Today, we’re taking a raw, unedited look into my home office. Whenever the baby’s napping I’m here trying to get work done i.e. right now. Thankfully, I’ve been able to get more and more done while she’s awake as she’s gotten older. However, since she’s mobile now I need to child proof this space. The playpen alone isn’t cutting it, girlfriend wants to be on the move! I’m also not happy with the overall decor so I’m doing a full home office remodel in the process.
Given this space is right off the front door, I’m pretty particular about how it will look. Also, since it’s a working space I need it to be far less cluttered. Currently, there’s random decor and stuff entirely out of place because the baby moved it or I’m trying to keep it from her. This is room has zero rules and that has to change!
DON’T MISS IT! I’m sharing my home office remodel mood board plus my stay-or-go lists for the home office remodel at the end of this post. Let me know what you think!
A Raw Look at My Current Home Office
Fair warning, this isn’t the usual Pinterest-worthy home decor I like to share, this is reality… and she’s messy.
My office has two solid French doors, one of which is semi-permanently open because it’s behind the playpen. That’s not a big deal because I don’t need any privacy or to keep sound out, typically. The other door shuts whenever Alexis is awake to keep her out of the office. Most of these photos were taken prior to me making this change, so let me share what I’m talking about below.
Recently, I flipped the playpen around so the door faces out of my office. It sits lined up with the other door so the rest of the office is inaccessible. She loves her playpen even when we’re not in my office so I like to leave it available. This way, she can start down the hallway towards it and I know she’s not getting into anything before I get there. Kevin and I call it her portal!
Then, off to the right, there’s open shelving with a completely haphazard array of things. It no longer resembles the original decor at all. Eventually, I started putting extra things there knowing we blocked this space off and it just got out of hand.
Same things goes for the white bookcase with the TV on it. It has some photos and race medals but she keeps putting them in her mouth, so now they’re blocked off.
Pivoting Storage in the Home Office Remodel
The tall open shelf will be replaced with a wall of cabinets (more on that later). Ideally, I’ll also get a new white bookcase/cabinet, maybe slightly narrower, with doors to keep storage tucked away. Time has shown me that I don’t need low to the ground display space; it only causes headaches when I have to fish Alexis out of there. Plus, we need another bookcase for Alexis’ room so this current one already has a new home!
Here’s the view opposite my window wall. This is essentially what I look at from my desk all day. The window view is awesome, but the area overall needs a little TLC.
Current Room Details
Currently, there’s a mix of personal items and home decor that’s been acquired [at random, really] over the years. There’s not many pieces of decor that I’ve purchased specifically for this space. Looking back, that’s not great.
That alone was a huge realization that this space hasn’t gotten proper attention, especially after four years.
Aside from the wall behind my desk, everything else was just kind of tossed into this room. No more! Most of this will have a home in the new space, though I may spray the shelves white depending where they end up.
Neutral Home Office Remodel Plans
This is the Pin that inspired my whole remodel. Look at that beautiful herringbone wood paneling! However, the closed faced cabinets covering the length of the wall are what struck me immediately. This is that hidden storage I’ve been craving while giving me a little decor space on top.
While I’d also love to replicate the wood accent wall, it’s a LOT of work. Kevin and I looked into it and we don’t feel qualified to do a good bit of it. We’re making this an entirely DIY project, so I’m perfectly okay pivoting the accent wall in another direction.
For example, this soft neutral herringbone accent wall design is among my favorites right now. I’m also tossing around the idea of a not-so-structured dry brush feather print. The final design is definitely still very up in the air.
What I do know for sure is that we’re adding a wall of cabinets on the back wall so I have somewhere to tuck away virtually everything. Alexis loves touching everything, so the less out the easier it’ll be for me to actually work!
Given the tight quarters, it’s tricky to get a full shot of the space, but here’s a panoramic from my phone.
At the very least, you can get a decent idea about the amount of space we’re working with.
Given the space, here’s a breakdown of what I’m keeping, leaving behind and adding to this space to optimize it during the home office remodel.
What I’m Keeping Post Home Office Remodel
- Playpen; while it’s not my favorite aesthetic feature, it’s absolutely essential for function
- Plants
- TV; debating if I’ll get a smaller one, will depend on the new bookcase
- Second computer monitor
- Candle warmer lamp
- My Amazon office chair
- Back cushion and foot cushion, but ideally with neutral colored covers
What’s Getting Left Behind
- Open shelving; any storage lower to the ground will be behind closed doors
- Purple curtains/curtains in general; looking into Roman shades for these windows to open the room up more
- My larger desk; hoping to find a smaller sit/stand desk
- Floor lamp; to open up floor space
- Open cube organizer
- Darker colors
- Smaller decor; too many small things in this small space is creating clutter
What I’m Adding During the Remodel
- Toddler chair; as Alexis gets older she can sit here to eat snacks or watch TV, plus it opens up to a lay down on!
- Smaller desk, ideally a sit/stand desk
- Wall-length floor level cabinet storage with decorative top
- Rechargeable picture lights; these look awesome, no electrical work required!
- Accent wall behind cabinets
- Lighter paint color on a few walls
These are the unfinished cabinets I have my eye on from Lowe’s. They’re unfinished, allowing me to be able to paint them however I wish, which is still TBD. I’ll be renting a paint sprayer for the first time to tackle this project. Hoping I can also use it to paint the wall(s) I am looking to change up to make the work much easier, fingers crossed!
My Neutral Home Office Mood Board
If you’re a weekly reader this mood board will be familiar. I shared a sneak peek in last week’s post. I’m going for a brighter, minimalist neutral vibe for my new office and these pieces I’ve found so far really capture the heart of the aesthetic I’m seeking.
To shop all these finds you can visit my Amazon Storefront here. To save for later, tap (mobile) or hover over (desktop) the above graphic and save it to your Pinterest board! For my entire Home Office Amazon Idea List click here.
Let me know your thoughts on the upcoming home office remodel. Any feedback on cabinetry projects in particular is very much welcomed!
