One of things that Zack and I talked about when we were going through the home buying process was what we were going to do with all the extra space. HOME OFFICE. We both agreed that one of the three bedrooms could be a home office.
I’ve been working out of a very small wing off of the kitchen in our apartment for an entire year – you can see my office tour here. I just wanted to work with some real light in the new house! It was tough on me daily to not see real light and be stuck behind a computer monitor – especially when the days got shorter during the winter.
Now that we’ve moved into the house, my current office setup just doesn’t work in such a large space. And that was the point of the room in our small apartment. Maximize the minimal foot print.
Right now we’re storing our bed frame in the room, so that takes up floor space until we put it together. I’m still keeping the cat’s food and litter in the office. All my wall decor is sitting on the floor until I have a plan of where to hang it. And the closet is a mess because I’m waiting until July for some Ikea bookshelves (yes, they were ordered May 7, but were that far behind for shipping).
Here’s what my current situation looks like. My work is actually moving to the floor because I don’t have enough desk space.
Midcentury Modern Inspiration
I really liked this office design from @cutelittlespace on their Instagram account. I don’t think I’ll get around to painting my walls, but I do like the contrast of the grey-blue against the warmth of the wood butcher block.
And this other office, shared in a Lonny renovation post, aims for a sophisticated midcentury modern style. Again, I like the contrast of the blue with the warm tones of the wood and the starkness of the white drawers.
I picked out a wall where I wanted to place a long, two-person desk. I sketched out my design to make sure I would have enough room to make this work. I couldn’t extend the desk the full width of the room because the depth of the Alex Drawer Unit was too deep – so I wouldn’t be able to open the closet door. The bookshelf I already own will fit behind the door, so that’s going to be the “end” of the desk.
Here’s my sketch of my plan:
We had decided not to do a built-in desk and bookshelves because of how much space it would take up in the room. We didn’t want it to be a turn-off if we ever have to sell the house in the future. That’s why I picked out something that is simple in design, but allows for a lot of storage with the Ikea product.
Shopping List
- 3x Ikea Alex Drawer Units – $79 each
- 10 ft butcher block counter top – $269.99
- Watco Butcher Block Oil & Finish – $13.98
- 400 grit Sandpaper – $7.99
Prepping the Countertop
Once I ordered the countertop, I had to seal it with Watco Butcher Block Oil & Finish. I did one coat on each side with a 6 hour drying time per side. Then I sanded it down with 400 grit, then applied again. That process added a week to my timeline.
It’s amazing how long this desk is! I have so much room for workspace now – because I essentially have two working spaces. And the drawers provide so much more storage. The cat loves it, too.
Midcentury Modern Inspired Home Office
Shop My Home Office
Cheers,
Katie
