Get to Work

Time to get to work!  I recently have been helping a friend redesign his office space, and in the process have discovered so many cool designs from catalog sources- at surprisingly affordable prices.  Want to be a working goddess, a la Audrey Hepburn in "Paris When it Sizzles"?  Whether it be for a home office or not, I've broken down my favorite office pieces in to easy steps below- and all pieces featured here are under $1,000.

STEP 1: FIND A CHIC DESK

Offices I Covet

Happy Monday! Did you enjoy your 4th of July weekend?!  I hope so.  I am sure today will be a harder Monday than normal to get through, so I thought I'd start the week with a little office eye candy.  I am in the initial planning stages of helping a friend redecorate her home office, so I've been researching ideas and pulling images I find particularly inspiring.  To me, a home office is a great space to show a little more of your personality.  Whether you work from home or only use your office as a place to pay bills and check emails, creating a space that reflects your style will make the room more comfortable and enjoyable to be in! I have always LOVED the look of a wallpapered ceiling, and this home office is no exception:

{Kelly Deck Design}

I love the built-in cabinetry here, highlighted with the swing-arm sconces.  The sofa upholstered in Quadrille fabric and the grasscloth wallpaper add character and comfort:

{Diane Bergeron}

One of my design heroes, Meredith Heron, recently shared her design firm office on Style Me Pretty.  Every detail was incredibly chic:

{Meredith Heron}

{Meredith Heron}

I love this office nook for it's hardware.  From the gorgeous built-in panels that have been enhanced with leather inserts, to the geometric pulls, to the lucite and polished nickel drawer knobs- it's fab!

{Laura Tutun}

I swooned over the black paneled doors in this home office.  Talk about making a statement!

{House and Home}

I hope these gems took your mind temporarily off the fact that it is a Monday and we're all back at work.  ;)

Which office look is your favorite?  

Workspace Nooks

TGIF!  Any big weekend plans? I am excited to be heading up to Dallas to spend a girls' weekend with Lindsay.  We plan to catch up and do a little shopping, consume copious amounts of wine, relax, and meet Albertina (for the first time in person!)   Before signing off for the weekend, I had to share a few workspace nooks that have caught my eye lately.  While I've often talked about my love of home offices- a space to uniquely call your own- I also love the idea (and the practicality) of utilizing a niche or corner in your home as a chic workspace.  Whether it be for writing letters, typing emails on your laptop, or simply organizing your mail- small does not have to equal drab:

{Jennifer Boles via Marcus Design}

{Apartment Therapy}

{The Selby}

{Lonny}

{Lonny}

Now I have an itch to turn a corner of my bedroom in to a functioning desk space.  It'd be perfect for storing my laptop and a convenient place to blog from (rather than my bed)!

I hope you all have a great weekend- and don't forget to submit your entry in the Polyvore giveaway, for a chance to win $500 to Layla Grayce!

The One Room Challenge Reveal!

Happy Wednesday my dears!  Today is a very exciting day- the One Room Challenge reveal.

If you are new to the challenge, let me catch you up to speed.  Myself, along with 19 other bloggers, have spent the last 6 weeks creating or re-creating a room and sharing our progress along the way.   I talked for months about how wonderful it would be to have a home office to blog from and to do my design work.  Mostly I work from a coffee shop, my kitchen table or my sofa!  Not always conducive to productivity.  Despite me dreaming and scheming for months, my extra bedroom remained in a dire state- completely empty:

But this challenge gave me the opportunity to put together an inspiring space.  My typical aesthetic is rather traditional with French influence and a little pattern mixed in.  For the office, I decided to have fun and go with a broad color palette.  Here's the "after" shot:

The blank wall I shared in the first photo became the perfect spot for a fun seating arrangement (thank you to everyone who gave me their input on this purchase last week!).  The leather chairs were purchased from Z Gallerie, and the table lamp was a gift from Lulu & Georgia.  The occasional table was a High Fashion Home find.  

I am a big fan of details and had a fun time accessorizing my desk and console:

Can you tell I've looked at my Allegra Hicks book a few too many times??

This console is very functional and holds my printer/fax, paint samples, and all my fabric baskets. I worked with a friend of mine, Rob Regan, a fellow interior designer and interiors photographer, to shoot the office.  Don't let the clean look here fool you- since getting everything finished and having a chance to work from my new space, I've managed to make  it rather chaotic.  But that's the best way to get inspired, right?

I hope you like my space!  It was definitely a labor of love.  A big thank you to Linda of My Crafty Home Life for inviting me to participate and to Rob Regan for taking time out of his busy schedule to photograph the room.

Now let's go see the other participants' fabulous final reveals!  

Chattafabulous 

Chinoiserie Chic 

Classic Casual Home 

the Cottage Mix 

Cottage & Vine 

Design Indulgence 

Design Manifest 

Everything LEB 

Hodge Podge 

Kim Macumber Interiors 

Little Black Door

Matters of Style 

Calling it Home

Nicole Scott Designs 

Pacific Family Homes 

Pawleys Island Posh 

the Peak of Tres Chic 

the Pink Pagoda 

Powell Brower Home 

Simple Details 

The One Room Challenge: Week 5

Happy Wednesday!  This week is week 5 of The One Room Challenge and we have some big gaps to fill in in the meantime!

I have gotten the big pieces in, added the Robert Abbey gourd lamps, added my file box and a few coffee table books to the desk area.  But right now it's still looking bare:

The corners are needing a little something, the painting still needs to be hung, and I'd like to add a few chairs for guests/clients to sit in. The other 2 main tasks needing to get done are...

The bar area was quickly decorated without much thought right when I first moved in.  I'd like to spruce it up a bit and give it a little personality.

See how my friends are doing in the challenge:

Chattafabulous

Chinoiserie Chic

Classic Casual Home

the Cottage Mix

Cottage & Vine

Design Indulgence

Design Manifest

Everything LEB

Hodge Podge

Kim Macumber Interiors

Little Black Door

Matters of Style

My Crafty Home Life

Nicole Scott Designs

Pacific Family Homes

Pawleys Island Posh

the Pink Pagoda

Powell Brower Home

Simple Details

One Room Challenge: Week 4

Pinch me.  How is it already Week 4 of the ORC? Time flies when you have none.  Am I right?  Don't get me wrong, I thrive in the realm of crazy!  We'll make it.

Today my office gets an inspiration board!  I've needed one forever.  I dedicated a whole post to wanting one here, over a year ago.  And.... it never happened, until now! To create mine, I simply took a linen fabric I liked and wrapped it over a cork board, then staple-gunned it in to place.  I have to keep my DIY's simple.  Remember my X-bench tutorial?  You know I love my staple gun.

Ta-da:

A fun mix of fabric swatches, paint colors, quotes, and pictures that inspire me, this board is both functional and aesthetically-pleasing to me.  All of those samples up are being spec'd for current projects, and I like staring at a mojito while working.  The quote in the center of the board is actually a greeting card that says "I recommend vodka."  The smaller quote says, "I find inspiration everywhere I look.  It often comes when I think I see something and realize it's something else. It can come from a building, a bridge, an object or even a shadow."  And finally, a personal favorite, "Quality is remembered long after the price is forgotten," said by Gucci.

Remember last week when I said I wanted to create a happy mess of objects and books for my desk and console decor?  I am well on my way...

I hope you like!  Happy Wednesday!

See how the other One Room Challenge participants are up to: 

Chattafabulous

Chinoiserie Chic

Classic Casual Home

the Cottage Mix

Cottage & Vine

Design Indulgence

Design Manifest

Everything LEB

Hodge Podge

Kim Macumber Interiors

Little Black Door

Matters of Style

My Crafty Home Life

Nicole Scott Designs

Pacific Family Homes

Pawleys Island Posh

the Pink Pagoda

Powell Brower Home

Simple Details

It's Time for a Home Office

The time has finally come for me to create a home office.  I've dreamed about having my own workspace for years, and although my first space will most certainly not live up to those lofty expectations, you have to start somewhere, right?

{Melanie Turner Interiors}

{Lonny Mag}

{Lonny Mag}

I currently have an extra bedroom that is the perfect size for my new endeavor, however, there is much work to be done.  Find a desk, chairs, and accessories all while adhering to a rather strict budget.  Find a chic way to store fabrics and supplies (i.e. not all over my dining room table as they are now).  Create a fun and inspiring mood board to hang above my desk...

{Katherine Sheppard via the Glitter Guide}

{Small Shop Studio via La Dolce Vita}

{Amber Interior Design via the Glitter Guide}

Of course it needs to be functional, but it also must be pretty!  I feel that a home workspace is kind of the female equivalent of a man cave.  I continue to see accessorized offices with lots of pretty details like fresh flowers, coffee table books, and candles.

{Gal Meets Glam Tumblr}

{Via Vintage Glamorous}

I'll be sharing the process of turning an empty guest bedroom in to my office with you over the next few months- so please bear with me.  This could get ugly. ;)

Office Space of the Day

Oh how I love a good office.  Gracing the cover of Style at Home magazine, this office incorporates so many beautiful elements.  The white bookshelf blends in well with the wall to create an architectural element.  The interesting light fixture creates drama, and who wouldn't love a pink velvet chair + black lacquer desk?  I'm swooning. ;)

{via}

Sultry Office Spaces

I love rooms with drama.  Whether it be dark walls, luxurious fabrics, or unique furnishings, a room that creates a sexy vibe isn't easily forgotten.  Lately I've been relishing this look in office spaces.

{via}

{via}

{via}

{via}

So what creates a sultry office?  I'd say a bit of a masculine vibe, dark oak finishes, dramatic light fixtures, and lots of dark colors.

Horse Canvas/Aiden Gray Lamps/Iron Desk/Mecox Leather Chair/Vintage Hand-Knotted Rug

Workplace Wednesday

Hello dears!  I hope you are making it through the week better than I am!  I am exhausted after my first full day of work, but thrilled nonetheless.  I have to let you in on a little secret (in case you didn't already know):  Interior designers work H.A.R.D.!  As if I didn't already have a great deal of respect for them, I now stand in awe of what they can accomplish in one day.  

{via}

Since work's been on my mind lately, I thought I'd share a few office spaces I've been drooling over lately.  All of them contain a bit of lucite.  I adore lucite in office spaces, probably because the heaviness of looming deadlines feels a little easier to handle when surrounded by such a light, airy material.  Who knows?!

{via}

{via}

{via}

{via}

Design Darling Amethyst Paper Weight/Furbish Lamp/Zhush Colored Pencil Holder/Snakeskin Tray/

Lacquer Desk/Lucite Chair

What do you like to have in your office space?  Do you have a dream workplace?  Do share!  PS- Today I share my "real-life" living room on Sadie+Stella!  I'd love for you to check it out! :)