home office reveal {finally!} & all the DIY

It was over 9 months ago that my sister asked me to help her redesign her home office. I know it’s been enough time to actually have had a baby – but instead we created a space where her whole family can work, hang out, and keep their lives organized – and we didn’t have any morning sickness!

We had so much fun doing this project together. If you didn’t catch the original post, check it out here. We came up with a color palette and inspiration board. We painted. We rearranged furniture {and rearranged it again}. We bought a few new items that we just couldn’t pass up – and we kept some existing pieces. And we did a lot of DIY projects to add some unique touches to the space. And we only spent – drumroll please – $500 including new purchases, all the accessories and all the DIY supplies. Boo-ya!

1. hand painted one wall in a quatrefoil pattern
After painting the walls a more neutral tan {Benjamin Moore Lenox Tan}, we painted the stencil on the wall facing the entry. This really set the tone for the entire room. We found the large wall stencil on Etsy. The paint color we used for the stencil pattern was Benjamin Moore Black Jack – a rich, almost-black gray. I didn’t do a DIY post on this project – but it was super easy to do and adds so much interest to the room. One tip: use very little paint and just dot it on with a stencil brush. And have patience.

Click here to get the stencil from Etsy.

2. refinished the wicker chest
We used two different colors of spray paint {black and dark red} and worked in layering these two colors until we got the look and color we wanted. A little silver touch up on the hardware and it was a whole new piece! After this transformation, we moved the chest to the center of the room and put it on a diagonal. A new black & white rug was added too. These pieces placed on an angle in the center of the room allowed for a better flow and a little bit of the unexpected.

Click here to go to the wicker chest redo DIY post.

3. wall art
We gave a small wall a gallery look with a mix of different styles of artwork – all DIY projects – and all having a similar color palette and feel. We added some art to the shelf across the room to tie the two areas together. The art includes the & and @ canvas paintings, multi-medium collages, scrabble letter sign, the lovely L’s, inspirational typographic art, and my dog art print. You really don’t need to be an artist to make any of these!

Click here to go to the wall art DIY post.

4. refinished folding chairs
Her kids seemed to love these as their desk chairs so we just gave them a brighter, cleaner, more modern look. These also make great extra seating for a party or any special occasion.

Click here to go to the folding chairs DIY post.

5. hanging paper rosettes
Not originally intended for this home office project, these ended up being a great solution for an awkward wall space. We also made a miniature one and attached it to the new desk lamp with a paper clip. adorable!

Click here to go to the paper rosettes DIY post.

6. decorated light switch & plug outlet covers
Leftover scrapbook style paper and some spray mount. It’s the little things…

Click here to view the post on DIY light switch covers.

7. refinished a multi-unit shelf
I didn’t do a post on this project but we just took the dingy beige covering off the back of the shelf and replaced it with different coordinating papers. So much prettier.

8. refinished a wooden tray
Another banged up piece I had never thrown away – and it makes a great holding spot for office accessories. I heart trays.

Click here for the post on how to refinish a wooden tray.

9. cute DIY mouse pads
Great idea for kids, students, teachers, or… a home office.

Click here for the mouse pad DIY post.

As you can see, none of these projects were extensive – or expensive – but they all helped to make the room feel very personal and unique. I encourage everyone to look at their current surroundings and items with an open mind when creating a new space. For example, we debated on throwing out the wicker chest. It was very old, very dated looking and we didn’t know what purpose it would have in the room – originally it was used to store blankets. But refinishing it and moving it to the center of the room, it is now one of the focal points of the space. Plus the kids bring the comfy new poufs up next to it and use it as a table. The same goes for the folding chairs. A little metallic spray paint and some left over material I had from an old project made these chairs look so modern and chic. And don’t forget the details. Small accessories and design elements like decorative light switches and circle wall decals can make a big impact.

I’ll provide a list of all the items we purchased with their sources including storage, those comfy poufs, the starburst mirror, and all the accessories in my next post. We got some great finds! I’ll also be sharing some tips on redesigning a room. Stay tuned!