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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Laura F. says
You went to my Ikea, and I missed you! Of course, I only go once or twice a year, but still. :-)
The office looks great. It’s so nice to have storage to spare.
qs777 says
Looks great!
I don’t see the shelf depth on the website. Could you share that info if you get a chance? Thx.
YoungHouseLove says
They’re around 13″ deep.
xo
s
Alexandra Aimee says
This is so clean and bright! It’s really wonderful office inspiration.
— Alex at Cashmere Kangaroo
Olivia says
I so so love this office!!!! But… where did you put your other fiddleleaf fig tree?!
YoungHouseLove says
That’s in the dining room for now.
xo
s
Lindsay says
Too bad you didn’t just attempt to refinish the freebie desk – Howard’s Restor-a-Finish would have done wonders. It would have provided the balance the room needs and a nice touch of warm, vintage charm.
Hollie says
I totally think y’all need to put a young house love decal on the front of that desk in a bright color. :)
Megan says
There was a whole episode of 30 Rock about going to IKEA. lol “we, as a couple, have to go to Ikea!” (Dun, dun, duuunnnnn!) And Lutz was waiting outside for newly single women so he could swoop in. LOL
Shelves look awesome!
Carla says
This looks great! You should paint the front of that desk with chalkboard point so Teddy has somewhere to draw when he gets a little bigger.
YoungHouseLove says
Another fun idea!
xo
s
FR says
Is the website appearing a little wonky to anyone else today? The search feature and the “Wat up?” box seem to be missing.
YoungHouseLove says
So sorry FR! That should clear up if you refresh a few times. Often it’s just a wonky sidebar ad that load funny, but if you refresh it’s all good.
xo
s
FR says
Yep that did the trick. Thanks!
YoungHouseLove says
So glad!
xo
s
Danielle says
I’m surprised to see you used Ikea shelves in here – why didn’t you decide to custom build something like you did in the nursery. I just thought this being your forever home you were looking to sort of up your ante in terms of more forever looking pieces. I just find that the ikea stuff looks cheap with all the holes showing in it for the shelves (this coming from someone who has ikea “built ins” in my living room, but some day i’d like to replace with more professional carpenter made built ins…
YoungHouseLove says
John touched on that in this post as well as some previous ones, but although we considered built-ins, we liked more flexibility in case our needs change over time. We also worried that built-ins would make our bay window look off center (they’d cramp the space next to it on one side if they went from wall to wall).
xo
s
TIna says
I’m looking forward to seeing how the drawers work to organize as well. We moved plus started homeschooling and now have a tiny office and a huge family room. I’m trying to decide how to better organize/set it all up (what’s happening right now isn’t working AT ALL)… that might be a workable solution that’s not as expensive as built-ins. Or trying to build built-ins. Because 6 months later, I’m still waiting on my husband to put trim up in the bathroom we redid, we’re not the fastest DYI-ers. :)
Olivia says
Congrats on finding a layout that works for you! Can’t wait to hear about the organizing portion. Two typos for ya:
“Much like our _the_ kitchen banquette concept…”
“…although it did require _and_ extra set of hands to hold the posts”
YoungHouseLove says
Thanks Olivia!
xo
s
Ms. Weatherbee says
Cute office. IKEA drawer assembling is the worst! I once tried to “save time” by doing all the drawers at once, only to realize that I had done them all wrong. So I had to disassemble everything and start over.
Allana says
I really loved your old office…do you miss anything about that workspace?
Love how you’re incorporating the kids needs into your work space! I work from home a few days a week and while my kids are older and in school during the day, I choose to work on a desk in our living room. It can get a little loud when they get home but I prefer being on the main floor.
YoungHouseLove says
I think we really missed it a lot until we got things going in our current office, but since adding these shelves and drawers we’re both in there beaming and singing “a whole new wooooorld.”
xo
s
Lisa says
Storage envy!
I love the pops on colours you’ve added all over the place.
Do I spy the miniature fireplace I made you guys on a pile of books on the shelves on the right? So excited to see it there!
YoungHouseLove says
Yes, we love that thing Lisa! So glad to give it a spot of honor in the office!
xo
s
Sara says
I feel compelled to share that the JC Penney’s at Chesterfield Town Center had Jonathan Adler home stuff, including desk accessories, on clearance this weekend. Like 70% off clearance.
YoungHouseLove says
Thanks Sara!
xo
s
Alina says
LOVE this, I can tell the idea definitely clicked! I’m always a bit nervous to use IKEA storage for the same reason (I’m worried things will look too stark) but I love the way you personalized them!
Reenie says
Love it ~ love all the pops of color ~ love the way it’s arranged. :)
Susan says
LOVE YOUR OFFICE!…Quick Question: Right now John’s West Elm Parsons desk is selling for four hundred dollars, and that price doesn’t include shipping or tax. Is such a small desk worth that kind of money? I assume you bought your desk for a lower price. But the West Elm desk today costs as much as TWO of your fabulous new Ikea shelving units…CRAZY!
Would you buy that desk today? Is is worth that kind of money?
Thanks for the reply.
Susan
YoungHouseLove says
Eeks! We got that as a wedding gift about 7 years ago, so I’m not sure how much it was back then, but it has held up awesomely! We might be tempted to build something similar or get one of those lookalikes from Overstock since that price feels high, but it has lasted us longer than almost every other piece of furniture we’ve had since 2007 – and it still looks perfect and feels solid, so it’s definitely built well and the shiny surface holds up nicely.
xo
s
Emily, Our house now a home says
I love how it turned out, it is such a huge room. I love that your daughter started out helping you but then lost interest. My kids are the same way, big helpers and then over it. Sometimes I feel like them, over it. But no one else will do the project. And I agree, I like the shelves with all of the pops of color you put in.
Dianne Thomas says
I think you’ve just designed my new office space!!! I don’t believe I’ve seen those shelves at IKEA before but I’m going to check them out. Great post!
Jennifer says
Looks great! I also would love to see a closeup of the accessorized shelves. I need some help in that area. I feel like you have written posts about this in the past, I’m not sure. It’s especially hard with shelves like those that don’t have sides. You have nothing to lean books against at the ends.
YoungHouseLove says
Sure thing! We’re working on a post for later this week full of detailed photos of the shelves, drawers, etc. Lots of organizing!
xo
s
Courtney says
I love your office progress!(and everything else about your home and blog) I wish I had a bright, cheery space to work in instead of my windowless, closet-sized office at VCU. It’s so much easier to be productive when you have a space that feels good.
Thinking about your concern over all the white- I’m sure it will be much better once you do get a rug and some more art, etc. in there as you said, but have you thought about painting the desk a different color? Since it’s right on the midline of the space it seems like it would be the perfect piece to switch up, and wouldn’t destroy the symmetry you’ve got with the white shelving on the left and Clara’s white desk on the right. Maybe you could even wallpaper the back/side panels to create more visual interest?
YoungHouseLove says
That’s a fun idea! I think we’ll wait to see what curtains/rug/art we land on since we might like the calmness of white furniture once those layer in. If we still want some interest or color that desk is an awesome candidate for some upgrading!
xo
s
Shara says
Love your style! Wondering if you find it necessary to do anything spelcial to the chairs to prevent scratching your gorgeous wood floors? Thank you.
YoungHouseLove says
We add those little felt pads to the bottom to keep things from scratching. We get ’em in bulk at Home Depot!
xo
s
myamogabi says
I love the new arrangement. It just feels right!!
Charlotte says
I love the brightness of the office space and how Sherdog got her hands on the shelves.
Ikea trips are always an adventure, glad you found these and made them work in the office.
thanks for sharing
Judy W. says
I don’t have the time right now to read ALL the comments, so someone else might have brought this up – it’s another comment about cords.
I see that John’s computer is plugged in to an outlet behind one of the IKEA bookcases. Whenever we have had to cover an electrical outlet with a piece of furniture, we put an extension cord into the outlet with its plug end just outside its edge. That way you can reach something you can plug into and out of without moving the furniture. We’ve even done this when we have no immediate plans to plug anything in there, because, you know, things change. It sure beats taking out all the books, unbolting the bookcase from the wall, and moving it just to get at the outlet!
YoungHouseLove says
Thanks Judy! We have a surge protector on the floor that’s accessible (not behind the bookcase) so it’s a lot easier to deal with!
xo
s
Sara says
That desk is screaming for a design/decal across the front of it…
JC says
Totally random question, but I thought of you guys…
My husband and I are traveling next weekend, and will be stopping in Richmond. We would really like to stay at some type of resort (pool, restaurants, etc.) Does something like this exist there? Any recommendations?
Thanks :)
YoungHouseLove says
We hear good things about The Weston and The Jefferson. There are also some B&Bs in the downtown area but I forget what they’re called. Anyone have tips for JC?
xo
s
JC says
Thanks!! I’ll look into these!
You guys are the best :)
Jessie says
Is this furniture permanent? Or is it part of phase one? I’m really sorry-I love the huge desk in the window, but the Ikea shelves and the desk between them look very temporary, like a college dorm. I think a house with as much potential as yours needs quality furniture. And the colors are so light the room looks like it wants to float away. You need more wood tones to ground everything. And the green chair-same issue. But if it’s just part of phase one, I understand that!
YoungHouseLove says
I agree that the room feels unfinished and isn’t grounded yet, but I think a rug, window treatments, art, and a light fixture can all help with that. The chair is just what we have now, so it’s not a final choice or anything like that. We don’t have any plans for a formal Phase 2 in here, but we’re sure this room will evolve if/when our needs and working patterns change. That’s one of the reasons we love the new storage/shelves, because they’re nice and flexible!
xo
s
Deborah says
We love Ikea! I just bought three of the Fjalkinge shelves for my kids’ play room last month – mainly to hold their massive lego collection. I really liked that they felt sturdy and I could pick up extra shelves for more display room. Can’t wait to see what else you did.
Katherine says
These units would be perfect for me if the drawers were actually lateral file drawers. Wouldn’t that be awesome? This has now spurred a scurry of googling terms like “lateral file cabinets with shelves on top” and “File drawers in shelves” …. yeah, no luck, really.
Nice office progress!
YoungHouseLove says
Agreed! It would be awesome if they sold double deep ones for file storage!
xo
s
Susan says
Looks very nice. What kind if plant is in the red pot? Is it real? Is it a good plant for lots of sun, but someone who is not up good w houseplants? Thanks.
YoungHouseLove says
It’s a fiddle leaf fig that I got from Home Depot. I’m not great with plants but so far I have kept it alive with watering and some mostly-indirect sun.
xo
s
Katie says
I love your desk turned that way! I’m secretly glad you didn’t end up cutting the back of it like you originally mentioned! I bet you are glad now too haha:)
YoungHouseLove says
AMEN! That’s one big lesson in “wait until you’re sure!”
xo
s
Jen says
Looks great guys! Would you ever consider adding more pics to your house tour page that show more angles of each room? I feel like I forget some of the nooks and crannies when I try to go back and remember projects.
YoungHouseLove says
Yes, we’d love to do that! Thanks for the suggestion Jen!
xo
s
Jennie says
I love how it’s coming together! Looks very pleasant and sunny … nice!
Missy S says
This looks great, the styling on the shelves is so pretty! I would love to know how you handle your wifi in your home? Does it work well and do you have a big router or just one in that office? I am struggling with keeping my wifi up with teenagers and the xbox and netflix!
YoungHouseLove says
We have a big router thing in the garage (we have Verizon Fios) and it all works nicely for the most part. Our cell service could be better here though! Haha!
xo
s
Milky says
Okay, so that reminds me I’ve been wondering do you guys ever get sick of having to defend your decisions? I’ve noticed a lot in your comments that people will ask, why don’t you put that xyz over there, or why isn’t that baby-proofed, or why do you have so many xyz?
Your answers (even to things that have actually been addressed in your post) are always so patient! I wouldn’t always be so polite, but maybe that’s just me :)
I did like your “stop asking me if I’m pregnant!” post. Perhaps you need a “stop questioning our personal decisions!” post.
Really, PP, with asking to check the insides of their drawers?? :)
YoungHouseLove says
We definitely have gotten used to people asking us for extra details, but I love chatting with you guys – and we all know every household does things differently and we all use/decorate/kid-proof our houses in different ways so it’s all good :)
xo,
s
Yalanda @ Laugh Anyway says
I love how clean, fresh and open your spaces always look. I’ve been following for at least 3 years, and I don’t think I’ve ever said so. And while I’m at it, can I also say that I’m always so proud of your accomplishments? It’s like I brag about you as if you’re my real-life down the street friends, lol! Maybe it’s because if I did know you, I’m 99.9% sure we’d get along swimmingly :)
YoungHouseLove says
You’re so sweet Yalanda! Thanks!
xo
s
Emily says
Perhaps this is written somewhere, but what is the pre-existing desk/table that’s between the new shelves? Is that IKEA too? It might be just the thing we need for our office, which needs a double desk.
YoungHouseLove says
That was a wedding gift seven years ago. It was from West Elm – and they actually still make it!
xo
s
Ash B says
Love those shelves, especially with the even spaces shelves like that! In fact, we just bought 4 sets for some serious wall-to-wall, library-style storage for our home office. Great minds…
YoungHouseLove says
Ooh I bet four sets will look awesome! Send pics!
xo
s
Cathy Ropiski says
No matter how many incarnations your rooms have they always look great! Love what you morphed your office into! IKEA rocks! Keep up the great work!
Emily @ Life on Food says
I like how the room is ending up. I am wondering what rug color you will go with as the accessories are all sorts of colors. I always get overwhelmed with the options at IKEA and end up leaving with nothing but a few do-dads here and there. Between this and the built-ins for the nursery I would say you are an IKEA expert.
YoungHouseLove says
You’re so sweet Emily! We totally get overwhelmed there too. It helps to have a plan at home and walk in with a shopping list. We still bicker all the time there though. The magic of Ikea! Ha! As for the rug color, I’m really not sure but I hope we’ll know it when we see it…
xo
s
Nicole says
Are the walls in the office actually white? Love how bright and airy the space is…. considering repainting our office white, but nervous it will be too stark so considering a real light bluish/gray instead
YoungHouseLove says
The walls are a light greeny-blue color called Ben Moore’s Pistachio. Your color pick sounds lovely!
xo
s
Wendy says
I also just bought the narrower version of this shelf unit and love it. I covered the holes on the uprights that I didn’t use with white tape. I actually used the tape from my labeller with no letters on it. It is a bit finicky – probably easier to do before it is assembled.
YoungHouseLove says
Smart!
xo
s
Carla says
Looks beautiful!
Have you considered putting the daybed (that is currently on your back covered porch) across from Sherry’s desk? Since it is airy in it’s design I wonder if it would fit in here – giving a “boundary” for the room – and a place for any of you to lounge while others are working or playing.
I don’t know if there is enough room in there but I wonder if it might add some nice functionality to the room, even if you have to walk on either side of it to get to your desks.
YoungHouseLove says
That would be awesome if it would fit but it’s too big for that. Love the suggestion!
xo
s
Carla says
Too bad it’s too big! :( But if you like the concept, maybe a chair with a little stand next to it would work. I picture it on the right side as you walk in the room, sort of at a 45 degree angle looking towards John’s desk. We enjoy having something like this in our shared (husband and wife) study; it provides a place to sit and visit with your spouse if they are at their desk and you don’t want to sit at your own desk. I think for you it might also provide a place for you to breastfeed or read Clara a story. I love the look of the room!
Also, I have seen and used white round stickers that cover holes on things like the shelving units. They are sort of like a vinyl and blend in very well, allowing you to remove them if you want to shift things.
YoungHouseLove says
Thanks Carla! Love those tips!
xo
s
Lisa says
Looks fantastic! I was just looking through the last post’s paint swatches because I am moving to a new apartment next month and I want to paint the whole place just one color for now before I load everything in. What do you think is a good “goes with everything” neutral?
Lisa says
I was looking at both your Edgecomb Grey from the foyer or the Sand White from your first house. Which would you pick from the two?
YoungHouseLove says
They’re both awesome depending on the light in your place. I’d compare both swatches and pick the one you like best.
xo
s
YoungHouseLove says
Edgecomb Gray and Revere Pewter are both awesome for that I think!
xo
s
Lily says
Those few updates went a LONG way! looks amazing!
x Lily
whilemyboyfriendsaway.blogspot.com
Courtney says
The office looks great! I love the storage you’ve added, but speaking of Ikea pieces I actually have a question about the nursery. I’m looking for a dresser to do double duty as a changing area. In your opinion would the dressers you guys used for the base of Teddy’s built-ins be a good height for this? We don’t have one near us to look at it in person. Thanks!!
YoungHouseLove says
Yes I think those would be great! Good luck!
xo
s
sarah honce says
Looks great! I’m glad you finally settled on a plan for the room.
This makes me chuckle a little- looking at the room from the entrance it seems like Sherry is the big exec and you are her office assistant at your little desk. :)
YoungHouseLove says
I was totally expecting a coin toss for that desk! So psyched John wanted the wall one. I’m still laughing about the scuffle I thought we’d have!
xo
s
Christi says
Sarah,
I had the exact thought!!! Either that or the headmaster/principle! Or President Sher-Dog!
Or John “gave up” that desk because he wanted leverage for some cool guy thing later on…. :)
YoungHouseLove says
That’s my other thought. Leverage. Haha!
xo
s