A Writer Updates a Home Office to Energize Her Creative Life
With the kids out of the house, it’s a fitting time to shift from managing schedules to focusing on artistic work
When my family moved into our current home, I was in the thick of raising young kids (then ages 7 and 10), working full time as a freelance journalist and writing a novel in whatever minutes I could steal early in the morning or late at night. Now, more than a decade later, the young kids are young adults, three of my novels are out in the world, and I’ve added teaching to my freelance journalism gig. I’ve also started to paint, returning to a love of making art that I nurtured in high school and had ignored ever since.
So I wanted my home office to be a space where I could write and paint, a place to create this new phase of life after the years devoted to raising my kids. But when I really looked at the room, I realized it didn’t exactly feel like a space for nurturing creativity. It looked more like a college dorm room, or a space for dealing with all the flotsam and jetsam of family life, from managing soccer schedules to paying taxes. I had to change that.
So I wanted my home office to be a space where I could write and paint, a place to create this new phase of life after the years devoted to raising my kids. But when I really looked at the room, I realized it didn’t exactly feel like a space for nurturing creativity. It looked more like a college dorm room, or a space for dealing with all the flotsam and jetsam of family life, from managing soccer schedules to paying taxes. I had to change that.
After. I wanted a lighter, more polished look for my office, with space for an easel and art supplies. My favorite place to restore and inspire my creative side is the Adirondack Park in upstate New York, so I decided I’d try to include some Adirondack-style touches. I’m also a fan of Swedish artist Carl Larsson and wanted to give the room a tiny bit of the feel of his home in Sundborn, Sweden.
The Kilim rugs, rustic wood frames on the art to the left of the desk, vintage lamp and bold-colored arm chairs, to me, recall the Adirondacks. The pale, neutral color scheme and the gray, taupe desk color are very Scandinavian. The two framed landscapes on the wall behind the easel are both of Scandinavia — one of Sweden and one of Iceland. And I feel like the simple wood shades (instead of fussy curtains) also come off as Scandinavian.
Practically speaking, I painted the walls a soft cream color and the trim a pale gray, with a clean white ceiling. I ditched the large rug for two smaller rugs I had been using in other rooms. That way, I can easily roll up the rug under the easel when I want to paint (and put an old sheet over the hardwood floors).
I moved my desk to take advantage of the view out the window of the trees and bushes and grasses and ferns that fill my small backyard. I moved the bookcases to frame the window on the adjoining wall. I hung paintings I’d done on the walls to either side of the window above my desk.
Woven wood window shades: Next Day Blinds; wall paint: Ballet White, Benjamin Moore; trim paint: Gray Owl, Benjamin Moore; ceiling and door frame paint: Simply White, Benjamin Moore
The Kilim rugs, rustic wood frames on the art to the left of the desk, vintage lamp and bold-colored arm chairs, to me, recall the Adirondacks. The pale, neutral color scheme and the gray, taupe desk color are very Scandinavian. The two framed landscapes on the wall behind the easel are both of Scandinavia — one of Sweden and one of Iceland. And I feel like the simple wood shades (instead of fussy curtains) also come off as Scandinavian.
Practically speaking, I painted the walls a soft cream color and the trim a pale gray, with a clean white ceiling. I ditched the large rug for two smaller rugs I had been using in other rooms. That way, I can easily roll up the rug under the easel when I want to paint (and put an old sheet over the hardwood floors).
I moved my desk to take advantage of the view out the window of the trees and bushes and grasses and ferns that fill my small backyard. I moved the bookcases to frame the window on the adjoining wall. I hung paintings I’d done on the walls to either side of the window above my desk.
Woven wood window shades: Next Day Blinds; wall paint: Ballet White, Benjamin Moore; trim paint: Gray Owl, Benjamin Moore; ceiling and door frame paint: Simply White, Benjamin Moore
Before. The room gets eastern and southern exposure, so it’s bright almost all day long. But I never saw the sun because I was staring at either my computer screen or the wall. Posters and a map tacked to the wall with sticky tape and a messy bulletin board gave the room a college dorm feel that didn’t make me feel well-organized or like I knew what I was doing, personally or professionally.
After. I brought down two swivel chairs I had had in my attic since my mother cleared out her house and moved five years ago (the chairs used to be in my parents’ den). Now I have a spot to sit and read, or to watch movies on my desktop computer. I left the wall above the chair blank on purpose, as motivation to create and frame more art.
Desk. The original dark, heavy desk and file cabinet didn’t suit the kind of look I wanted. So I moved the file cabinet to the basement and painted the desk. I used Annie Sloane Chalk Paint, which requires no stripping or sanding. I just wiped the desk down with a damp rag and painted it. It took two full coats. Then I “distressed” the edges and parts of the surface with fine sandpaper so the dark wood shows through and applied a coat of clear wax. I love it.
Desk paint: French Linen, Annie Sloane; browse desks
Desk paint: French Linen, Annie Sloane; browse desks
Storage. A leather file box with a corduroy-covered lid holds the files I use most often. I use the file cabinet in the basement to store files I don’t need every day. A favorite pen-and-ink drawing hides the cable outlet on the wall.
Photo inspiration. I love having a room that is my private space so I can fill it with large pictures of my kids or my own art or whatever brings me joy. I re-hung my favorite portraits of my children as babies and toddlers. Shown here are photos of my two girls, taken three years apart.
Accessories. Other than paint, I spent money on only a few small items, like this woven wood wastebasket from Berea Crafts.
The desk holds this lamp that belonged to my mother, a small wood sculpture my grandmother brought back from Africa (which keeps my headphones from getting tangled), a photo of my daughter leaping into the air in New Zealand, a photo of my kids and, on the wall, a painting I did of Iceland. I found that curating the many items and books and papers I had in my office helped me focus. I don’t feel distracted by stuff and I know where everything is (mostly).
I painted the back walls of the bookcases a rich, warm orange.
I started taking pastel painting lessons when my youngest left for college two years ago. I paint once a week or so, depending on how much free time I have. I’ve been surprised by how much I enjoy it.
I still pay bills and plan family vacations and prepare income taxes in my office, along with writing articles and books. But something’s changed since I redecorated. I’ve turned it into a room where I also do things for me. I paint there. I stare out the window at the garden and the bird feeder. I sometimes take breaks in the middle of my workday and watch an episode of Call the Midwife or sit down to read a novel.
For a long time I feared my “empty nest” would feel truly empty, the days long and not busy enough. And yes, I still juggle family needs, from caring for my elderly mother to helping my kids with the crisis of the week or remembering to make the car payment on time. But I also spend hours immersed in making art and writing — and the hours fly by. My life feels very full. And my little office is my favorite room in the house.
More
Create a Home Office That Works for You
Key Measurements to Help You Design the Perfect Home Office
7-Day Plan: Get a Spotless, Beautifully Organized Home Office
Other Resources on Houzz
Find a designer or decorator
Browse home office furniture and accessories
I still pay bills and plan family vacations and prepare income taxes in my office, along with writing articles and books. But something’s changed since I redecorated. I’ve turned it into a room where I also do things for me. I paint there. I stare out the window at the garden and the bird feeder. I sometimes take breaks in the middle of my workday and watch an episode of Call the Midwife or sit down to read a novel.
For a long time I feared my “empty nest” would feel truly empty, the days long and not busy enough. And yes, I still juggle family needs, from caring for my elderly mother to helping my kids with the crisis of the week or remembering to make the car payment on time. But I also spend hours immersed in making art and writing — and the hours fly by. My life feels very full. And my little office is my favorite room in the house.
More
Create a Home Office That Works for You
Key Measurements to Help You Design the Perfect Home Office
7-Day Plan: Get a Spotless, Beautifully Organized Home Office
Other Resources on Houzz
Find a designer or decorator
Browse home office furniture and accessories
The slapdash style was born of necessity. I painted the room a gentle lavender after we first moved into the house, then added the bookcases that had been in my bedroom as a girl and a chair and ottoman from Target. Roman shades that had once graced my parents’ windows worked as makeshift window coverings. I bought a Tibetan rug for half-price through a closeout sale online and an Arts and Crafts-style desk and file cabinet from Crate & Barrel.