Designing Out Loud – Update On My Home Office

Designing out loud is really the best way to describe how I’ve tackled the design of my home office. Rather than sharing a before and after and skimming over the details of the process, I’ve documented every step of the way often seeking your thoughts and opinions when I’ve found myself struggling to make a particular design decision.

Today I’m sharing an update and once again flushing through the thoughts in my head regarding this space.

The Right Side

feminine home office

Facing the room from the entry foyer, the right side of the space is really starting to come together.  After many months of searching, I scored the perfect little table to go between the grey velvet chairs at a local antique mall – Mt. Pleasant Mall.  I could literally spend hours in that place!  This table was just $88!  And I’m in major love with her!

vintage side table

Sideboard – Still Undecided

While the right side of the room is starting to look pretty close to finished, I’m still undecided on whether or not to paint the sideboard.  And also what color to paint her?  Thoughts?

sideboard

(palm print by Teil Duncan, abstract by Raven Roxanne)

While I had originally planned to hang a gallery wall above the sideboard, I’ve changed my mind.  I like the cleaner look of just these two pieces.  Having them matted and framed the same way makes them look more like a pair.  I pulled the palm tree in from our front porch just to get an idea of how it would look to have two trees flanking the sideboard.  Can you tell I’m having a moment with symmetry right now?  😉  Anyhow, I’m thinking two taller palms on either side of the sideboard would add volume to this large wall without looking cluttered.  Thoughts?

The Left Side

While the right side of the room offers some serious design eye candy with the palm print curtain panels kind of stealing the show, the left side of the room feels a bit underdressed.

office desk chair

My desk chair finally arrived this past weekend, and I’m in major love!  It definitely helped to even the score a bit.  Thanks for all of your help in helping me decide on fabrics.  I went with a pinstripe on the front and a tweed on the back.  The combination of masculine fabrics with the curvy shape of the chair feels perfect for the space.  It creates a nice balance in a room that has a definite female vibe happening.

The lighter grey on the back ties in nicely with the grey velvet chairs, and the charcoal front compliments the black in the room.

office

Paint the Doors?

Now I just need to decide whether or not to paint the doors.  And if so, do I go with a light grey or a darker charcoal color?  I don’t want the space to feel too dark. There are already a lot of darker shades happening in this space.  Do you see why I’m waffling on this decision?  Thoughts?

office update

I’m on the hunt for a large vintage mirror to hang on the wall behind the desk.  Maybe I should wait until I have the mirror on the wall before making any paint decisions for the doors?

So that’s where I am with my home office.  My decorating process is slow, but I kind of like it that way.  Spaces seem to naturally evolve one step at a time, and I enjoy the journey.  Especially because I can air out all the design thoughts that are cluttering up my brain space here with you all.  😉

So what do you think?  Should I paint the sideboard?  What color?  Paint the doors?  Soft grey or charcoal?  Share your thoughts below!

Here’s a few of the sources for anyone interested:

 

Help Me Win!

Last but not least, if you have a moment today, I’d be ever so grateful if you would hop over to the FrogTape Paintover Challenge and vote for my laundry/mudroom makeover!  By voting you’ll not only be helping me to try and win $5000 for my charity of choice, which is One 80 Place, a local organization that helps the homeless in such an amazing way, but you’ll also be entered to win a $1000 gift card for yourself!  So it’s a total win-win!!!   You can click here to vote once per day!  Thank you so much for being the most supportive readers ever!!!!

 

 

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  • Could the doors go palm green to spread some of the lushness from the windows around the room? Maybe a blush trim on the inset?

  • I vote black sideboard and a light grey closet door. A dark grey door might darken the space too much, while the light grey door will give you a bit more of the symmetry you are craving by balancing the gorgeous light grey velvet chairs on one side of the room and the light grey closet door on the other side of the room.

  • Hi!, I agree with Rachel, Black on the sideboard would look great! I like the doors white as they go so nicely with the walls. Hope that helps! Love the new table and the velvet chairs. Sweet!

  • I would wait for the mirror to decide on doors, but I’m not a huge fan of dark doors. I also have ALWAYS voted to keep the sideboard wood, as is. I love the shine of that finish 🙂

  • I think the sideboard needs to be light!! The dark sideboard is making the wall too heavy and competing with the desk. I would really love to see a slightly longer sideboard in there that’s just a smidge shorter but –working with what you have– is often preferable, at least for the time being. Once you decide on a color for the sideboard I think the palms will be an easy choice to add dimension to the space. With the sideboard dark I feel like they add too much visual clutter and the eye doesn’t transition smoothly through the space. Those gray chairs and your desk chair are ???!! Good luck!! I know it’s gonna be fantastic when you’re done!

  • I think I would leave the sideboard unpainted – at least for now. Live with it a while longer and see if you are itching to paint it LOL. I think it looks great unpainted. As for the doors, maybe a shade close to the lamps? But I agree with waiting until you get the mirror.

    We always visit that antique store when in town.

  • That table is perfect between the chairs. What if you moved the palm to the other side, if it doesn’t interfere with the doorway…would bring the green across the room. I like the idea of having just one rather than a pair. I would wait until you get the mirror before painting the doors. The way it will reflect the light may change your mind about the depth of color you choose. As for the sideboard, I originally said paint it black, but now that things are more pulled together I think it looks great as is.

  • Love the desk chair and new table you brought into the space! Both are great additions. I’d wait to paint the doors until you find and hang the mirror. I also think having two plants might be overkill…could you put one plant to the left of the side board?

  • Black painted sideboard with goldhardware.
    Paint the doors a dark forest green to reference the green in the curtains.
    Bring in either giant mirror with modern looking gold frame to balance the more intricate designed pieces in the room or use a giant piece of art that has Gray tones with touches of pink, green, and black in it to tie everything together.

    Just my $0.02. Have fun decorating! 🙂

  • I agree with others to use one plant on the opposite side. And perhaps judiciously adding some accessories to your desk would warm the space up a bit.

  • Love what you’ve done so far! My thought was, “she needs a big honking mirror on that wall” and as I kept reading you mentioned getting a mirror! 😉 I grew up in the area and used to find amazing stuff at a huge thrift store on Rivers Ave just past the railroad tracks….toward the seedy end of Rivers. It may not still be there but was always worth the effort to get over there. I bought my daughter’s nursery dresser at The Mt. Pleasant Mall! Great destination…and a Starbucks close by! Your taste is fabulous….

  • Yes – I think one reason I’ve struggled with if or what color to paint this piece is because it’s kind of the wrong size for the space. The issue is, in addition to wanting to work with what I already have, the door. It opens out and and I don’t have a lot of space to work with there. Something longer and shorter in height would be ideal, but I do love this piece – and it has some sentimental value. We bought it many years ago from ZGallerie. It’s one of the only new pieces we could afford to buy and the only reason we could afford it is because it was a floor sample – ha! It just reminds me of our early years of marriage. So while it’s just a sideboard – it also holds a lot of memories……this piece once held diapers and baby wipes…..then it held megablocks and trains and stuffed animals……then craft supplies……it’s had many lives. 😉

  • Would you consider removing the sideboard all together and just do a nice gallery wall over there? It feels very heavy over there to me and looks a bit cluttered with the desk right there. It could just be the camera angles. I like the idea of green on the doors or black to tie in with the light fxture and rug. It is coming along beautifully, I love seeing the process.

  • I thought the door would probably get in the way of a longer piece. I think if you bite the bullet and paint the one you have you’ll love it. Esp with some palms or something to add height and/or dimension on either side. It’s gonna be great just go with your gut!

  • I agree — find your mirror and go from there. I think you need something heavier to hang on the wall behind your desk chair to balance the darker curtains on the other side and bring your eyes up. Have you also considered a living (or faux) vertical wall garden? Or perhaps sconces of some sort with greenery in them to flank your mirror? I am not sure if succulents compliment your vision for the room but I think something like the second one in this link, inside a larger black lacquered box would be lovely and would complement the light fixture and table between your chairs: http://www.livingwallart.com/growing-a-vertical-wall-garden-of-succulents/. This can then inform your sideboard decision. Also, I think once you find something to hang behind your desk, your door decision will become clearer (I’m thinking staying white will be perfect). You are so very talented – want to come to WI to do my house??? :p)

  • What about a fitted cover for the sideboard? Not something ruffly and frilly, but something custom fitted that could have panels so you could easily access what’s inside. I’d go for a fabric one shade darker than what you paint your walls. Nothing too dramatic to detract from the desk. Then you wouldn’t have to paint the piece.

  • The room is really coming along beautifully, thank you for sharing the process! I would keep the doors white (the room has enough contrast and graphic punch already) and the sideboard unpainted (sort of repeats the warm wood tone from the desk, but they are still different), and focus on adding green one way or another to the left wall/side to balance the curtains. Maybe a more ornate statement mirror in glossy green? I would also try to repeat the green around the room in a couple of lighter shades taken from the curtains when adding the final details, for example when styling the desk and maybe even on a pillow.

  • I think the doors should be the darker charcoal color for sure. The sideboard has me stumped. I don’t like the two different wood color so close to each other yet I’m not sure it’s the color of the sideboard that is the problem.

  • I have been trying to figure out why this room feels off to me. I think the desk is just not the right piece. If you take out this desk, the room still works. With it, the room feels cluttered and choppy. Something solid and smaller would be better. Just a thought.

  • I think it might be the angle of the photos because in person the desk does look large but the room doesn’t really look overstuffed. I don’t know – I also think the sideboard being in the same wood family makes these pieces kind of meld together which makes the desk feel and look even larger than it is. For size purposes I actually brought a standard sized desk in and with the height of the ceiling it looked really wimpy. Lots of my neighbors with the same floor plan use this room as a formal dining room – and it works well, of course, they don’t have a big sideboard on that wall though……. thanks for your input! I’m still figuring out how to make this come together. I’d ditch the sideboard before I’d ditch the table but I really don’t want to give up on either piece.

  • It’s a conundrum isn’t it? 😉 The size of it feels too short for the wall but something longer would interfere with the closet door. It also seems like maybe it’s too tall…..but I fear something shorter would look dwarfed by these super high ceilings.

  • I would paint the doors the same gray as those divine chairs with an inset of pink.

  • I think part of the problem is that the sideboard is drawing so much attention. You have all those gorgeous elements (desk, chairs, curtains, chandelier) but the high dark sideboard at the end of the room is drawing your eye. I realize you probably need storage, but maybe keep your eyes peeled for a lower, lighter colored sideboard, and save that piece for another design someday. Or find another area for a more hidden storage piece.

  • Go with charcoal doors to match the drama of the drapes. Keep the sideboard as it is; with charcoal doors it will hold it’s own. But first get the mirror that you will love and see if these choices still makes sense.

  • Just a thought, what about taking the wall color 25-50% darker for the sideboard, but with a high shine/lacquer-like finish with gold hardware. That way it blends in without blending in, if that makes sense?
    Love the room so far! I’m headed to Mt Pleasant this weekend to visit my sister…must check out this mall! 🙂

  • How about some of that luscious green malachite – maybe for the frame of the mirror behind the desk or an accessory on the desk. I also think taller lamps would be better on the sideboard. Maybe thin brass candlestick buffet lamps. The gray are nice but too short and stocky looking.

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