keeping a masculine office welcoming

A friend of mine is moving into an office space after many years of working from home. The space is very small (150 square feet), but has a window and plenty of light. He purchased an antique bankers desk, and an ultra-modern black leather chair. Then he stopped buying, stepped back, and realized that the two styles are drastically different.  Feeling stuck, he e-mailed me and asked if I had any ideas to move the design along.

Now, as for style, I know this guy pretty well.. and his is a Ralph Lauren/Restoration Hardware/J.Crew world. I'm thinking burnished leathers and warm woods, all mixed up with a bit of tradition and luxe - and fortunately that works with his profession, which is in finance. The only thing that doesn't quite fit is the chair, and so we need to make it disappear into the design, right? Would you like to see what I am sending him back?


First,  I think the palette should remain neutral because of the nature of his business. So far we have orange-toned woods and black, so incorporating pale warm grey walls, while creating a darker wall (black or dark grey) behind the desk will allow the space to breathe while giving that black chair a home. If he would like, he could incorperate a wall of black bookshelves behind his desk, like the third pic shows - this is my personal preference.

Adding accessories that have classic appeal but feel modern are the key to linking the modern lines of his desk chair and the classic design of his desk.

How about adding a little comfort for his clients? Let's repeat the caramel tones here, with some sumptuous leather and link it all together with a hard-working sisal carpet. Architectural prints keep everyone focused on the task at hand, which involves real estate.

What do you think? Masculine yet welcoming? Professional yet comfortable?




images sources: black gallery wall vintage table open shelving
art  architectural print chevron print door print armchairs work light leather boxes desktop side table

Interior Design's Best Green Project of the Year

The Burgess Group office, designed by the architectural firm SmithGroup,

has won Interior Design Magazine's title of Best Green Project of the Year.

I would love to work in this space.

The slate wall runs throughout the office.

Apple green and burnt orange accents inspire creativity and energize.

The company placed the employee lounge in the coveted corner office location 

so that everyone gets to enjoy this view.

A cork passageway leads to the design lab.

The conference room and meeting/eating room both use glass for sound absorption

that allows the maximum amount of light passage.

An additional wall of back painted glass in the eating/meeting room can be used as a white board,

and the conferences rooms tables is constructed of back-painted glass -

both enhancing light reflection.

A thoughtful design shows how much this company cares about employee satisfaction

 and I bet their productivity shows it.

This is one article you may want to leave lying around your office :)

The Great Clean Out - The Posts Are In!

It's here!

A massive thank you going out to the talented ladies who participated in the Great Clean Out -

we thought that commiting to an organization post together would motivate us and so it did!

I received your pics, but have not yet read the posts that go along with them,

and am dying to read the stories of these makeovers.

Here is a little of what you can expect at each blog..

Drumroll please...

Barbara of Hodgepodge 

Have you ever wanted to re-arrange your entire home -

change the purpose of each room to what is really should be?

I have.. and then I go back to whatever I am doing!

Barb is boldly undertaking a huge refresher at her place - I so admire her efforts.

She is sharing a bit of "games room" re-organization with us...

always wanted a games room, it sounds so grand :)

Carissa of The Fabulous Design File

Carissa has done such a great job of incorporating storage into her library.

Library... another grand room!

The before really wasn't so bad, but I love how the after frames out a perfect niche for her piano.

And I've requested her paint choices because I LOVE them :)

This is a room I could spend some time in.

Abby of A Delightful Design

Have to say, Abby has kept me laughing through this process, 

and I know her post is going to crack me up!

Abby is in the process of selling her home, 

so she had a bit of a head start :)

because she has just recently gone through the painful de-clutter process..

but every girl has a cupboard somewhere that irks her,

and Abby conquered hers this weekend!

Kerry of First Time Fancy

Kerry is kind of my hero.

I always had a dream of buying an old house and redoing it.

Kerry and her husband are doing just that, 

so I don't think this organization post scared her one bit!

Kerry is also expecting,

and so a great big hug to you - Kerry,

for all your efforts - 

love how your laundry/craft room turned out!

Christine of Bijou and Boheme

Oh, Christine.

Somehow I knew that a closet makeover in your home would end up being 

better styled and more chic than most people's living rooms!

How happy my shoes would be to live in this bit of pretty.

Thank you for inspiring me to make my hall closet my next project!

The 10 Rooms Head Office

Just recently relocated my office/craft room in my home, and there was ZERO organization.

I was really procrastinating, but having an end date meant eventually I had to get going.

So relieved that it is done, it is so freeing to let go of all that excess "stuff"

and get organized!

Thanks again to all you wonderful "organizistas" -

it was so much fun to do this post with all of you!
Hope that everyone is inspired by all the hard work that went on,
and by how happy we are to tick a job off the to-do list.

If you are in the process of an organization project,
share the pics when you are finished and I'll post them!
I've got heaps of other closets and drawers that need "the treatment" :)

Well, ladies, I made it! There was just the slightest doubt earlier this week :)

If you've been reading the blog you know that the Great Clean out stemmed from a 

New Years resolution to get more organized.

The more I read other blogs, the more it seemed that everyone was feeling this.

The problem is we all start out with the fabulous intentions and then life gets in the way.

I thought if we made a commitment to each other it would help us to stay motivated.

Lucky for me, some really talented bloggers decided to take part in this -

thank you all so much!

I am looking forward to reading about each of your adventures in organizing.

Before Christmas I flipped my office/craft room upstairs into what was the kids playroom.

This space is substantially larger, and has a closet,

which meant bringing al the craft stuff from the storage area out into the open.

The closet filled, and overflowed,

and then the holiday madness arrived...

Okay, I am going to admit something here - I actually removed items before taking the before shot!

You know the classic where you open the closet door and all your wordly junk comes tumbling out?

Yup.

There was a fabric landslide from the top shelf the day I took this.

Something had to be done.

I would have liked to replace all this wire shelving, but the budget had other ideas,

 so a fresh coat of paint cleaned it up nicely.

I bought some really inexpensive cardboard storage boxes at ikea.

The problem was, they were quite ugly!

After buying some fabric, and breaking out the glue gun, 

(and some really foul trucker-like moments when I burned myself - kids, out of the craft room, please :)

we had twelve of these and four larger versions.

The kids need instant gratification storage for their daily craft sessions -

 these buckets from the dollar store are perfect.

So here is the after:

Still unlabeled, not entirely sure how we will cross that bridge.

 I may have to call a truce with the glue gun!

Remember when I found that amazing deal on a dining set on kijiji?

Well, D. went to pick it up, and when he brought it home it became obvious

the set was not dining room worthy.

The cabinet and chairs found a home in the craft room.

I make cards and paper crafts, so this provides heaps of fantastic, dust-free storage.

The shelving on the other side of the room holds my most-used product info and color decks for work.

There's a great spot for my sewing machine and current projects.

The piggybank and flower were gifts from the girls, who fancied themselves stylists today.

The craft books need some purging, there is a few in there that I suspect are older than me!

That's not really old, of course :)

The office is still being finished, but organizing got the decorating process going.

I found fabric for curtains and the other bits that are going in here.

Once it is done, I'll post pics.

I don't honestly know if I would have gotten to this closet right away,

I kept opening the door and closing it again!

 Having this deadline MOTIVATED me to get it done -

so it worked!

Maybe next year we can do this with exercise :)

anyone?!!

 Pop over to the main post to see all the before and afters and link to these fab ladies posts.

Weekend Color: How to Add Color to Your Office in Thirty Seconds

Not many of us are fortunate enough to have a space like Betsy Burnham's to work in..

Soothing cocoa walls enlivened by the active print on the curtains and chair, freshened by the white console, and visual interest added with hits of blue..

Recently I mentioned I was working on a color scheme for a clients office.

Poppy, of Project Gadabout, 

commented how much her dreary grey office needed that same treatment.

 I imagined trying to be inspired at work in a space described as dreary -

 thus this post was born, the simplest way to bring color into your workspace - accessories.

This chic space clearly had good bones, the wallpaper and furniture are fantastic,

but the hits of green bring balance to this high contrast scheme..

Green is one of the best choices for an office, it offers intellectual stimulation while calming nerves.

 Color enlivens tiny spaces. 

The power of red.  One single red box amps up the energy level of this space hugely!

source

Tiffany blue is the perfect complement here - adding a lovely, pretty edge to this delicate space.

What about cubicles? you obviously can't go wallpapering the walls without some raised eyebrows..

let alone installing a ball pit?!!

I love this idea below -

Jennifer placed a bright graphic wall decal on the floor of hers cubicle - fantastic!

You often see people adding carpets, 

but they don't allow your chair to move around very well, do they? 

Floor decals are the perfect solution.

source

fabric covered magnetic boards are easy to find and a cinch to change..

just use double-sided self-adhesive velco strips to adhere.

source  

                                 

How about a new, ergonomic chair?

Even the most formal of offices can't argue employee health :)

In cherry red, or lemon yellow..

It's really easy to add these small bits of happy to your office, wherever it is, and 

you may be surprised how much it lifts your mood..

imagine being able to smile at the guy three desks down who insists on eating chili every day,

or the girl who has that ridiculously-loud-every-three-second-laugh going on -

okay, maybe not that much ;)

The office I consulted on has added new mossy green chairs for all it's employees,

 fresh taupe paint on the walls, a living wall for better air quality,

and some new acoustic panels to control office noise.

Simple improvements and the change in their office atmosphere is enormous.

source

Hope you all are having a great weekend,

I'm perusing christmas craft sales with my Mum and the girls..

til next time..

The Office Redo: Worn Out and Dull to Fresh and Charming

A while back, I posted about my office.

The tiniest room in the house, 

I chose this spot because it has a window and is tucked away in a quiet corner.

An old desk (that I love) and some shelves left from the previous owners found a home here when we first moved here, and thats as far as I got.

Then I saw this on Kijiji:

A pair of pagoda style rattan shelves, in excellent condition - hmm...

After a phone call they were mine! Let the games begin...

D. brought them home, laughing when I told him they had to be painted 

(it's a standing joke between us that I paint everything!).

I had a can of paint left over from my youngest daughters room, Refreshing Pool by Behr.

A plan was formulating, how about turquoise and red?

I love that combo.. I contemplated painting the shelves red to make them really pop off the wall, but decided to go white so they wouldn't steal the limelight from the desk. 

And what about my desk?

It's a perfect size, solid wood, and has be with me for a long while,

 but the finish was completely worn out. 

I decided to paint it - I know, you're surprised!

The top ended up being a little unsightly, the white highlighted this old girls battle scars even more,

 so a piece of fabric and glass (on order) are a perfect solution.

Turquoise and red alone would be too intense in this tiny space, so I brought in a warm yellow to lighten and brighten.

This is a real departure from the rest of my home, 

which is much more moody: Navy, Black, Camel, Cream and a Fresh Green.

I wanted to set a different mood here, to nurture creativity and energize.

Anyhow, here it is, almost finished!

still need a carpet, the beige broadloom is ugh! The desk handles will be painted white. The desk chair is temporary until I find an affordable, comfortable, white leather version (any ideas on that one?)..

The kids have been down here all weekend doing crafts! 

It's funny that four people are in the smallest room in our home..

I can't tell you how much easier it is to have all these little bits and bobs organized..

Rainbow books! A proper home for Remington, the typewriter...

I recovered some old Ikea magnetic boards with a bit of fabric..

and found this fab picture holder there:

Those brilliant Keith Haring art cards have been patiently waiting for display. 

 A perpetual calendar, after I cut some numerals out of foam (todays project)..and hang them in the appropriate rows..

So.

Last night I sat and sewed a wee cover for my bench, and thought of my Aunt Sarah,
 who gave me that sewing machine.
She had decided at 92 she really wasn't going to be sewing much more :)
 A wonderful soul, independent, still living in her home, who placed a tree in every room at Christmas, who danced on tables at weddings...
Today I found out that she passed away last night, at the age of 94.
She would have liked this room.
It is unpretentious, and bright, and full of possibilities.. like she was. 

til next time..