The key to truly loving your home is not in the right color, furniture, square footage or anything like that. Those things matter. Just like “design rules” are rules for a reason. They all absolutely contribute to how our homes look, feel and function. BUT if you want to truly love your home, the key every time is making sure it is meeting your needs. That will look different for each and every one of us. It might look different in our own homes in different seasons. The bottom line is our homes should evolve with us and for us.
And this is exactly how my most favorite client space ever came to be.
We started over a year ago and my sweet friend had really just had enough. This room had served many purposes for their family. Her home is gorgeous (remember this space?) and her family is even more beautiful. She works hard. She moms hard. She is just the best and this room was not doing anything for her right now and he spends hours each and every day here. The space around us genuinely effects how we feel. It’s science. It’s psychology. It’s common sense. She deserved a space that makes her feel calm. A space that she enjoys being in. It was time to make this spot work for her and with her, not against her.
Let's take a quick look at the before and afters, then we'll dig into what we did and how it could work for your home too.
So here’s how we did it. One might even be a little surprising and if you read this and think “that would never work in my house!” I urge you to keep reading because I think it can but first, here’s how we made it work here….
1. Color Science: First of all, this specific color is magic. It’s hard to capture it in pictures but it’s a perfect green that has just enough warmth to it, it’s rich yet muted at the same time and I could color drench my life with it. We knew from the start that green was the right answer. Green is a color that is naturally calming and balancing. Going for a deeper hue takes that even further on that relaxation level. This room once was anxiety inducing and it now feels like a warm hug and a deep exhale when you walk in. The color matters. 
2. Color Drenching: Color drenching is not a new “trend” and it’s not for every space. It wasn’t even our original plan for this one but it’s 1000% the right decision. I would say every space is different in how it’s drenched but the key to this one was to vary the sheen: walls are eggshell and trim + built-ins are semi-gloss to make them pop just a bit more. Taking the same color everywhere can actually make a bold color a little less overwhelming. When done right, color drenching can take a space to a whole new level.
3. The 11th hour shift (aka hiding the office): This is the secret the room holds. Just before paint went on the walls we stood in the space going over some final details and you could just feel that it was about to be the most beautiful, peaceful space. We both felt a little dread about all the computer equipment coming back in. We were going to hide the cords and make it as magical as could be but the real issue was that she wanted this to be a calm, relaxing retreat… and she deserves that! So we did some measuring and a little rearranging and created a “cloffice” just for the work stuff. While a lot of good work happens in there, it’s an amazing feeling to shut the door and “clock out” and enjoy what is now her favorite room in the whole house. (Let the record reflect that this was her brilliant husband’s idea a long time ago, but it just took everyone else a a bit longer to get there. Thank you, Alex!) 
(Also you CAN have a gorgeous office space with computers like this one and this one and even a little nook carved out like this one … it’s just about your needs for the space)
4. Mixed metals: The light was one of her first selections. She’s the most efficient decision maker of all my clients but the light was even extra easy for her. Where we had to more carefully plan were the other finishes. I think in any space, mixing metals is key, so the balance is very important. We wanted the gold on the light to shine so we went with black for the hardware (curtain and cabinet) and them mixed in a bit more gold with accent lighting, mirror and art. Warm wood and a pop of leather balances it out perfectly. Just like varying the sheens of paint, this is a an easy, understated way to add interest.
5. Connect the spaces: We previously did their sitting room and it’s still a favorite in the house she has always loved this space so I carried a few elements for there into here. The deeper color where the rest of the house is more airy (for now) The leather poofs under the desk, tie in the leather of the chair and add that masculine touch every space needs, peppering of gold elements… these spaces are very different but these elements keep them cohesive and it just feels right to walk from one to the other.
So let’s turn from this space, to how it can work for any home, budget or timeline. Can every mom carve out a room just for herself? Can every work from home employee stick their stuff in a roomy closet and close the door when off the clock? I highly doubt it. This is a wonderful home that affords those extra functions but I am completely confident we can all achieve the same goal, it might just look a little different….
- Maybe instead of a whole room you designate a specific spot for your “me time.” It might be a chair, a quadrant of the couch, a sunny porch spot or even just a certain pillow on the bed. Light a candle that is just for you, grab a throw that feels just right and make that your spot. Keep your book right there and know that’s your spot. Use a certain mug for your favorite drink. Even if you can only sit for one chapter, take the extra steps to make it a ritual. You can share all day long, but when you’re having that “moment of me time” that is your spot.
- Clock out however you can. If you work from home but can’t “close the door,” to your job during off hours, at least close the laptop, power off the monitors, keep a light on your desk that is only on during work hours and turn it off to symbolically “clock out.” Keep your work things out of the calmer parts of your home on whatever level you can. It may be moving your bag or turning off notifications but whatever level of separation you can have to “clock out” will be worth it!
- Even if you have kids, it’s ok to have some “no kids” or “no toys” areas in your home. If that helps keep a peaceful home, limit where the toys go. We did this unintentionally when we moved to this house. Tripp was four so he still have quite a bit of toys everywhere but we gave them space in the bonus room and while he could bring them anywhere and play anywhere he wanted, they didn’t live in the main downstairs area anymore. You don’t have to store all the toys and such in all the places. It’s just about finding balance in what works for you (did you read the whole thing, that’s the key. Remember?)
- Try color drenching on a small scale. I could probably list one hundred reasons color drenching is a good idea and a hundred more for why it’s not. It all depends on the space, but I am a big fan of it in smaller spaces like bathrooms and such (this one and also my library) or maybe even a closet turned cloffice. Small scale color drenching is a great way to add impact and test a bolder color you might not use in a larger area.
To say that I love this space is an understatement. It’s a whole feeling when you’re in it and that was really the most important thing from the beginning. When a space doesn’t work as is, you feel it deeply and not in a good way. I’m so proud of the work we did here and can’t wait to see how the space serves the people who live there (and also since she’s my friend and lives right down the street I think I’m going to rent it as my office when they’re out of town. We all win)