Dream Office Makeover Part 1: Starting From The Bottom

Have you been spending more time in your home because of the pandemic? Of course you have, even if you don’t work from home, you’re likely spending more time at home.

And you know what? You deserve a beautiful home office. It’s your time. No more putting it off until another goal is accomplished, which is why this post and series is dedicated to you. 

Because like me, you don’t want to work in your bedroom. You don’t want to sit in your car. You want to work in a space that’s beautiful where you can create meaningful content, and helpful solutions. You want boundaries for rest and work. If any of this resonates, you’ll be inspired and encouraged by this series so stay tuned.

Backstory: my sister and I own a home together. It was a gift and part of our inheritance that was passed down from our mother to us. We are immensely grateful to not have a mortgage or rent with only utilities, and taxes to pay. However, our home is older, and with home ownership comes maintenance, repairs, and upgrades.

I’ve had this studio office on my list for a few years now… and the truth is, I could’ve slapped something up. But that’s not my style, I want what I want and if that means waiting, saving, and investing until I’m able to access it… so be it. 

Never choose cheap, because of impatience. 

At any time you can decide to…

Write your vision. 

Make a plan. 

Set a goal. 

Work. 

Stay open. 

Get it.

My design inspiration for my studio:

Source

My style is feminine glam with a combo of traditional and modern.

It’s always fun to watch makeover transformations whether that’s on cable or your favorite streaming service. It’s an entirely different matter to see your own space transform before your very eyes. The before photos are so important, because you forget how much of a hot mess it was prior to the changes.

So in this series, you’ll see where we started and my initial mood board ideas for the space.

Before

What’s my least favorite color in the world? Maroon, burgundy and that mauve would dare associate itself with pink. That’s more than one color. But you get my drift, I’m not a fan of rusty dark wine-ish red tones.

And that’s the first thing I ripped up from my studio office that ugly burgundy carpet. The urine yellow walls and the outdated ceiling fan also had to go.  A photo for your viewing pleasure:

I’m not ashamed to say that initially I had DIY (do-it-yourself) intentions and here’s the ripped up carpet. Bye bye ugly burgundy!

Notice the test sample paint splatter color on the accent wall that I was considering with my initial mood board. 

Here’s another mood board I played around with (and believe it or not it wasn’t the final)

(Side note: you’ll notice that in my inspiration photo and all of my mood boards there’s a common denominator… a chesterfield sofa. I’m kind of obsessed with them, partly because they remind me of Paris, France, and my Grandmother gave me a gorgeous pink one that I cannot wait to put in this space.)

My sweet cousin, Rebecca, who’s much more of a do-it-yourself kinda gal (than I) was eager to help. Help is an understatement, she did a ton of the prep work. 

(Note: you’ll see that there were cracks in the walls, and places that needed mesh tape and putty badly, so the paint would go on smoothly.)

And that’s where my DIY intentions stayed, because we’re busy (Rebecca has 4 kids!!) and I have a full time career.

But the gift of this pandemic has been that what’s on the backburner has come to the forefront. This time around I’ve hired a team (i.e. painter, carpenter, contractor, electrician, installer, etc.) that’ll help do the heavy lifting on the things that either I don’t want to do, or know how to do.

It has been the best gift to myself. I hope you enjoy this series and that you’ll be inspired to make your home office beautiful too. You’ll find almost daily updates in my Instagram (@melodeeforbes) stories, and you can find the latest in my Instagram highlight under studio office.

Stay tuned for the “Dream Office Makeover Part 2: Are We Finished Yet?!” where I share more of the process and hopefully the finishing touches!!

Do you have a home office? If so, do you love it? Tell me why or why not in the comments below!  It’d make my day to hear from you!