My Home Office Makeover

Today I’m sharing the big reveal of my little home office makeover. This space has come a long way in two weeks.
(A big welcome to anyone visiting from Hi Sugarplum!. If you’re a regular around here, I’m participating in the Blogger Stylin’ Home Tours “Work & Play” edition today, hosted by my friend Lindsay of The White Buffalo Styling Co.)

Pulling it together in time to show you guys today was basically like a fast-paced sprint to the finish. While I have a specific timeline approach for client projects, my usual decorating method for my own home is more like an ambling walk on a country path where you pick up wildflowers and lay down for a nap when you get tired.

Lots and lots of “naps”.

But having a deadline really did force me to make a lot of progress in a short amount of time without over thinking things. (Which can happen when you move into a new space.) Seeing as how our bathrooms are trapped in 1994, most walls are blank, and my bedroom is a big greige box, this is now my favorite room in the house. I barely want to leave its four walls.

Here’s what the room looked like a couple weeks ago.

In case you’re new here, let me catch you up on my story real quick before we jump into the room reveal…

I’m Heather Freeman, and I’m a toddler mom, wife, and Decor Coach. I’m all about helping you create a home with style and intention. What does that mean exactly? Well, it means helping you move past those feelings of overwhelm and confusion through guidance and decorating advice that teaches you how to make the most out of your home. The Decor Fix is where I share client work and bits of my own home, but more importantly I write about things that hold us back from having a space we love…things like Pinterest Paralysis or believing in the Myth of a Perfect Home.

If you’ve ever tried your hand at decorating and feel like you failed, I get it.

I’ve been there, friend. And you are by no means alone in that struggle.

MY WORK
I help fun ladies from all over the globe get “unstuck” and create a home they love through a process I call Decor Coaching. You learn more about that right here.

In my former life, I used to be a teacher. This year I married my love of design and my teaching experience to launch a styling e-course. Over 200 students have gone through the Bookshelf Styling Class where I break down my styling methods and teach you step-by-step how to style a beautiful bookshelf with things you have on hand. (Ya’ know…if you want to channel your inner Emily Henderson and feel like a shelf-styling wizard.)

OUR “NEW” (OLD) HOME
Six weeks ago my husband and I sold our first home, a 1940’s Tudor in the Midwest, and moved into my childhood home in the suburbs of Houston, Texas. I’m trying to reimagine and refresh these spaces that I knew growing up, and I’ll be documenting the whole process here.

Starting with this one.

Since I work from home, I spend a lot of time in my home office. While I don’t have local clients visit here, this is where I meet with my virtual clients via FaceTime/Skype. (It’s also where I’ll be recording some new video tutorials:) Plus we all know that having an inspired and organized workspace leads to more productivity, a thinner waistline, and zero stress right?

Oh…was that just a rumor?

THE DRAPE CHOICE
Rather than springing for custom drapes in this space (which I highly recommend for certain situations), I just wanted some simple sheers to filter all the natural light. I already have blinds for privacy, so curtains were mainly to soften the look of things.

These tassel trimmed drapes are from PB Teen. (Link to a similar version is at the bottom of the post). The black detailing is just enough, so they aren’t boring. They worked great with the minimal backdrop I wanted to create for this room.

As simple as it looks, this “Inhale, Exhale” print serves a distinct purpose. My husband Stu and I constantly struggle to be mindful, especially since we both juggle working from home with parenting our energetic 3 year old daughter. Still in a state of transition after our big move, this simple mantra is a reminder when we feel overwhelmed to breath, get a clear head, and just be present in the moment.

PILLOW TALK
I have been obsessed with this black and ivory Les Touches fabric since I laid eyes on a few years ago. My sweet friend Priscilla over at Motif Pillows sent them to me as a “welcome home” present.

Two crisp pillow covers with fluffy down pillows inside are pretty much the best gift this girl could ask for.

Usually I’d mix in more patterns on a sofa, but for some reason I wanted to keep the pattern play minimum this time. One classic pattern and the punches of color seemed right.
RUG LOVE
Can we just talk about this rug for a sec? I am in looooove with it. Like high school sweetheart, gaze into your eyes, meet me at my locker after every class to gush, kind of love sick. I catch myself just staring at it sporadically. It’s so soft for a wool rug too. It’s not what I originally chose for the space. In my initial plans, I had picked an ivory rug that was cute and super cheap. Problem was that once the rug came in, it looked super cheap…and not so cute.

With rugs, you get what you pay for.

Unless you find a steal on Craigslist and pay next to nothing for a vintage Persian. Which happens to some people, but never to me.

It was Monday, I was rugless, and I had three days left to finish this room. So I headed to the Houston West Elm desperate for a rug and willing to blow my budget a little. Which I did. By a lot. But I’m so happy I ended up with this rug. It’s a nice thick wool construction, and I know I’ll have it for years to come.

PERSONALIZED STYLING
This bookshelf was an IKEA hack, and I’ll have the tutorial coming soon. I decided to keep my paint brushes on display as a personal “symbol”…After my first couple years running my business, I realized I had gone months without creating something just for fun. The brushes are meant to remind me of the joy in the creative process and encourage me to take time to create something outside of work. 

I talk a lot about incorporating meaningful style in The Bookshelf Styling Class, and using symbols is one great way to do that. A pretty shelf is good and fine, but like the rest of your home it should resonate with your story and inspire you. One of my core beliefs about intentional decorating is this…

Style without the meaning is hollow.

That little longhorn pitcher seemed like the perfect “welcome back to Texas” purchase. Again, something meaningful for this wayward Texas child who finally came back home.
THE VINTAGE STEAL
This was my chair from our last home office. I scored it for $50 at a vintage store about 8 years ago.  Over the years I debated reupholstering it, but I’m actually glad I never got around to it. The leather is so soft now, and coffee spills clean up easily. Bonus.

My procrastination paid off this time.

I spend a lot of time working here curled up with a blanket. I feel like this chair is an old friend, and I can never get rid of him.

THE PERFECT LIGHT FIXTURE
When I was hunting for light fixtures, I wanted something that would be understated yet elegant. I shop from Lamps Plus on a weekly basis for my clients, so I’m pretty familiar with their huge array of lighting options. I had my eye on this one for a while:)

The “Harbor Point” fixture works beautifully in this room. It’s subtle but sophisticated and ties into the other gold elements without feeling over-the-top glam. What a huge step up from the ceiling fan, right!? (I had to do some major convincing on the husband front about this. Taking down a ceiling fan in a tropical climate wasn’t jiving with him. We have a few high powered plug-in fans, and I reminded him that they actually cool a room better than a ceiling fan since they’re so strong. He shook his head and laughed, but I think he kind of bought it. #sorrynotsorry)

Honestly, I think this change might have made the biggest impact in the room.

THE “UNSEXY” CORNER DESK
No one falls in love with a corner desk. They just don’t. Unlike the sexy little white campaign desk with brass pulls that I had my eye on, a corner desk just says, “Meh”. But because of the room layout, I knew right off the bat that a desk like this was the best call. I need a lot of work space, and the largest wall  in this room was already occupied by a sofa.  This desk makes the most out of every inch in the corner of the room.

While it’s not the desk of my dreams, it was the responsible choice. Kind of like buying the less-than-cute boots because they’re comfortable instead of getting the super amazing boots that you know will kill your feet after 20 minutes. (Remember on Friends when Monica begged for the super stylish and totally impractical boots? By the end of the episode Chandler was carrying her on his back because she couldn’t even walk.)

That’s the equivalent of what the gorgeous white campaign desk would have been for me… At least that’s what I’m telling myself;)

ORGANIZATION & INSPIRATION WALL
I love making physical mood boards. It’s something I’ve done since I was a kid. As much as I want to “go green” with subscriptions, I still get paper magazines. I pour over the pages and rip out anything I love, keeping the clippings in a file folder. A lot of my little treasures end up on a bulletin board at some point.

I used the top two cork boards as my inspiration area and the bottom two boards to keep track of client work and upcoming projects.

I recently found a great Etsy shop for vintage goodies, which is where this darling trio of brass planters came from. When I saw these guys, I just knew they needed to come live with me. I actually had butterflies when I saw them online. They just make me happy, and I don’t know why. (Let’s hope they make the succulents happy too. Y’all know I love all the green leafy things, but they don’t always love me back.) 

THE DESIGN SCHEME
My personal decorating style tends to be light and bright and leaning towards minimalism. In keeping with that, I also wanted this room to feel modern and feminine.

ACCENT COLORS:
Blush, navy, & raspberry

DESIGN ELEMENTS:
-High contrast with black and white elements
-Neutral color base with punches of saturated color
-Pops of gold tempered with warm wood accents
-Clean lined furniture

THE MISSING PIECE?
Having a sofa in my office feels like such a splurge. It came from our old living room, and there wasn’t a good place for it in the new house. So my office inherited it. Sometimes I lay down to think for a bit. And then I feel like Don Draper. Which got me thinking…

Would it be terrible to put a fully stocked bar cart in my home office???

It could be just like Mad Men (just subtract the bourbon and major life crises & add red wine and Ellie Goulding playing in the background.)

Can’t you just see it?

Ok, maybe in Phase Two of the makeover.

*Affiliate links used in this post. 

SOURCES:
Light Fixture via Lamps Plus
Abstract artwork by Katie Craig via Minted
Throw pillows (black & white, navy & blush ) via Motif Pillows on Etsy
Cork boards, hanging file, book shelf, pink pillow via IKEA
Sofa via Capsule Home
“Unclasped” print by Clare Elsaesser
Pink throw (similar) via Burke Decor
Brass planters-vintage via Etsy

 Other items listed below.

*Many thanks to Lamps Plus for providing the light fixture for this makeover and to Motif Pillows for the yummy throw pillows. Thank YOU for supporting the brands that I love and choose to work with.

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Be sure to head to the next stop on the “Blogger Stylin’ Home Tour” and see what Corinna of Designer At Home has going on at her house:)