My office was the first project we took on when we moved in 4 years ago, but the more we live here and the my job evolves, I'm noticing a big need for some changes. But before we get into that, let's go way back and look at the very beginning...
This was when I put the stuff I had leftover in here to let is start taking shape. Clearly the pink was never going to work for me so I went the other direction and never looked back...
It’s where my love for “Iron Ore” first started with that accent wall. We added some really strong shelves and a dramatic light fixture. But nothing here ever stays the same for very long and I changed the desk and art and so many things out over time but it really needed more of a change.
I even started with a secretary in here too. While this wall looked pretty it was just a bit too much for the space.
So I moved it out and started painting everything Iron Ore. All the walls, the ceiling... EVERYTHING and that changed the mood of the whole space, but more importantly the function needed an upgrade.
Here are my problems:
- It’s always a mess. I have a lot of stuff coming in and going out (inventory, orders, pretty things for client spaces, etc.) The good news is, it’s easy to clean up but it seems to be the collecting ground for all the things and that just doesn’t work.
- The closet: It’s a great space but one wire shelf and a few random shelves stuck in there are not the picture of efficiently and organization. I have a tendency to just throw all the things in there and close the door so it just didn’t work. Not to mention it goes up really tall so it’s totally wasted space!
- Function: This one room wears a lot of hats and without dedicated spaces for all those things, nothing gets done efficiently. I would find myself talking all my orders and supplies to the dining room table to ship them and that’s really such a waste when I have a great space to do all of that.
- Shifting Style: painting the walls and ceiling changed everything style wise. I immediately started dreaming of moody sitting room (I got a little of that out on this project but it really made me crave it all the more.) but I still need an office space and tons of storage so that’s not really the best use of space (yet. I’m holding out hope for something amazing one day)
The plan…
I did some brainstorming with my client (oh wait, that’s me. 😂) and thought through of all these problem areas. Function and storage are clearly the biggest ones because when we get those right, the rest should fall into place more easily. Here’s how this is going to go….
- The closet: I took some measurements and sat down and drew it all out. While I would like there to be ample storage, this is also a great place for shipping and wrapping supplies so they’re within reach but can be shut away when not needed. It would include a “standing desk” height area to get that kind of stuff done and as much storage as I possibly could squeeze in here. I’ll detail this one later
- Simple Upgrades: With the closet functioning, I’ll then turn my attention to some simple style upgrades that will hopefully solve my need for a moody sitting room.
- Maintenance: it’s really important to check in and make sure a space is still working for you. Tweaks are easy the earlier you can make them.
You may already know that I’m well underway in one of my big items so far and I can’t wait to show you the progress there… next week. But this shows how very important the planning process is. Not only to think about the pretty ideas but what is working and what does not work. There is always room for improvement, but you have to start in the right place.