side. This gives you a nice wide desk which can be anywhere from 5 to 6 feet long. Open on both sides with office chair on one side and guest chair on other.

If you really want to save money, buy a flat interior door to use as the desk top and a metal file cabinet (maybe paint it red). Attach the door to a 2x4 nailed to the wall in the niche and resting on the file cabinet at the other end. Paint or stain the door or find a granite piece to fit the top. Or slate, etc.

PS. My husband has an HP Officejet Pro 8100 that takes up little space and is wireless.

I like the white bookcases. If you thought the space between them was too much, you could add some detail to the wall to bring it together. Board and batten, planks, etc. I would take it all the way to the ceiling or at least 2/3 of the way up. You could then add a mirror or piece of art there. Floating the desk in the middle, facing the door with a nice rug, a decrative chair and some lamps for extra lighting would finish this room off great. My husband would love this room! Good luck!

I'd put a shelf between the shelves making a built in desk, knee hole desk area...maybe go to a granite yard and look for a small piece that can be installed on top of this for a sturdy/masculine look. Love the idea of the shelves/ cabinets being black....if you have enough lighting in the room, the shelves will glow and look very upscale. You may be able to add lamp/sconces that hang on the outside of the book shelves and above the desk area, lighting up the desk ....very clubby and masculine, like the NYC library.....then I would look for a small dining table for his desk...yes, a leather chair...which will be difficult to find that has the clubby look, but worth a splurge, since he'll have forever. Adding a lamp on the desk...an oriental or contemporary rug (the opposite of your found table) for underneath the desk area, defining the area. I'd add drapery panels (you can make those-I did) to each side of the window...hanging them higher than the windows....making the window look larger and wider.....will really cozy up the room....then start developing a seating area across from the window....chairs do not have to match, it would be nice to have a nice leather something....and think about painting the entry door black as well....both back and front....if you have a closet add a filing cabinet with the printers etc. (wireless)...you're on the right track!

I think if you need a space for your printer you should build a lower cabinet between the bookshelves 2ft. deep and at about the same height as the the enclosed portion of the booshelves ,about 29" high .Then above that it can be a nice art wall or more shelving . Then place mini down lights over each bookshelf and one in the middle to wash the wall for a nice piece of art . The book shelves should be painted to compliment the wood door etc. The window sill looks to be low to the floor and judging from the room size you might be able to sneak a nice downsized wingback chair with a small table near it depending on the size of your desk . the left side blank wall presents a challenge . It can be a feature wall where niches are built into the wall to display art . Have some "out of the box "fun with this wall .Use different tones of color on the back walls of the niches to give interest . Maybe even place some pin lights in them to add drama . Hope this helps , Allan@sagewood

Those shelves appear shallow, which limits their use. Personally, I would remove them and start from scratch. Another idea is to attach a sturdy fold-out work table on the wall and add a chalk board or bulletin board on the wall above it.
White is in no way masculine, either. The floor is so beautiful that whatever else you add should compliment it.

I agree about leaving the built-ins white.

I think ,I will look nice to have the two bookshelves in black and have a colourful art work to fit the width of the wall in middle. The office chair sitting under the artwork with the desk in front of it . Having an armchair and side table on the wall opposite to the window.

Although I would leave the built-ins white(simply because I hate to dust and black shows dust), my first question would be what does your husband want the color to be. I have found that not all guys like dark heavy colors. Once the bookcases are filled in I doubt that anyone will really notice the color as long as it harmonizes with the rest of the room. Two options for the center space, either use it as your reading nook with a comfortable chair and ottoman or build in another deeper bookcase with filing drawers and tie everything together with crown molding.

From a psychological viewpoint the desk should face the center of the room. Given that one wall has large windows and the other has double doors I would prefer to work in a space where I have a clear view of my surrounding areas and no one can sneak up on me. Add some wood blinds to the windows and the paned doors for privacy when he needs it. An area rug if desired for sound dampening.

I would put a wireless printer, wireless router and any other computer components you use on a cabinet in the gap between the two sets of shelves. There is electricity there and it would solve your wire problem. That way he can use a laptop for a computer anywhere in the room. If he wants a desktop computer (or at least a monitor/keyboard) they could be hooked to a dock on the desk so he has the best of both worlds. Cables can be gathered together and contained in various cable housings that you can get at any office store. Or you can have an electrical jack put in the floor under the desk and have the desk wired for electricity so the components plug directly into the desk. Some desks are offered that way. Before you paint the shelves I would try putting in window treatments, loading the shelves with books/ etc. to see if you really need to darken them. If the shelves will be loaded not much will show and the white can be an accent color to lighten up the room. Good luck.

I would leave the shelves in white, or like someone suggested, have them 50% lighter than the wall color. The room seems dark already. I know that everyone has his/her preferences, but I think that it's better to have a brighter office. For the space in between shelves, you could have either a low cabinet or shelves that go only halfway up the wall (see photo 3). You can use that space for a printer. I assume you want the desk facing the door. That would be one option. Another one would be next to the window. It's nice to work with lots of natural light. Here are some ideas

love the idea of the grasscloth in the backs of the bookcases and building something in or using a small console in between the built-ins. I would also paint the ceiling to give the room more warmth.

Years ago a lot of DYI shows and magazines were touting adding fabric to walls by saturating it with starch and applying it like wallpaper. The fabric came off easily when it was time to redecorate and was simpler than wall paper. If the shelves on the upper cabinets are removable applying a masculine fabric to them would add interest and be an easy project. Choose something that coordinates with the reading chair you are adding and will work with the window treatment.. You might look for a pin stripe or herring bone weave or small plaid. Once you start adding books and accessories to the shelves the white will become the background not the focus of this wall.

It can be difficult to find furniture to fill in between built ins. You can buy a pair of corbels to mount in the space between the bookcases and top them with a surface that can hold the printer. A simple hole saw cut will allow the cord to drop down to the outlet. The cheapest alternative would be a painted wood shelf and brackets. You could also look at off cuts at a stone yard or go with a quartz fabrication. Mount the console so it is at the same height as the bottom bookcase shelf for a professional look. You can mount all of your husband's certificates and degrees in the space above the console.

You can also use the small accent table to make a masculine statement. A metal drum table would never be considered feminine, http://www.homedit.com/rain-drum-inspired-metal-drum-accent-table/ and would be a nice surprise for the space.

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Hi. I love the idea others have mentioned about gray. Use a charcoal for the cabinets, as I think black is too strong. Then, use a black desk in an L shape if he actually uses the office a lot, and a single desk like the 3rd photo if he does not. Make sure it's a high gloss to look polished if he's contemporary, and a masculine, rougher style if he's more rustic.

Then, find his favorite collection of things, like if he likes rustic things, make a collection of old cameras mounted on the side wall, or old head mounts of animals, or vintage photos of far away places in blacks/whites/grays, western hats, rustic signs, etc. This type of thing would be smashing and quite masculine.

or if he's more contemporary, you could use a collection of photos of hard, angular buildings, guitars, or a huge metal art sculpture on that side wall.

You could put a piece of furniture between the 2 shelves, with a lamp and a framed piece of art behind the desk centered in the room, or you could place the desk sideways, with it wedged between the 2 bookcases, as in the last picture. It allows work surface for 2.

For an unusual pop, I'd tile the back wall between the 2 bookcases. Use metal tile mosaics for an urban, contemporary feel, or maybe slate, tile or wood mosaics for an earthy natural feel. it will look AWESOME on the back wall when you enter! Also, using browns and grays will help whole room feel masculine and rich!

Finally, use a huge rug at an angle: a huge skin if he's rustic and a clean lined mix of grays if he's contemporary!
Good luck!

Here are a few more tile choices. I hope this helps your creative juices! I forgot to mention wall treatments. Use wide wood blinds for rustic, (usablinds.com) or canvas type panels on rustic grommets for a contemporary look. (Bed Bath and Beyond has lots!)

Love westtx 26 South Parkgate decor picture. The white shelves does not necessary reflect femininity. The room looks beautiful as is. To make it more masculine, darken some of the accents; paint, dark wood desk, textured wall tiles, drapes, leather desk chair, chair, masculine bookcase decor, antique area rug, oil painting etc... This will redefine a mans area for sure without redoing the beautiful existing cabinets.

In my opinion, I believe you have the wrong shade of wall color. All I see (on my computer monitor) is a heavy dated-looking green -- no pretty gray at all. The current color scheme works (greenish walls, ivory bookcases), but it has a country flair and is not what you're going for.

I would change the wall paint to a light gray, then go gloss black on the bookcases. I'd leave the baseboard and window casing white. The printer should be able to fit on the bottom shelf of the bookcase.

I would hang framed art (all black frames with a white mat) on that wall between the bookcases with a wall-mounted spot light at the top shining down on them. Maybe install a built-in bench between the bookcases with storage under the seat. A turquoise seat cushion and pillow would be pretty with the gray, black, and white.

I'd position the desk in the center of the room with the desk chair facing the door.

blq

I would leave the shelving color as is and paint the walls a dark forest green.

westtx where is the brown uneven tile from? I love it? Thanks.

It's beautiful, huh? It's called Arvex Mosaics. Here's the website...

http://www.tiletimeonline.com/home.php?cat=456

What look does your hubby want in his office space? Are you thinking of it between the bookcases, or elsewhere? Rustic, yet elegant is how this tile reads to me! :)

ugh. sorry kmkare and taramomx3... I didn't read the post carefully. I do love it, too. Very classy!

paintings

I've been thinking about this and I hope I express this so you understand :) but why does an office really need to be masculine or feminine? why can't it just be an office? I understand it should reflect the needs of the person who uses it and certainly that makes sense, but an office is a functional place. A person who knows who they are would not be concerned about the décor so much as the importance of the work they do.

How about a desktop that folds down from between the bookcases? You can put the pull out racks to hold hanging files in the bottom of one of the bookcases and a task board, progress charts, or anything else on the wall between the bookcases. It will be covered up when you fold the desk up. That way if you need to use the room for something else you can

You can run a simple inexpensive shelf between the bookcases. Above place a painting or a memo board covered in a fabric of your choice. If you place the desk facing the door,the bottom half can have decorative storage boxes. Lovely room. I like black for the bookcases. I see a jewel of a room in the making.

Thanks to everyone for your suggestions. As this is really the only space dedicated solely to my hubby, I wanted the space to reflect his interests/style, etc. as my office does for me, thus, the desire for a more masculine feel. After asking my hubby what he would like (finally, lol) we decided on the following:
The walls are remaining the original gray color, (it is textured and much prettier than it appears in the photo).
The shelves will be repainted white to match the existing woodwork.
We are ordering a black wooden 2 pedestal desk along with a matching lateral file cabinet. The desk will float on the room and the lateral cabinet will nestle between the book shelves.
We are placing his favorite recliner in one corner opposite his desk.
I'm going to purchase a drink/ bar cart to place next to this.
We'll use all his personal degrees, awards, etc for the accessories.
These options keep us under our budget, while gaining a nice strong desk for him.
Thanks again for all your suggestions!

That sounds great. Pieces of his memorabilia in his space will make him (and you) happy! You are always free to add things as holidays/gifts/budget allow. Having the funds to make a room "perfect" in a few days always seems a bit cold to me. Letting it evolve will be so much more enjoyable to you both! Good luck.

Great choices Tara, I'm sure he will enjoy his "own space/office." Love the choice of desk and cabinet.

sounds good. will you have a visitor chair too? :)

I reupholstered an old chair in fabric my hubby liked (took him with me to Hancock's) just so he would have a chair for the dog to lay on while he worked...kept the dog from bugging him :)

Your office layout is the exact same as mine. I'm getting ready to redo it. Can you post current pics of what you have done? I love the bookcases.

I never thought of white as feminine and black as masculine. The most feminine piece of women's clothing ( the LBD) is black.

I also agree with most that black would be too dark, I like the white, and would even go for a lighter gray on the walls.
I like the idea about a separate desk facing the door or the wondows.