I’m The Fjalkinge Of The World! Our office has made perhaps its most significant functional improvement since we started talking about it back in March. We have six spacious shelves and six extra long drawers thanks to two tall systems that flank the desk. They’re balanced looking and full of function (our previously bare wall was sorely lacking). In short: we love them. And the soft close drawers are the icing on the office cake.
It’s not finished (still want window treatments, a rug, art, a ceiling fixture, etc), but it’s inching a lot closer than it was a week ago. As weird as it sounds, I think it was having Teddy that snapped us out of our furniture placement rut and gave us a clear idea of how to move forward. Isn’t it weird how some rooms are pretty simple when it comes to the plan (even our sunroom plan with the raised and planked ceiling came to us pretty quickly) and others make you change your mind and second guess yourself a hundred times (that would be this room).
Last time we shared this with you guys, our plan was to adapt our free curbside secretary’s desk into a double-sided floating desk for both of us. At the time it felt like the best solution to cram as much function into that space and create the hyper-efficient home office that we thought we wanted.
But then a couple of things changed. Namely our minds. Over and over again. Much like our kitchen banquette concept in our last house, our hesitation to move forward with the above layout was a big hint that we hadn’t landed on the right idea yet. So we decided not to do anything until we were more sure about where we wanted to go in here. And there’s where Teddy comes in. As we mentioned in this post, our business goals have become a lot more clear to us, so the idea of a multi-tasking craft/photography studio + two full-time desks suddenly seemed a bit overblown. What we truly wanted from this room was a dedicated desk space for each of us to spread out and call our own, and a bunch of storage to finally make us feel organized again (since moving in, our work gear and files have been spread out across various places including the kitchen cabinets, the dining room buffet, and even the upstairs storage room).
With those revised goals, we decided to loosen up and go with the flow of the room a bit more. No more trying to cram four or five zones in here. We started by rotating the big desk 90 degrees to sit centered in the bay window.
We weren’t surprised when that small change “clicked.” It was our instinct for it all along, but we had resisted it because we thought placing it long-wise was the best way to make it work for two people, and we worried it might infringe on things along that long wall since there was pressure to make that area triple-task before.
Now when we stared at that side wall, instead of wondering how we could get a handful of uses from it (craft station plus photography zone plus storage plus extra workspace), with our new simplified goals for the room, all we wanted to gain was a desk area and some good storage. At this point I’ve been working at that West Elm desk for over a year in that spot, and I’ve grown to like it. As much as I’ve heard some of you saying “I wouldn’t want to face that wall when there are windows and things to look out of” I actually prefer that spot. So much that I called dibs on that desk and insisted that we try keeping it right where it was, and just flanking it with two storage systems, which was one of our first instincts for the space. Sherry was psyched that she didn’t have to fight me for the big desk in the window, and we both immediately felt at peace with the new direction. Finally. We were ready to move forward in here.
After some hunting around we settled on two Ikea Fjälkinge shelves with drawers for the storage units on either side of my desk. They’re nice and solid (made of metal, and each shelf can hold 110 lbs) as well as being extremely functional because you can add as many soft-close drawers as you’d like (yes, the soft close feature makes me feel fancy). They were also wider than most bookcase/storage units, which worked well for our space, so it was a pretty easy decision.
Off to Ikea we went. It was a momentous first trip for Teddy – and as a special treat, it wasn’t even the usual Ikea we normally go to. Nope, they were out of stock so we drove an extra 90 minutes to one in Maryland. My forced smiled below is poorly concealing my concerns about braving the beltway traffic, but we tried to time our trip to minimize it, and it wasn’t too bad in the end.
Here’s our haul back at home (minus some other miscellaneous items). The boxes in the back plus the long packs are the shelves, while the four up front are the pairs of drawers.
The shelves themselves were pretty easy to put together, although it did require an extra set of hands to hold the posts in place while the base and top were screwed on. What my extra set of hands lacks in endurance, she makes up for in cuteness.
Here’s what the two frames looked like when we first got them up, along with a couple of the bottom shelves. We considered putting a bit more “air” between the desk and the shelves, but I liked how cozy it felt with them all abutted. Plus, it makes the shelves more accessible from my desk. Told you my spot is better than Sherry’s floating desk. #officerivalry
Before adding more shelves or assembling the drawers, we took a moment to get these puppies leveled (there are adjustable feet on the bottom) and anchored them both to the wall. They’re made entirely of metal (which makes them both extremely solid, and extremely heavy) so we definitely didn’t want to risk them toppling over.
They come with six shelves each (including the top and bottom) and you can buy extras, but we liked the evenly spaced arrangement shown in the Ikea catalog/website pics.
So here they are pre-drawers, which can be built into any of the middle or bottom shelves for concealed storage – which we knew we’d definitely need in this room. My accounting files and piles of receipts aren’t what you’d call “pretty.”
By this point in the construction Clara had long lost interest, but at least she stayed nearby to keep me company. The drawers were actually the most complicated (read: screw-heavy) part of the process.
After getting through the first two, I decided it’d be faster to do the remaining six all at once for efficiency. I’m certain it was the faster way to do it, but I won’t say I wasn’t intimidated by all of the materials once everything was unboxed.
So here’s everything put back together and cleaned up. We were both immediately psyched about the result. It felt right. We were finally on our way to an office that will work for the way we now see ourselves working.
Once we let go of the idea that we had to share a desk or leave a spot for photos/crafts (both of which we can easily do at the kitchen table, the dining room table, or our desks if we move our laptops) it gave us permission to create some symmetry on both the window wall and the big blank wall to the left. The two tall bookcases even casually mimic the two tall windows on the other side of the room. And they’re packed with both open and concealed storage.
In some ways this is a lighter version of the wall-to-wall built-ins that we chatted about earlier on. We like that this version feels breezier and, if our business needs or goals change in the future, it’s more flexible. And heck, our wall of magnet boards even still makes sense.
We did need to move our file / printer cabinet over to the other side of the main doorway so it didn’t crowd the bookcases, which is actually where it lived when we first moved in. It could use some art above it, but for now I’m just happy that I didn’t lose my file storage and we still have a spot for our wireless printer.
The only thing that felt “off” to me was how white everything was. We’re definitely going for one of those light/bright offices, but without anything on those big white shelves it was feeling a little stark… until Sherry got her hands on them. Accessorizing wife to the rescue. Now we just have to add a rug, some window treatments, a few pieces of wall art, a ceiling fixture, and a floor outlet for the desk and I think we’ll be there. Which is pretty amazing, considering a week ago I would have guessed that it might take us another year to figure out this whole office situation.
We’ve got more to share about how we organized the room, so we’re planning to spill those details later in the week. We both kinda went organizing-crazy since we finally have 6 shelves and 12 glorious drawers (eight in the bookcases and four in the desk) along with a filing/printer cabinet to work with. There’s even talk of a few animated gifs of the process, so if that doesn’t get you excited on this sunny Monday morning, I’m not sure what will. Donuts? Yeah, donuts usually do the trick.
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Anele @ Success Along the Weigh says
The new additions look awesome! Glad Clara stuck around to keep you company. ;-) Speaking of which, did little lady go through a growth spurt recently! She’s starting to look so grown up!
YoungHouseLove says
She must have! She’s huge, right?!
xo
s
Maureen says
Did I miss it in the post…what happened to Fiddle Fig #2? :(
YoungHouseLove says
He just got moved into the dining room!
xo
s
Jess says
John, you probably had multiple women swooning at IKEA that day. Every time my husband wears our Ergo with one of the girls, tons of women make comments to him about it. How cute it is, what a good dad he is. It’s a chick magnet! LOL
Allyson Hamilton says
I love those shelves!! They look super sturdy. Are the drawers deep enough to put hanging files in them? We keep talking about going paperless, but I still like my files for now. :)
YoungHouseLove says
I wish! We kept the Effectiv cabinet for files and our printer since the drawers are unfortunately not deep enough. You could probably fit file boxes on the shelves though, so if you didn’t get drawers, you could do a bottom row of file boxes!
xo
s
Robin O says
Good, thanks for asking this. I’ve been reading the comments looking for this answer. Bummed it won’t hold hanging files, but the filing-box idea is a decent backup option. I have two super hidiously ugly humongous filing cabinets, in my otherwise cutely decorated playroom/office, that I’ve been dying to get rid of!
Kate says
Looking at the front of that desk and knowing that the space is also a crafty area for cute kiddos….I thought that chalkboard/magnetic paint on the desk front might be cool and the perfect level for the kiddos!
xoxo K
Lindsey says
It looks soooooooo pretty… and airy and sunny… and soooooo pretty! I love how it turned out and I can’t wait to see what you do for window treatments and a rug. For some reason I’m craving a dark color in there for some bold contrast. Maybe something navy with a bold pattern? I’ll be on the edge of my seat until that post!
Lorie@ How Lovely It Is says
How did I not know Ikea had these shelves??? They really are quite lovely! Great job on the office, I’m loving all the pops of color.
marianne says
That big green shaggy rug you had in your last home’s den would have looked cool in there! I love it! Perfect solution to the space.
Jean says
Looks great! Or, as Clara would say, it’s like a dream come true! :) Those Ikea shelving units look perfect. I think the big desk needs a chair that swivels, so Sherry can spin around and look outside whenever a little break is needed.
Anamarie Rebori says
I’m loving the all white furniture! Looks great.
Sally says
Love, love, love. You guys are so awesome and inspirational.
Thanks for opening up your home and hearts to us.
Sally
Fiona says
What about the plant in the corner? Where is the red container from?? (is it ceramic or plastic?)
YoungHouseLove says
That’s from Lowe’s. It’s plastic but sort of ceramic looking (I had to knock on it to tell in the store).
xo
s
Fiona says
And the black stand it’s sitting on…is that part of the planter or separate?
YoungHouseLove says
That’s just a little rolling plant stand (separate) that’s also from Lowe’s.
xo
s
jan klein says
I am in love! I have a chair similar to the green one. Would you share the paint color? I would love to paint mine. A pop of color would really shake up the space.
YoungHouseLove says
Here’s the post with the chair info for ya! https://www.younghouselove.com/2011/10/color-me-happy/
xo
s
Amber says
I love it all! Do you think you’ll still use this room for your Christmas tree?
YoungHouseLove says
Good question! I think the jury is still out. It would be easy enough to move the desk but we’re not sure if we will…
xo
s
Nicole Stone says
I love your potted tree! Where would I find a similar pot? And is it on wheels? Genius!
YoungHouseLove says
Thanks Nicole! The pot and rolling stand are both from Lowe’s.
xo
s
Dawn says
First, *clap clap clap* on turning the desk. It looks like it belonged there the entire time. Love the new office layout!
Second, the name of those Ikea shelves looks like it might rhyme with Phoebe Buffet’s alter ego Regina Fa-I-can’t-spell-it. Remember?
Third, you were at “my” Ikea. That’s neat. :)
YoungHouseLove says
Haha! Regina Phalange!
xo
s
Mary says
I love this space!! It’s gorgeous! Where is the kids desk from?
YoungHouseLove says
We made that from an old door! Here’s that post for you: https://www.younghouselove.com/2011/12/a-door-turned-desk-turned-tinier-desk/
xo
s
Dawn says
Oh – and the red pot + the green of that fig tree = gorgeousness.
Kimberley says
Love the office! I’m with you on the desk facing the wall. I know it may seem strange to some, but I find that I’m better focused (I work from home as well) when I’m not staring outside wishing I could be there instead of at my desk. The bookcases flank it nicely and make such a cohesive looking space. Nice work as usual!
Dawn Lowe says
Wow it’s really coming along :) I have to say I really do miss the more frequent postings from you guys. (I swear I’m not a stalker!) ;) But I do understand and I’m so happy that you guys have found a good work/life balance now that you have your new little one. When reading a blog like this, even though I don’t do the DIY thing, which includes all the family stuff too, it really makes us fans feel like we know you. So we miss you when you’re not around. :) Can’t wait to see how the office finishes up :)
YoungHouseLove says
Thanks so much Dawn!
xo
s
Heather {A Fire Pole in the Dining Room} says
Nice! We picked up a smaller fjalkinge self to add some greenery to a corner of the firehouse. I was very impressed by how sturdy it is. I don’t envy you for having to build all those drawers! Assembling two was plenty for me.
http://afirepoleinthediningroom.com/2014/05/08/this-means-i-need-a-green-thumb-right/
YoungHouseLove says
Love that you got the little one and put plants on it! Really cute!
xo
s
Brooke says
Oh my goodness, I love it! Your blog makes me feel so inspired to actually do things (especially decor-wise) instead of just dreaming about it. I think these shelves might be the solution to my bedroom storage problem instead of a simple dresser. Congrats and thanks for the inspiration/idea! I can’t wait to see the rest in particular what rug you get and from where. Good luck!
Summer says
Looks great! I got all obsessed with the idea that the desk(s) needed to be symmetrical like you… wasn’t fully convinced till the end of the post! — but now I see that it’s perfect!
Question: our printer just died, and it seems all its predecessors are monstrous. So, we’re considering concealed printer-storage options. Is yours inside the Effectiv? Did you hack it to get it in there? Thanks!
YoungHouseLove says
It’s an HP Photosmart C4780. We’re not in love with it (it’s somewhat quirky) but it does fit into the Effectiv and we didn’t have to hack it or anything.
xo
s
Summer says
Thanks!
Christi says
Summer,
We have the Air printer from Epson and love it since it is wireless from our PC, iPads and iPhones and it was under $100 on amazon.com. The quality is great and it is small so it can be stored away and easily pulled out!
Just thought you should know!
Summer says
Thanks, Christi! Appreciate the tip!
Micalla says
This looks so great! How often do you work at your desks? I know when I occasionally work at home, I find myself working at my desk AND multiple places around the house. Any advice for workplace gypsies like me? ;)
YoungHouseLove says
I would set up your desk to be as comfortable as possible (chair you like, so you don’t pick the couch – a pretty candle to burn that makes you feel productive, etc). I’m sort of a workplace gypsy sometimes (where the kids go, I usually follow) but I feel like I get more done at my desk where everything’s at arm’s reach.
xo
s
Samantha @ Fabulous Fabris says
Wow! This looks great… I’m really loving that coral painted potted plant in the corner ;)
Chase says
That’s a place I’d love to work every day!
Sarah @ Sarah's Daybook says
Ahhh!!! I can’t even tell you how gorgeous this looks! I thought just something was off in the old arrangement, and kept telling myself that you guys were going to do *something* to make it look amazing, and here it is! It looks in-credible. Were you maybe thinking of putting some smaller bookcases in front of your desk, Sherry? Not that you need any more storage, though! Or maybe you can paint your name on it with big, primary colors, just so that people knows what’s what. #justkidding #pleasedon’t
Hope you guys had a great weekend, and what a lovely picture of Clara at age 4! My my, the years go fast :) I’m 15 and I swear that I was 7 just yesterday. Haha.
Sarah
http://www.sarahsdaybook.wordpress.com
YoungHouseLove says
Haha, thanks Sarah! You’re so sweet!
xo
s
Steph says
Will you guys still put your christmas tree up in the bay window?
YoungHouseLove says
Good question! I think the jury is still out. It would be easy enough to move the desk but we’re not sure if we will…
xo
s
Jeanette says
Looks great! I can’t wait to read the organizational posts later this week – I’m in a slump trying to unpack our home office and I feel the start of some major inspiration! :-)
Martha says
I’m assuming you still have then somewhere . . . what about trying out the curtains from Clara’s nursery in the office? They were always a favorite of mine!
YoungHouseLove says
That would be fun! Wish we had more panels (just have four) but we could try one on the smaller windows. Will have to check it out!
xo
s
Yvonne @ Sunnyside Up-Stairs says
I’m trying to push myself to go bolder than I normally would want, and in my mind that means dark colors, including a dark purple I never thought I would paint 5 pieces of furniture. Now I’m thinking, maybe the bold thing for me would be to go light and bright. Or, maybe I am thinking that because your office looks like a place I want to work, too. :) Mahalo for the inspiration, Petersiks!
Raquel says
I probably zoned out after seeing your trip to Ikea. We are finally getting one here in St. Louis and I can’t wait! Need shelves, just pop to Ikea :)
Martha says
WHAT? Really?? WHEN?
Jess says
Wow! It looks amazing! It’s funny how some rooms seem to take forever to reveal their purpose to you. I had a room like that that took 4 years for me to figure it out! I can’t wait to see the close-ups of the shelf styling- it looks so beautiful!
Stephanie B. says
Have you guys ever thought about doing some sort of “branding” art for the office (i.e. something YHL or Young House Love spelled out?) – I think I noticed a “Young House Love” sign (?) on a bookshelf in the showhouse, is that yours? I loved it!
YoungHouseLove says
Weren’t those metal letters cool? They were from a local shop called Modern Artifacts. It would be fun to work in some YHL references in the office here too!
xo
s
Maureen says
I don’t know if anyone has asked this, but will you be posting about any changes in your traffic/money flow since you have lightened up on blog posts? I know you had said that you knew it would be affected, but I was wondering if you are indeed seeing a difference in those areas.
Love the office arrangement by the way!
YoungHouseLove says
Thanks Maureen! Fewer posts definitely translate to less traffic. Maybe after the summer we can write a post with more details (traffic is always somewhat inconsistent during the summer, so waiting for it to settle in the fall will make it easier to analyze/compare I think).
xo
s
Maureen @Altes Haus says
Cool! The number geek in me is quite excited. :)
Nina D says
Wait. Your accounting files are unattractive? How can that be?? :-)
Now, please don’t take this the wrong way, but I am a bit OCD about wires and cords. They are the bane of my existence. Where I can cover/disguise them, I do. Where I can’t, well, its the first thing my eye goes to and it. makes. me. crazy.
So, where you’ve moved the file with your wireless printer, you’ve had to snake to cords to an outlet on a perpendicular wall. Does it make you crazy and will you address it? Or are you all normal and blase and whatever about it. Just curious!
The office space looks great, BTW!
YoungHouseLove says
Made him crazy enough to switch it out for a white cord we had in another room! Haha! Blends in better now.
xo
s
Jordan says
These shelves are perfect for my office! Are the drawer pulls removable? They would be great painted gold. Or can you leave them off all together and do some cute anthro knobs on the front? I’m running to IKEA now! Thanks!
YoungHouseLove says
Yes! John and I talked about spraying those gold like my desk’s hardware! They are removable and you could use cute knobs instead too.
xo
s
Diana says
I love finally figuring out what fits, that light bulb moment. So exciting!
And jealous that you have 2 IKEA options that close! Our nearest one is about 3 hours so not someplace we can run to easily! (Although, that might be a good thing…)
Megan says
Such a great Monday post! So bright and cheery… loving the pops of color vs the white. And that fig/pot – just perfect! My only “off” feeling is the chairs. Have you considered a matching set? I feel like something to anchor the room and connect your work spaces may be the final touch!
YoungHouseLove says
Yes we are still debating chair stuff, so those are just what we had on hand. I think a rug and window treatment should help too!
xo
s
Stephanie @ Whole Health Dork says
Looks fabulous! Can’t wait to see how you utilized the shelves and drawers! So. Much. Storage!
elaine - Visual Meringue says
I love the nice and bright feel you have going on. The new shelves look great and I love how Sherry styled them with nice hits of colour. Looking good!
Lee Ann says
That was all the inspiration I needed this morning … have just torn apart all the cluttered shelves here at work and started throwing away and reorganizing! Let’s hope the organizing bug lasts until I get home after work … home office, look out!
Candace says
WELCOME TO MY IKEA!
…. also, damn you for making me want to go to Ikea right this very second! Better start making a list.
Maya says
Have you thought about trying out the rug that is in Clara’s room there? Assuming she’d be willing to share :)
YoungHouseLove says
That could be fun too! Not sure if she’d be sad to lose her “ocean” though!
xo
s
Pat S says
Looks great!! I’m jealous. :-)
Denise says
The office looks so bright and cheery and I love those bookshelves. Yesterday I was watching a rerun of Nate Berkus and it just so happened to be the one where the both of you are judges on the show. I loved seeing that again!!
YoungHouseLove says
So funny that they still rerun that!
xo
s
Nicole says
Interested to learn where your printer cabinet is from…. Try to find it sourced somewhere else, but not finding it…. Love the new bookcases… Great solution
YoungHouseLove says
Thanks! It’s the Effectiv from Ikea but they discontinued it!
xo
s
Liz || Shopping My Closet says
Looks fantastic – I really am digging the “airy-ness” of the room!
Liz @ http://www.shoppingmycloset.com
Katie says
Love the progress! Such a long way from the blue trim!! What a great choice with the IKEA shelving. It looked pretty “sterile” but the accessories make it look great!
Jen says
Are you thinking of switching up the chairs at all? New ones? Paint?
YoungHouseLove says
Those are just what we have right now, so I’m sure they’ll get updated or updated as we go!
xo
s