After 12 Years of Working From Home, I Finally Have My Own Office!

It’s really crazy when I think about the fact that it’s taken me twelve years to finally commandeer my own office space in the house. I’ve been working from home for myself since I started this blog at the end of 2004. My initial “work environment” was naptime when my teenager was a baby! It makes me laugh a little to think that two hours was all I put in for work back in the day…

In recent years, especially the last year and a half, I’ve been working 40 hours a week/full time yet still had no official work space. I’d move from the couch in the family room to the kitchen table to the dining room table. Basically I’d go anywhere I could catch a moment’s peace.

But I’ve wanted to step it up awhile to help my productivity and overall organization by having my own space that would be just for me and for work and no one else’s.

The problem was: we don’t have a huge house. We don’t have a room for an office on the first floor. In fact, hubby, who has been doing much of his work from home for the past few years, ended up setting up shop at a desk in our bedroom. (Our master bedroom is so big this has worked well – we set up a privacy wall and it might as well be another room entirely.)

An idea started to formulate at the end of last year to have my own WoCave, as hubby started calling it. We have four bedrooms but two kids. Our “4th” bedroom was a guest room/dumping grounds for all the junk we didn’t know where else to put. (A lot of my work stuff, actually!)

I didn’t want to get rid of having a guest room as we do occasionally have guests, but I thought I could really minimize what’s in the room and try and fit a bed and a desk and make it my own space. Hubby was skeptical that it would all fit but I felt confident if I really minimized what I put in – desk and bed, period, then it would work.

It took me a couple of weeks to complete the room. I had the carpet ripped up and installed laminate flooring which I am just obsessed with.

Because the room is so small, it was hard for me to get a really great picture but wanted to share a few with you of the completed room because I just *adore* it. Like literally come in here and just sit, sometimes when I’m not even working, just to have a moment of quiet and serenity!

So here’s the best I’ve got for a before picture. Because I’m a crap blogger, I didn’t get a true before picture which would have shown you walls that were still white from builder’s grade white paint from when we moved in (16 years ago!) and old bedroom furniture that we had repurposed from our Master. Oh plus a bunch of just random paper and junk.

This photo shows you the old carpet and a mattress on the floor, which we lived with for awhile too:

For the walls, I went with Shermin-Williams Colonnade Gray, which I totally selected because I saw it recommended on Pottery Barn’s website.

We then had the rug ripped up and laminate installed. I so want to do this to my whole upstairs now but that cost a lot more — one room at a time! This is the laminate I used – it was pretty affordable! We put Pergo padding underneath. It literally took two guys from Lowe’s two hours to do it.

Next, I had ordered the desk and headboard for the bed from Joss & Main. They both came in boxes and had to be put together, which was a little reminiscent of when we were in our 20s and putting together IKEA furniture.

I didn’t want to break the bank with any of this since this is just an office and there’s plenty of other things we need to do in the house but I’m really pleased at how it all turned out. The bed is the Rena Upholstered Bed – simple and minimal since I didn’t want the bed taking up too much room or being the focus of the room:

The bedding and pillows came from HomeGoods.

The desk is the Demorest Computer Desk and I am OBSESSED with it. It’s the perfect shade wood, perfect size and perfect everything. In fact, Nate has now asked for one for his room! It has little add-ons that make it a good modern day desk (holes for wires, etc) and the L shape makes me so happy. I can look out the window or look out into the hallway.

The chair is the Nathan Office Chair and it is way nicer in person than it looks on the Joss & Main website so I was extra happy when I opened it up & saw how rich the teal was! It’s swivels (the kids love this, of course) and it’s really comfortable. Plus the COLOR. Am I right? It goes well with the curtains, too.

In fact, as you can see, the room is pretty much gray and teal. I’ve always loved teal so I of course had to have it in my WoCave.

Here’s a couple of other goodies I picked up at HomeGoods & Kirklands that I still have to hang:

Anyway, I’m still doing little details in the room but it’s amazing what a room revamp can do for your spirit!

Maisie has made herself right at home. Pretty sure this will be my staple view most days I work: