Thursday, January 21, 2016

Office Reno in Progress

I am not one to make New Year's resolutions. It is not that I am against resolutions or attempting to do things that will improve one's character, health or lifestyle. I do not like to disappoint people, least of all myself. If I make a resolution and do not follow through then I will have to come up with excuses why I did not keep the commitment. I will feel the regret and guilt of not having accomplished what I set out to do. Honestly,  I do not even want to put the required energy into whole-heartedly pursuing some lofty goal after all "I am too busy", I lie to convince myself. Yikes! Way too much pressure! And (seeing as we are three weeks into the new year) I obviously procrastinate on just about everything.

The day I took down the Christmas tree was the day that Mister (who does not procrastinate about anything, ever) decided it was time to finish up the three bedroom shuffle that we had started in October. It all started with the desire to clean up my youngest's room but that led to shuffling around my middle child to the office...blah, blah, blah... you can read about the work here, here, here and here.

Ugh!
That left us with a dumping ground of an "office". The room is where Mister works on music for our church and where the girls practice at the piano. Copy machines for homeschooling reside in that room as does the family filing cabinet. An old chest holds photo albums. The room also serves as my dressing room. My clothes are housed in the new closet Mister built for me and the chest of drawers holds clothing that for the past 19 years lived in a trunk Mister had built when we were first married. This room has a lot of different functions. To say it is multi-functional would be a gross understatement! To add to that we want to put a tv screen and dvd player for the girls and we want it to be a place for studying. Whew! Did I mention the room is like 11x13?

So, here is where we stand as of today; the closet is done.
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Mister installed track lighting that is set to highlight the closet, the keyboard, and the third light illuminates the far corner. It is close to the ceiling, imperative for ceilings 81 inches tall!

Purchased at Lowes. 
This weekend we (meaning Mister) will paint. After asking for suggestions on my favorite decorating page on facebook we have chosen Accessible Beige by Sherwin Williams. It reads like a mix between beige and gray.


The carpet and chairs are staying put. We have not decided on window treatments yet.




I have drawn up a plan for the wall that houses the keyboard. I love the look of a gallery wall but have not yet pulled one off successfully. I want a curated look, not one you purchase all done for you and want to use some things I already have.  This is what I am thinking...


The frame in the middle above the keyboard will be a wall-mounted sheet music stand to save space and a shelf underneath, the length of the keyboard. I plan on doing a piece of sheet music for artwork in the large frame above the chest.

I have screens that belonged to my grandmother and great-grandmother. I was thinking of taking one panel and attaching it to the outside closet wall, facing you when you walk in the door.



As I proof read this post it is really depressing me! There is nothing pretty to see here!

This is a close-up picture of Mister's and my first furniture makeover 19+ years ago. It was a chest found in the attic of a home I used to own. I didn't ever think to get a good "before" photo.


We stripped it down, replaced the hardware as some was missing. It was also missing some molding that Mister was able to match up. We stained it and then, in true 90's fashion, I stenciled it. I do wish I had not done that now but here it is. We will be using it in the new office.



Whew. That's a little better. Now I can publish this post. Next week will be  a lot better, I promise.

Linking up to the parties:
Shabby Art Boutique, Imparting Grace, Too Much Time On My Hands, Lambert's Lately, AKA Design, The Charm of Home, Craftberry Bush, My Flagstaff Home, Joyful Homemaking, Have A Daily Cup Of Mrs. Olson, Blesser House, Must Love Home, The Pin Junkie, A Delightsome Life, Shoestring Elegance, Up To Date Interiors, French Country Cottage, Life With Lorelai, Chic On A Shoestring, Remodelaholic, Just Us Four, My Romantic Home, The Cottage Market, DIY Vintage Chic, A Tray of Bliss, The DIY Village, Blooming Homestead, The Girl Creative, Pieced Pastimes, One More Time Events, Funky Junk Interiors, Reasons To Skip The Housework, Finding Silver Pennies, Thoughts From Alice, Pink When. DIY Showoff, Dwellings-The Heart of Your Home, Coastal Charm, I Should Be Mopping The Floor, Skip To My Lou, Creatively Living, Plucky's Second Thought, Karen's Up On The Hill, Create With Joy, Strangers and Pilgrims On Earth, Stone Gable, A Stroll Thru Life, Elizabeth and Co. A Bowl Full of Lemons, Ladybug Blessings, Our Home Away From Home, Cozy Little House, Crafty Allie, The DIY Dreamer, Savvy Southern Style, The Blissful Bee, The Newlywed Pilgrimage, Simply Designing , The Dedicated House, Handy Man Crafty Woman, DIY By Design, DIY Crush

22 comments:

  1. Wow! I can't wait to see your finished room. I love that chest. beautiful!

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    1. Aww, thanks Tammy and thanks for visiting with me!

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  2. Wow, you've been busy and I think the dresser looks great! Thanks for sharing at My Flagstaff Home.

    Jennifer

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    1. Thanks, Jennifer. I am glad you stopped by. Thanks for hosting the party!

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  3. I love to see how everything is coming together! Having the extra closet is wonderful! I know it will turn out great!

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    1. Thanks for spending time with me, Pam and thank you for the encouragement!

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  4. Simply love the refab you gave the dresser, that wood grain is beautiful. I adore a good paint job but some pieces just look better without it! And I love the stenciling job too!

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    1. Thanks, Brenda. I have gotten such sweet comments about that little dresser and here I was thinking I should try to figure out how to remove the stenciled flowers. Now I am all confused. Thanks for dropping in!

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  5. Your chest is so beautiful! Thank you for sharing on SYC! Jo

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  6. The chest is gorgeous! Can't wait to see the renovation!! Thanks for sharing with SYC.
    hugs,
    Jann

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    1. Thank you, Jann. I can't wait to get it done! We are moving slower than I thought we would when we started!

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  7. Thank you so much for sharing at Friday Favorites!! Please Stop by the party again this week where we will have an awesome Giveaway Contest going on!! The party starts every Thursday at 7PM!! Hugs- Christine http://www.mustlovehome.com/friday-favorites-week-305/

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  8. That space is going to look amazing! I love the track lighting and the makeover you gave that furniture! Thanks for sharing at Home Sweet Home!

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    1. Thank you for hosting another great party and for visiting with me!

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  9. Oh Jolena, don't be disheartened. Always a bit of chaos before heaven I find! Without being shouted down, I actually adore your stencilled chest. I know. I'm odd. Thanks for sharing at Five Star Frou-Frou. Love, Mimi xxx

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    1. Oh, Mimi! What a sweet compliment. Thank you and I don't think you are "odd" at all. I do find it is usually the most creative people who carry that label. Thanks for hosting a fun party!

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  10. Good luck! Cannot wait to see it finished!

    Thanks for joining Cooking and Crafting with J & J!

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    1. Thanks, Jessica! I can't wait to get it done but I am easily distracted!

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  11. Just beautiful!! I am having the same issue her with getting to chose which image to pin. Thanks for possibly checking this! ;)

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    1. Thank you for spending time with me today! Have fun pinning!

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