So this is FINALLY, the reveal post for the One Room Challenge project #OOO (overdue office overhaul)! It’s been quite a ride and while I couldn’t get everything I hoped to get done accomplished, I DID get some things I didn’t expect and I DID achieve the main goal of getting everything organized and creating a pleasant office that WORKS.
Special thanks to Linda Weinstein for running this brilliant One Room Challenge kick in the pants to get things done and to Better Homes and Gardens, the official media sponsor for the event. Check HERE for the history and mission of the One Room Challenge.
Better Homes and Gardens is the Official Media Sponsor of the One Room Challenge
Follow #oneroomchallenge, #bhgorc, and @betterhomesandgardens on social media to see the latest from all the participants!
If you are new here, welcome! I’m Janet - an interior designer, blogger, intrepid cook and party planner, tea lover, and classical music enthusiast. I’m also a mom to two amazing grown children and live just west of Boston.
I work out of my home office, which, for the last year, has been a disaster of epic proportions. A plumbing leak necessitated moving everything in a hurry and coupled with a busy schedule and a LOT of stuff, it just never was a priority to stop and resurrect it, so I have been an office nomad shuffling whatever the current important things are from room to room to do my work. Enter, the One Room Challenge - an opportunity to do a room on a tight timeline and get. it. done. So if you want to see where it was (epic disaster is an understatement…trust me!) and what’s happened along the way, here are the first 5 weeks: Week 1 | Week 2 | Week 3 | Week 4 | Week 5.
The goal was to have a space to work on projects, to conduct Zoom meetings, to meet with reps or do client presentations, and to store samples in an organized fashion. On the wish list was a refurbished patio and a refreshment center which did not happen (yet…), but NOT on the list was a comfy chair for relaxing or writing which I serendipitously DID acquire. In any event, while the decor is not wildly different - I kept the neutral color scheme - it IS way more pleasant and functional.
Due to the time constraints and my last minute entry into the challenge, I did not have the lead time to line up the handyman I desperately needed for ceiling repair…apparently EVERYONE is in need of home repair/projects, but I did finally manage to coerce an electrician to do part of the electrical work I wanted done in time, so the sconces DID get installed, and I’ll update this post with new photos once I get all the other details finished up in the spring….I have big plans for that new ceiling!
Regardless of the things that didn’t get done yet, the space is a delight to work in and I’m SO GLAD I jumped in to this One Room Challenge and got it in working order!
My desk now faces the outside entry doors and little patio.
Fabric books and the unwieldy morass of other samples now live in the back of the room screened from view by the bookcases and creating a separate little sample alcove.
Bookcases behind the desk store samples, office supplies, files, and a wireless printer #homeoffice #wfh
Seagrass baskets hold fabric, trim, and wallpaper samples sorted by color family
I also got the work and presentation areas sorted out. A console table topped with a fabric-covered large magnetic board allows me to try out, display, or photograph different sample combinations or inspiration images easily. New library sconces top the board and fitted with daylight LED’s (this is the ONLY acceptable use for daylight LED’s - please don’t use them in your home!) make photographing the colors properly easier.
A fabric covered magnetic board makes rearranging combination of samples and inspiration pictures easy. Black and brass library sconces provide light for working or photographing samples.
A console table gives added work surface and stores magnets and presentation supplies. A storage ottoman below stores sample trays.
Two guest chairs accommodate visitors, OR with the storage ottoman, provide a comfy perch for writing! I wasn’t looking for chairs particularly. I had some acceptable options in inventory, but the upholstered one showed up on facebook marketplace for a great price and was too perfect to pass up…and it turns out it is really quite comfy!
A center table doubles as serving space for refreshments for presentations and workspace to assemble sample trays. The shelves surrounding the doors store file boxes for the samples for each client, and the doors open to a petite patio bordered by raised planters. So far, the only thing I’ve “planted” is a pole with a bird feeder, but it’s fun to watch from my desk!
I am now, FINALLY, no longer #outofoffice! Thanks for following along on my One Room Challenge Project #OOO. To see the rest of the incredible reveals and inspiration from the Fall 2020 One Room Challenge, click HERE!
