Young House Love

Home Decorating & DIY Tutorials

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How To Add Some Office Organization

Our office looked like this when we first laid eyes on the house.

Office Before

Then it looked like this on moving day.

Office

 And here’s what it looks like about a week and a half into living here.

Office Main

On one hand, it doesn’t look THAT crazy. I mean there could be a llama standing in the middle of the rug eating popcorn. But on the other hand, this room has a LONG way to go before it’s functional for two working adults (yup, we currently only have one desk going on). And the whole all-furniture-against-the-wall-with-a-little-round-rug-in-the-middle thing is a little weird.

As for what we’re envisioning down the line, we’d love to have some sort of double desk action going on (probably floating or as a peninsula so it’s attached to one wall on the side) with lots of storage and some awesome organization stuff in play. So a few images that are currently inspiring us for this room are:

  • this one (maybe we can add built-ins and a window seat under the bay window?)
  • this one (additional shelving might be handy, and I love how these don’t all line up)
  • this one (those glass fronted cabinets! Me-ow!)
  • this one (cool beams for architecture, fun lighting, graphic curtains, and lots of storage)

While we let things percolate and brainstorm what we really want to gain from the space, I like to gaze at the things that I like in the meantime. Like this corner. Clara reads/hangs out in the chair, and a big leafy green plant in a long low window = one of my favorite things.

Office Corner

Here’s the corner on the other side of the bay window. We leaned our big chalkboard there, and Clara has already been tagging it up, so we like the idea of having some zones for her along with eventually having two functional work areas for us.

Office Corner2

It’s the lightest/brightest room in the whole house, which is just right for an office and a spot for Clara to come in and hang with us, so it’s nice that it worked out that way. This was originally a formal living room, but we don’t need a family room and a living room, and we love a cozy living/family room in the back of the house (where nobody can see our TV glowing from the street). And since that room in the back was also off of the kitchen and in close proximity to the deck along with having a fireplace, we thought the light and bright room that was somewhat closed off from other spaces was the best spot for an office.

Here’s the other side of the room, where the storage/function that we do have is currently residing. The Ikea bookcase on the right was in our sunroom, but that’s an awesome addition since we lost the built-in cabinetry from our previous office. The filing cabinet on the left was always in our office (it’s from Ikea with Hobby Lobby handles) so that’s where the printer hides along with a bunch of files on the bottom shelf.

Office Back Wall

And I can’t believe I’m a blogger who hasn’t put my books in color order yet. Hello? Have I been living under a rock? Turns out it’s fun and takes about ten minutes. I used to wonder “but is it harder to find books because they’re arranged by color instead of topic/author?” But let’s be real. I never arrange them by anything (not by topic, color, or even by size – I usually just randomly stack them everywhere. So it’s just as easy to find them as before, and maybe even faster if I remember one as having a certain colored cover (then I just have to look on that shelf and can ignore 80% of the other books on the bookcase).

Office Bookcase

Among the books are a few file boxes, some notebooks and post its, receipt storage, and little desktop things like our pig speaker dock, a bajillion pencils, and a tiered little white box from Target a few years back with three “inboxes” for storing things like tear sheets, printouts, and other worky stuff. And that’s my little cork board from my closet leaning up against the wall (thought that might be helpful for work stuff – maybe if we frame it out and properly hang it up?).

This shot is just funny to me because it demonstrates that no matter how much help a room might need, if you get close enough, you can usually find something sweet. Crop, crop, baby.

Vignette

Although my favorite shot of the room so far is this one. Sure the lighting’s harsh and it’s a little crooked, but I walked by and saw Clara playing in that big bay window and it was perfect.

Clara Playing

Just like that detail shot two pictures ago demonstrated that moving closer can strategically crop the weird stuff out, this picture is a funny reminder that moving further away can conversely reveal even more to be done. Like more blue trim to paint, more wallpaper to strip…

Foyer Right Side

… and more old carpeting to send packing.

Foyer Left Side

We’ll get there someday.

Psst- Last night we shared our favorite video of all time on Young House Life. Oh man, that kid.

Comments

  2. Vanessa says

    My teenage nieces are weirdly obsessed with llamas and would find a llama eating popcorn in their house just about the coolest and funniet thing ever! Not crazy at all! The house is looking wonderful! Those wood floors upstairs are swoon worthy and I am sure the rest of the house will be just as “swoony” (yep…that is totally a word) soon!

    Reply

  3. Annabel Vita says

    Putting in my vote for some glass-fronted cabinets here! I have one full of trinkets and treasures and books and it’s such a JOY that none of the stuff needs dusting (our house gets dusty in 0.5 seconds). I also really like the Ikea Billy bookshelves that have a door that’s glass up top and solid below so you have a nice mix of on show and hidden storage.

    Reply

    • Anna-Lisa says

      I vote for glass-front cabinets too – I’m imagining a modern take on a study/home library, since the room is big enough for more than just desks.

      Also, I might be crazy and it might totally clash with the green things already in the room, but would the rug from y’all’s last living room work in here?

    • Marcee .... ILLINOIS says

      YES! Wow … for sure you are off to a grand beginning. What a lovely house.

      All your current “picks” are fabulous …. so nice. I absolutely adore those yellow bookshelves. Extra space for junk is the best invention …. ever. They are glassed-in right? This lady is not fond of dust-bunnies. Been doing the daily cleaning toooo long.

      Keep on posting …. we will keep on reading!

  5. Anele @ Success Along the Weigh says

    It’s so weird not seeing your space all polished and modern but I know patience come to those who wait! I’m sure you’re much more anxious to ‘get on that’ than we are though! Off to the other blog, I love Clara vids! She’s a sweetie!

    Reply

  6. Wendy @ New Moms Talk says

    One of my Dad’s favorite movies is *Dead Poet’s Society* because it taught him to take a different perspective. Perhaps cropping or zooming in/out is photo version of that. :-)

    Way to go on finding and enjoying beauty in all of the moments!

    Reply

  7. Anne @ Planting Sequoias says

    That Clara picture is a keeper for sure! I LOVE all of the natural light you guys get. I can’t see a window from my little cubicle and must work by the flickering light of a florescent bulb…my job is pretty glamorous. :)

    Reply

  8. Melody says

    When I see all your stuff in place for now, I think what a workout it’s going to be to move it in order to do your stripping and painting! Were you guys ever tempted to do all the walls before you moved in? Would you ever dream of owning and redoing an empty house all before you moved in?

    Reply

    • YoungHouseLove says

      Nah, it typically takes us a few years to paint all the rooms of a house (just because we like to pick colors as we go and take our time with that). So we’d probably end up repainting stuff if we rushed into doing all the rooms at once before we moved in anyway. I’m grateful that it’s not a big deal for us to move furniture and paint rooms (I think we’ve done that 20+ times or so, haha).

      xo
      s

  9. April says

    It’s going to look awesome when all that blue trim is gone! YUCK!!! The layout looks great and I like Clara’s desk in front of the bay window to look outside.

    Reply

  10. Janelle @ Two Cups of Happy says

    The natural light in that room is beautiful. I would love to see built-ins and a window seat! That would be a sweet little nod to the history of your home. I like how it kind of serves as a playroom too, to keep Clara busy while you work. Working from home doesn’t always have to mean locked up in a room. I much prefer open spaces!

    Reply

  11. Alicia says

    I love the idea of a window seat with storage! I always wanted one as a kid…oddly inspired by Brenda Walsh!

    Reply

  12. Jamie@addsomecharacter says

    We’re in the midst of our office redesign and we’ve been so focused on adding character to the door frames and getting the stencil on the wall that we haven’t really thought about the other fun stuff like built ins and decorations. We love the sunshine and brightness of your new office! Thanks for your inspirations, can’t wait to see what it looks like once you tackle the trim and walls!

    Reply

    • Marcee .... ILLINOIS says

      Haaa. Sooo funny. Remember though …. Candice has tons of assistants + helpers making decisions. The outcome is (usually) gorgeous {{but}} we rarely see all the burps along the way. Only gripe re CO = she uses too much very heavy fabrics/materials.

      P.S. Sherry …. Clara’s train set is adorable! Does she play w/it? Several months ago I purchased (4) Thomas pieces for my adorable 2 year old great-niece …. a 2013 holiday gift!

  15. Peggy says

    I’m so jealous of your Real Wood Windows! Your house has beautiful classic details; I’m looking forward to seeing the modern spin y’all will put on it.

    Reply

  16. jillian says

    Loving this look so far and can’t wait to see what you come up with! Just curious, do you think you’ll create a wall of frames again? It looked so beautiful in your last house! :)

    Reply

    • YoungHouseLove says

      I’m gunning for one but John doesn’t just want to clone anything from the last house unless we find the perfect spot for it, so we’ll have to see where we end up!

      xo
      s

  17. Dawn says

    I think you should have an island type desk in the middle of the room so you and John can gaze longingly at one another (and still gaze out the windows too). lol Being up against walls would be very non-inspiring. At least in your last house you had a window between you guys so it broke up the staring at a wall effect.

    Reply

    • YoungHouseLove says

      Haha! We’re still trying to decide if it’s more functional to face each other or to have our computers on the same side so we can stay seated but see each other’s screens if we’re working on stuff together. Either way we envision desks in the middle of the room (either fully floating or a peninsula coming out like this – but different colors/finishes of course).

      xo
      s

    • Jill says

      This is a bit unorthodox, but what about an L-shaped floating desk arrangement?

      Like this: http://i.imgur.com/LrV7wxe.jpg

      It’d make it easier for you to show each other your screens, and you’d each get to look out a window too (green desk is facing the bay, and blue desk is facing the other window).

    • YoungHouseLove says

      I actually LOVE that idea Jill. You’re a genius. The only tough thing would be making the cords work since nothing connects to the wall like a peninsula would, but maybe getting a floor outlet would only be $100 or something, which we’d totally consider!

      xo
      s

    • Sandra says

      AGREE!!! So glad to hear you are thinking of in the middle of the roomish. Sticking yourselves in front of a wall like that would be so un-inspiring!
      I also think it would be awesome to have that as a large counter top, thinking 4′ deep, so that Clara could do crafts on it, of course then you have to have space to move other objects…but I know a 4′ wide area would be helpful in my house for crafts/wrapping gifts.

    • Jill says

      Oh yay! I’m crossing my fingers for you then that the floor outlet is cheap!

      Then you could use that whole long wall (the one without windows or doorways) as a giant Youngster workshop mood board – bulletin board, chalk board, inspiring art. So fun!

    • emily says

      I always think I have a great idea to share, only to find that someone has already made the suggestion in the comments way ahead of me! I think an island desk is perfect for this room, and makes your office more its own and not a replica or too-close-descendant of your past offices. Can’t wait to see what you come up with!

  18. Susan says

    You ended up getting the Jonathan Adler zebra dish! So cute. I also didn’t know you had a big plant like that. I need to get a large plant/tree for our family room. Do you have any recommendations for someone who isn’t particularly good with plants? Seems like fiddle leaf figs are big in decorating magazines.

    Reply

  19. Sarah says

    One vote for beams on the ceiling! I love that look and I think this room would be perfect for it. I also love the pop of color you could incorporate with a glass fronted cabinet. Can’t wait to see the progression no matter how long you ponder over decisions. We painted our whole house when it was empty and now, two years later, I’d like to change everything, haha! It did give us a nice “fresh” feeling when we moved in but longevity wise it wasn’t the wisest decision. Ah, live and learn :).

    Reply

  21. Lynn @ Our Useful Hands says

    Good morning guys. I like the open shelved concept option. I am visualizing some randomly sized bold color painted wood shelves placed strategically all around the room perhaps? And I can’t wait till you are at the chandelier/lighting phase. I have a hunch you might go with someone close to home for your options. ;o)

    My best, Lynn

    Reply

  22. LauraC says

    I like the office shot facing the stairs. I can imagine floor to ceiling built-ins there, on either side of the door, cozying up the room and adding tons of storage!

    Reply

  23. Katie says

    I’m loving your return to real-time, real-life blogging. And I really love getting to see all your things in their new places! I’m glad to see that Clara is adjusting perfectly well. She seems to be happy just about anywhere. Have a wonderful weekend in the new house!

    -Katie at AdventuringAtHome

    Reply

    • YoungHouseLove says

      Aw thanks Katie! We’re loving the back-to-basics thing too (like how we blogged about our first house). It’s thrilling to get to really think about things before rushing into something :)

      xo
      s

  24. Jackie says

    People that stay in the bedroom in your first inspiration pic must give the neighbors quite a show! If you flank the bay window with built-ins, what kind of curtain/blind/shade options would you consider? Really great ideas – can’t wait to see where it ends up!

    Reply

    • YoungHouseLove says

      Never even thought about that. Hmm… maybe something inside mounted, like white faux wood blinds that could be pulled up to mostly hide them but then lowered and closed at night? Do they make those for bay windows? I don’t even know. I think for ours we don’t need as much privacy since we don’t want to be in there at night anyway (we might make it intentionally uncomfortable at night to force ourselves out, haha!).

      xo
      s

    • Jackie says

      I’m sure it exists! Some pictures showed three individual panels of blinds inside mounted. Looks pretty.

  25. Sherri says

    You are making it look like home already. What an awesome room with all that light and a bay window. And Clara obviously is embracing it! Btw, I was flipping through a “Family Circle,” and I saw the tips from the “Crafty Couple.” It’s very cool when you two show up in magazines. I also saw a comment from Emily Henderson’s blog( after announcing her pregnancy) when a reader asked if she was familiar with YHL and how they manage to do it all with a child, etc. She said she was a “massive fan” of yours and had positive things to say about you. What a fan base you guys have!!

    Reply

    • YoungHouseLove says

      Aw, Emily’s the best. And you’re so sweet. It was funny to see the Family Circle thing too! We didn’t know when it would come out so it popped up and surprised us. Very grateful to be included :)

      xo
      s

  26. Jenny@EvolutionofStyle says

    What a gorgeous space you have to work with to create another awesome home office. Love your inspiration photos – especially the ones with the built-in window seat. Can’t wait to see what you come up with in here.

    Reply

  27. Alissa says

    I’m liking your set-up-some-rooms-so-we-have-someplace-to-live-and-work-without-moving-mess-craziness plan. Which spaces of your home have become the box graveyards and chaos areas?

    Reply

    • YoungHouseLove says

      Thankfully we only had like 7 boxes this time (we did small trips back and forth in the car for a few weeks leading up to moving day and then just put big stuff (unboxed) on the truck. We definitely have rooms that look crazy though (the spare room just has a rug and some random items but is mostly bare/empty, the unfinished storage room is packed with chaos, etc). Can’t wait to share how each space evolves as we go :)

      xo
      s

  29. CM says

    OK, you’ve just convinced me to try arranging my books by color — you’re totally right, I just shove them in wherever anyway, so why not? For some reason I also always thought, “But it doesn’t make sense to arrange them that way and they’ll be hard to find!” As if all my bookshelves are organized by the Dewey Decimal system right now.

    Reply

  30. Ann Marie @ whitehouseblackshutters says

    As crazy as it sounds, I think the blue trim really works in this space! Maybe it looks weird in person and probably bothers you but in these shots, it adds interest. So there you go, let that be an excuse as to why you guys can put that project off for now. ;)

    Love the arrangement!

    Reply

    • Lisa W says

      I totally agree that the blue trim looks good in the after shots! With the curtains it looked dark and dated, but without them and with all that light and their cute furnishings I actually like it!

  31. Suzy8track says

    Totally envious of those gorgeous windows and all the natural light coming into that room. Looks like its starting to come together, but I’m in agreement Dawn and like the idea of moving the desk to the center of the room.

    Reply

  32. Shannon says

    It is so funny. I, too, work from home and whenever we are giving the house tour, I always say my office is where the magic happens. :-) Happy Friday, y’all!

    Reply

  33. Olivia says

    I can’t believe how good the office and living room look already considering you just moved in 30 seconds ago. Amazing!

    Reply

  34. ColleenwithMurals&More says

    I’m getting ready to move in a week or so. I’m in that mixed mode of I’msoexcited-thiscan’tbehappening. Although it’s a rental so I’ll have to think outside the box in a few rooms, I keep hanging out here for inspiration/motivation.

    Although I do have 25 years on you guys which is my Pass Go card for a free nap when Overwhelm sets in.

    Reply

  35. Connie says

    I think it’s totally looking like a home! I know you guys have lots of plans, but least after one week it already looks comfy and functional.

    Reply

  36. Martha says

    What do you mean there is only one desk? Tell Clara to scoot over – Sher-Dog is definitely short enough to share Clara’s desk for now, right?

    Reply

  37. Eri says

    Aaaand the last photo is a sneak-peek… right? Next up, the dining :)

    I love where the office is. It makes it mentally and physically easier to separate business and private, methinks.

    Reply

  39. Charlotte @ Ciburbanity says

    The ‘in betweens’ are always so interesting to look back on! I felt like each of my rooms was pretty close and then I look back and realize how much I rearranged things when we first moved in!

    I did a similar post a few months ago about how easily it is to “fake” a beautiful vignette when you simply zoom in to crop the chaos! http://ciburbanity.com/2013/04/16/faking-it/

    Probably a metaphor in there for life somewhere… or at least a good band name! Crop the chaos!

    xo
    Charlotte

    Reply

  41. JenM says

    I don’t know about the toxicity of this product, but we used GARDZ (sp?) to paint over wallpaper in a bathroom. It seals/hardens the paper into something you can then retexurize and paint over without the mess of wallpaper removal. I had to search to find one can left at a Sherwin Williams, but it definitely worked just as a contractor told us it would.

    Reply

    • Christine says

      When my husband bought his first condo, it had wallpaper in the kitchen, dining room and bathroom. And the wallpaper had been put up on raw drywall. No primer. So when the wallpaper was removed, it took the paper backing of the drywall with it. !! My husband used Gardz to create a paintable surface on the trashed wallboard. Took several coats, and sanding, but it worked.

    • Hanna says

      We had a similar problem where our wallpaper was put on plaster (really old plaster). The wallpaper peeled right off but removing the wallpaper glue started to crumble the plaster. I ended up coating the entire room in joint compound to even things out before I started painting.

  42. Rachel says

    Window seat!!! I love window seats so much! I really hope that’s the direction you guys go. I’ve always wanted a window seat. Maybe my next house I’ll be able to finally get one! :-)

    Reply

  43. Jadah Sellner says

    This is awesome! I love that you incorporated a kids area throughout the space. My daughter is 5, and I know she likes to be in the same room as me. I love the chalk board playing as a creative space for the kids but also a way to jot down notes for the tall human beings in the house. I think I have a new DIY project on my hands my office + play and work place for my daughter combined.

    Reply

    • YoungHouseLove says

      That one’s from Home Depot and I forget the name but both Clara and Burger have been great with it (we’ve had it around 5 months and there has been no nibbling, haha). Anyone know what this is for Jess? Or have other kid/dog friendly plant ideas?

      xo
      s

  45. Cassie says

    ” And the whole all-furniture-against-the-wall-with-a-little-round-rug-in-the-middle thing is a little weird.”
    Um, the majority of my house is arranged like that… Maybe that’s my issue. To be fair, it’s a tiny townhouse, like 700 square feet and there are four of us living in it.

    Reply

    • YoungHouseLove says

      Oh yeah, if it’s a smaller room it makes sense since everything is closer together and the rug isn’t a deserted island. I think John put it best when he said “if your rug looks like a quarter on the floor and all the furniture is 5 feet away from it against the wall, it’s not ideal” – haha.

      xo
      s

  46. Annelies says

    Love all the light, it is such a nice room. Will be great to work there. I would put the new desk where the IKEA bookcase is standing in the moving day picture. You would then have a view on all the windows where you are working and you could use the wall behind you to hang stuff. You could keep the sofa and the ideas for the bay windows. But I’m curious to see what you will do to the room! It’s nice to be at the beginning and everything is still possible. Have a nice weekend!

    Reply

  47. Susan says

    Hi Sherry- This is such a sweet post, I just love how you guys love Clara! What an aboslute privlidge to be able to work from home and be with her all day! It’s really a dream for me, maybe someday! Thanks for sharing from your heart! Also makes me want to reorganize some things so my baby can play more easily in our office/guestroom! You are an awesome Mama!

    Reply

  49. Whitney Dupuis says

    It’s coming together though! I mean, at least you have “a” place to work right? Hehehe. It will get there. Loving the updates!

    Reply

  50. Christine says

    Do llamas like popcorn? I think it’s kinda adorable already. It looks like a room where people do cool stuff.

    Reply

    • YoungHouseLove says

      Oh yeah, they can’t get enough. But they don’t like it when you put a horn on their head and call them a unicorn. Turns out it’s a huge llama insult.

      xo
      s

    • Hanna says

      Haha! It reminds me when I was little my best friend had a stuffed pegasus doll and I really wanted a unicorn (6 yr old competitive spirit) to play together. My mom had an old Stieff donkey from her childhood that she sewed a horn onto for me. Even at 6 I knew something was… not quite right. But she ended up being my very favorite friend/comfort toy. And now she is one of my three year old’s favorites. So llama-corns might be all wrong, but uni-donks are all right! :) And last three generations!

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