11.05.2013

Updating the Home Office Area

Last week I mentioned that C and I are very likely going to be going through some major transitions over the next year-ish. Little is set in stone right now, so there's not a whole lot of news to share, but one thing that is set is that I'm starting a new job next month! It's a job that will have me working from home, which I'm pumped about, but that means I need to pull together a real, functioning home office pronto and the only place for it is in a corner of our bedroom in our teeny tiny apartment. It's gonna require some creativity to make it work, but I'm up for the challenge!

I'm going to use a few things I already have, do a few DIY projects I'm sure, and I'll most likely make a few purchases along the way. If I'm going to be working here for 40 hours a week and living here for the rest of the time, I want to love the space. Today I want to show you what I already have in place as well as the floor plan for this little home office area. That way you'll know what I'm dealing with. Tomorrow I'll be back with a few inspirational spaces that have the look I'm going after for this little project (oh how I love a new project!).

You've seen the floor plan of our oddly shaped apartment before on our home tour, but here it is again, this time with an awesome mock up of the placement of some of our furniture in the bedroom. Sweet graphic right? (Note: threw in a bit of sarcasm there...)

floor plan

Anyway, see where it says "desk" up there? That's the home office area. Nothing like working in your bedroom. :) It's really the only place for it in our apartment, so I've gotta make it work! In case you're curious, I DIY'd that desk earlier this year out of sawhorses, plywood, fabric and plexiglass. You can read more about it in this post.

DIY desk made from sawhorses, plywood, fabric and plexiglass

It's the perfect size and we've already put it to good use over the past 10 months or so (Charlie works from home some with his job). There's a slight problem with this desk though - no storage. That was fine before, but now that I'll be working from here full time, I'll need a good place for office supplies, files, books, etc.

Good thing I already have a storage unit right behind that desk - an Expedit from IKEA! We bought three of them (one 2x4 and two 1x5s) for our apartment in Richmond to fashion up an entertainment center in our living room, but downsized to one for this apartment and gifted the other two to my parents. The one we kept is the 2x4 size, and it sits at the end of our bed right now. It gives us such great storage space, but I'm going to have to empty out a few compartments to make it useful for office use. 

Here's an old photo of it (we have a different rug in there now!), but this gives you an idea of how it looks in our room. Since it's right behind the desk, I figure it'll be super accessible. 

expedit unit for office area

My only issue with this particular Expedit is that it's that dark black-brown color IKEA sells. It worked fine in our Richmond apartment, but it looks like a big black hulking thing smack dab in the middle of our bedroom now. Not the most attractive thing for this space. It has also seen better days - there are scratches down the side that you see right when you walk into our bedroom.

So here's my dilemma - do I try and paint this one white (I'm 90% sure I want to go white with it) or do I just buy a white one and Craigslist this one to try and recoup some of my dollars? They're so inexpensive to buy, but it would mean taking a trip to IKEA, which is kind of a pain. Painting one of these is kind of a pain too though, so I'm torn. {UPDATE! Here's how I transformed the Expedit into something I now LOVE!}

I'll be back tomorrow with some ideas on what I'd like to do with this space to make my little office nook a happy work space!

Pin It!

46 comments:

  1. Congrats on the new job! I'm very jealous that you'll be working from home! What if you just painted the outside white, and put fabric or contact paper (they have so many cute prints on amazon now) on the inside? That way you don't have to paint it all, but you can still update it. I'm all for saving a trip to Ikea. Wears me out!

    ReplyDelete
  2. If we are not satisfied without home interior and home design, we need some kind of renovation. The renovation is definitely a good idea for every homeowner, apart from the homeowner, we also need some kind of renovation for our office. I would like to follow some of the beneficial points from here on how to update our home and office with basic needs. Thanks for such a wonderful article.
    Moving Companies Monrovia

    ReplyDelete
  3. Pick a respectable contractual worker who can make new plan components in the yard range and upgrade the check interest of your home. Clan Lab

    ReplyDelete
  4. I actually painted almost the entire house in March, which is what kept me so busy! These are the colors we chose.homebuyerhoustonhowwebuy

    ReplyDelete
  5. Be that as it may, the greater part of these shows have a tendency to unreasonably commend the home improvement venture as being anything but difficult to do with nothing regularly turning out badly. www.interiorpaintingnyc.com

    ReplyDelete
  6. This comment has been removed by the author.

    ReplyDelete
  7. Leasing then again can be to a lesser extent a dedication, since the proprietor possesses the property it is their obligation regarding making any required repairs. mount ephraim nj electricians

    ReplyDelete
  8. This comment has been removed by the author.

    ReplyDelete
  9. Thanks guys, for sharing this conductive accumulation.
    packing tape

    ReplyDelete
  10. The entrepreneur can enlist an attorney to set up a draft of the organization's articles of proprietorship or visit a lawful website on the web and draft the articles. These must be recorded with the state office where the business is shaped.Local renovations

    ReplyDelete
  11. New and highly attractive bathroom and kitchen designs that raise the value of a home are also coming up at a high rate, and this is making many home owners opt to go with those designs as they are truly elegant.αποφραξεις

    ReplyDelete
  12. Revamping your office utilizing current style is going to in a split second enhance the estimation of your home. cozyhouse

    ReplyDelete
  13. That doesn't mean you have to buy an expensive machine to enjoy this tool, but try to use a machine prior to buying it HITACHI NV83A4

    ReplyDelete
  14. Blade grinders also tend to produce more heat so there could be more of a tendency to leave the beans with a bit of a burn flavor check this article

    ReplyDelete
  15. Finding a contracting business is the most ideal approach to guarantee accomplishment of the objective of an excellent, utilitarian, quality-assembled home.granite countetops kansas city

    ReplyDelete
  16. Conceivably consider searching out different wellsprings of back, for example, home value advance, home-change advance, second home loan, and so forth. granite and quartz installer in overland park kansas

    ReplyDelete
  17. and normally lights and power sockets in the room, will have a circuit breaker rated at a particular amperage read more here

    ReplyDelete
  18. The contractual worker is paid the cash for home improvement and afterward the moneylender takes to which the borrower makes regularly scheduled payments.Furnace cleaning

    ReplyDelete
  19. wholesale cutend wet mops Superb Information, I really appreciated with it, This is fine to read and valuable pro potential, I really bookmark it, pro broaden read. Appreciation pro sharing. I like it.

    ReplyDelete
  20. One of the key factors that adds to the expense of home improvements relates to the materials and hardware required for the undertaking.CutTheWood.com

    ReplyDelete
  21. The main thing you have to choose is the thing that measure hot tub best meets your requirements since they can hold somewhere in the range of four to ten individuals serenely. hot tub hire in South Wales

    ReplyDelete
  22. Low quality puppy foods will quite often be grain based and the more advantageous, higher quality pooch foods will be meat, poultry or fish. food recipes

    ReplyDelete
  23. Here are the 5 best moves up to consider for your swimming pool remodel: community pool

    ReplyDelete
  24. A significant number of my customers who have had the favorable luck to have a bar sink in the family room, have moved in the old fridge and microwave close to the bar sink and this blend turns into the break kitchen amid development of the enhanced one. pressure cooker directions

    ReplyDelete
  25. As you add synthetic compounds to your pool and they carry out their responsibility, they get spent and begin to add to the outfit dimension of your pool's water science. blue water pool service

    ReplyDelete
  26. After all, most home owners forced to sell in this market know that it won't be easy. Put them to task to expedite the sale of their home. The days of simply putting a house on the market without any preparation and selling it in a few hours or days is long gone.Range Hood Repair in San Diego

    ReplyDelete
  27. The last kind of regularly utilized ladder is an overlap up ladder. They for the most part crease in 4 places and can be set up in a wide range of positions. In light of the entirety of the pivots, they are bad for any substantial work. best aluminium ladders in india

    ReplyDelete
  28. electing a household appliance from the myriad of brands and models available on market today is a daunting task. commercial appliance repair los angeles

    ReplyDelete
  29. Examine every part of your home at least once a year. Check the roof, the plumbing, electrical wiring, etc. As soon as become aware of a problem, fix it.calgary home renovators

    ReplyDelete
  30. These could cool the entire office or high rise from one halfway found unit, similarly as structures were warmed from one major heater in the storm cellar rather than by little stoves in each room. Airco Antwerpen

    ReplyDelete
  31. This is also an opportunity to hear an objective opinion on the home you'd I like to purchase and it is a good time to ask general, maintenance questions.real estate news canada

    ReplyDelete
  32. Foreclosures will drag down the value of neighboring homes. Unsightly landscaping and poorly maintained homes do likewise.Homes for sale in Clinton mo

    ReplyDelete
  33. Very informative post ! There is a lot of information here that can help any business get started with a successful social networking campaign !Niche relevant backlinks

    ReplyDelete
  34. I like your post. It is good to see you verbalize from the heart and clarity on this important subject can be easily observed...Dofollow backlink

    ReplyDelete
  35. Very nice blog and articles. I am realy very happy to visit your blog. Now I am found which I actually want.
    High-Quality Off-Page SEO Backlinks

    ReplyDelete
  36. Online home improvement loan is nothing but searching for a suitable lender through World Wide Web. This makes your search fast and convenient.portable shampoo bowl

    ReplyDelete
  37. Redecorating and painting your home's living spaces - These are very simple tricks that can do so much to beautify your home. And it really works! Introducing fresh new paints to the rooms using cool and soothing colors plus cost of stud finder the accents helps in creating a more relaxed atmosphere, making you and the rest of your family want to stay home more often.

    ReplyDelete
  38. There are also lower maintenance costs as owners of brand new home generally spend fourteen dollars less per square foot that one that bought a ready-made home for routine maintenance. looking roommate

    ReplyDelete
  39. Making additions to a home like adding a deck, a pool, or an outdoor storage area are usually the result of what the family needs, crawl space mold remediation but could also be excellent selling points if the home goes up for sale some day.

    ReplyDelete
  40. This misconception has caused numerous a homebuyer to be annoyed with their auditor. Boston fencing

    ReplyDelete
  41. Is the rug in the likely home choice in great condition? Consider these things prior to marking a home loan! Note any plausible costs on your home agenda for later audit. Utilize these in planning for your home loan Ramen Leuven

    ReplyDelete
  42. Before deciding on a home improvement project, you have to decide exactly why you think your home needs it, how much you should be spending on it, and what is the result you would be satisfied with. Boiler Edinburgh

    ReplyDelete
  43. Once you've located the necessary home improvement specialists, make sure everyone is in agreement about the design, the schedule, and the budget, and get the details down in writing in a signed contract. Orange County Wolf range repair

    ReplyDelete
  44. California inhabitants, most, are new to how to appropriately eliminate shape. This not just implies that the work may not be done the correct way, yet it might likewise imply that do-it-yourselfers might be putting their wellbeing in danger. Mold Removal Winnipeg water damage

    ReplyDelete
  45. Arranging shows the homes most prominent usefulness.
    It gives potential purchaser's a visual with regards to how much furniture can entirely squeeze into a space.
    Home organizing adds check claim, which thus can assist with attracting forthcoming purchasers. Multivolt Services

    ReplyDelete
  46. I think that thanks for the valuabe information and insights you have so provided here. Black satta

    ReplyDelete

If you enjoyed this post, have a question, or just want to say hey, please leave a comment! I read each comment and love to respond (usually by email), so check your inbox if you don't see a response below!

Related Posts Plugin for WordPress, Blogger...
Blogging tips