Help with office/library/music room
I’m considering drywalling this opening near my front door. This room is going to be the music room/library/office. The long wall is 12 feet and I’m going to have built-in cabinets and shelves all the way to the ceiling. The piano will be centered on the short wall (just under 10 ft). The window will have plantation shutters. My desk will be against the new wall.
I’m considering keeping the wall the current color and having the built-ins a light blue that matches decor in the living room, but I don’t know if that’s going to actually look good. Maybe I should have the built-ins the same color as the wall or white?
This room gets very little natural light, so I need to change out the ceiling light, but also add in additional lighting. I was thinking sconces on the desk wall, on the built-ins, and two small lamps on the piano (or sconces on that wall too).
Is the entryway going to look odd having a wall there? What do I do with that wall on the entryway side?
Comments (14)
ShadyWillowFarm
last year
acm
last yearRelated Discussions
Your Ideal home office/library
Comments (16)All those suggestions sound yummy! roselvr- how is the signal strength in your house after putting your modem and router in the basement? Did the range decrease? We will have 2 computers, all-in one printer/fax, modem and a flat screen tv w/cablebox and possibly a stereo receiver for music. graywings- unfortunately no room for a closet. But we have a lot of closet space in our house and hopefully the built-ins will have enough deep drawer space for storage of office supplies. Vivian- I would love to go girly, but unfortunately, my DH spends more time in there, so I think we are going to have to go a bit more traditional/masculine. igloochick- I do envision some big comfy club chairs with ottomans, but probably more masculine(for DH). I think I can sneak a little femininity in with silk drapes and chandeliers. We added on a "Conservatory" during the building of our house a few years ago with the intent of it becoming a traditional paneled library / office with built-ins. The room is very large ~ 27x14 and the ceilings are high(~13 ft). Unfortunately, DH wanted a tray ceiling(the angled type) to increase the height, but he wasn't thinking about how paneling would fit with that type of ceiling. We are in the very early planning stages. We have large windows on 3 of the 4 walls(so luckily not much to panel).The last wall will be for built-in bookcases and a desk for me(DH's desk will be free standing). Unfortunately, we didn't think of putting a fireplace in the room when we built(it wouldn't have cost any different than the large arched windows on our back wall) In the built-in will be mainly file cabinets on the bottoms, bookcases with arched glass doors on the top. My computer desk with be there and above it will be a cabinet for a TV, cable box and maybe a stereo receiver for speakers for music). I hate wires so we will definitely have to figure out how to do that and hide the wires. Our biggest(and most costly) issue is how to panel the ceiling with the tray there. Our other options may be to add a few wood beams and do a warm faux paint finish or the least costly would be just to paint the ceiling. My camera battery is dead, so I'll post pics once i recharge it....See MoreGarrell Home - Nantahala & office OR music room
Comments (63)Depending on the cost we are planning to build the Tranquility plan in central Texas, but we can't build a basement to raise the height of the home due to hard soil. Has anyone added a second floor covered patio to the second story of the Tranquilty floor plan or one of the other versions that is similar to it that Garrell offers? Our lot we plan to purchase has a panoramic lake view, but we need to be up higher to see it. We are not planning to build any of rooms on the second floor, but we would like to have an interior staircase leads up through the unfinished second story that gives us access to door that opens onto a 2 story covered deck. If that isn't possible then we would need an exterior staircase with an easy walk up on the exterior side wall of the master/master bath. Our ideal location for our covered deck would be over the Master and Master bath, and we are hoping the roof line can be altered to allow a gable over the covered patio. Any thoughts or suggestions would be much appreciated, as I email Garrell 2 days ago, but I've heard back from them....See MoreHelp with ceiling paint color for cinnamon-colored library/office
Comments (23)OK, it took me a while to get up the nerve to try color on the ceiling then to test samples. Hubbard Squash was too peachy. I didn't try turquoises/teals because those don't fit with the rest of my house or the rug that will go in the office (cream, rust, navy, and olive). That left sky blues. After several samples and time spent lying on the floor looking at sample boards propped on top of the bookcase, I ended up using SW Open Air. Here's a photo of the work in progress. The blue looks a little more violet in the photo than in person. I'll post another photo after the room is all together but I like the blue ceiling better than the off white. Thanks!...See MoreHome office/music room floor plan
Comments (81)Hi lascatx! The piano does not fit between the windows or on the opposite wall unless I angle it in the corner which someone mentioned was a no-no for upright pianos. I'm wondering if art and lamp above/on the piano could help with the "all one height along the wall" problem. And then I could move the existing art to the back wall where the mirror is in these pics. The bookcase has been in our foyer right outside this door to this room. I kind of miss it there, so I may move it back. It's not really any farther away if I use it for storage for office items - I haven't been sold on it between the windows and that would be one less piece of brown furniture in here. I definitely gravitate towards blues, so I'd definitely be open to that on the walls...finding the right color is the hard part. The current color is Benjamin Moore November Rain and it isn't terrible in person, but I figured I should explore other options since it needs a fresh coat....See MoreJay W
last yearI will be working in there full time. My current desk is 40 inches wide and 20 inches depth, but I do plan on getting something a little longer (I can go deeper, but I don't need the deeper space). The piano is about 55 inches long. The built-ins will be around 15 inches in depth. I'm awful at drawing and scaling, but this is the general gist.
L.D. Johnson
last yearJay W
last year
okibujp
last yearI think if you enclose that room from the entry way, it will turn it into a dark hall going into your family room. Adding french doors with glass will keep it open and let the light in. The built-in wall can be combined with your desk and placing the piano on the angled wall would allow you to add a chair and lamp in front of the window for a cozy reading space.
tracefloyd
last yearlast modified: last year@okibujp Nailed it! The only thing I could suggest now are draw drapes in the room - to the floor at the window and French doors - for privacy and sound control. Make sure the rod is a foot wider than the frame on each side so they can open out of the way, and at the same height.
Here are some doors at an entry similar to the concept by okibujp
Glass doors allow visibility into the office for family and friends · More InfoJay W
last yeartracefloyd
last yearlast modified: last yearTry this. Install two sets of double french doors and no wall. Leave the furniture bookcase with the clock on top where it is. It looks good there and you will need it in this scenario. Your desk chair will have it's back to the bookcase and with the desk in front of it, perpendicular to and in line with the arched window.
Center the piano on the built-in wall and build around it. In this proposal, you might save costs and add another bookcase on each side of the piano instead of built-ins. Wouldn't they serve the same purpose? Some have doors.
You will have a command position at your desk looking out the french doors and window. The room will be a true music conservatory and study.
Some inspo photos incorporating these concepts.
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Golden Avenue Addition · More InfoJay W
last yeartracefloyd, I had considered something similar, but dismissed it because I didn’t think there was room for it. I measured it out though, and if I keep my desk under 60 inches, there is plenty of room to walk around the desk. Keeping a 57” x 26.5” desk aligned with the window will only give me 32 inches between the desk and current book shelf. A few inches less with built-ins. If I move that desk forward, I can get the clearance I need behind the desk.
If I did this, I would skip adding doors. I don’t need privacy in this room during working hours as everyone else is at school or working outside the house. Not building the wall saves me a couple of thousand dollars, and I would probably swing for the built-ins on both walls.
I have dual monitors which isn’t the most attractive look for a desk that’s not against a wall. They are on a single stand, and a desk with some cord management options can help keep that looking tidy. I have a docking station that would be viewable, but maybe I can switch to one that can be mounted under the desk. My two small speakers aren’t an issue, but my subwoofer is going to be very noticeable. I love the look of desks that face out in a room, but when they are clutter free with just a laptop.
Below you can see the potential layout of a desk aligned to the window and one where it is moved forward. A plant could help hide the electrical socket and the primary cord.
L.D. Johnson
last yearJay W
last yearI've got some good ideas for layout, thank you! What about color for the built-ins? My walls are SW Nomadic Desert. Whether the built-ins are on one wall or two, should I go with a traditional white that matches the trim inside the house or could I get away with a muted aqua blue color like SW Sleepy Blue, Languid, or Meditative? This is a color that shows up in the decor in the living room.
I love all the blue built-ins I see, but I worry that it might be overwhelming and dingy looking in my dark office.
tracefloyd