Disclosure: This post was sponsored by Del Mar Fans & Lighting. All opinions of rockstar lighting are my own. Please see my disclosure page for more information.
We can stick a fork in it ’cause our industrial military office is DONE!
This is what we were sporting in here just three months ago:
I’ve been showing sneak peeks of all of the many projects in this space for a while now, but in case you don’t already know, Robert has always said he wanted a man cave with all of his mementos from his military days.
So we devised the plan to decorate a masculine office for him.
This is the space where he reflects, where he works, where he spends a few moments most days in devotion. And I’ve always wanted to reward my best friend in some way for everything he does for me.
Up until the other day though, after all we’ve accomplished in here, there was just one little thing left that needed a fix.
Ye ol’ boob light. I mean really… once you see it, you can’t unsee it. Ever since a friend pointed it out to me, I’ve despised these fixtures in our house. And guess what?! This was the last one! No more boobs on our ceilings. Yippee kay yay.
Del Mar Fans and Lighting offered to provide a light fixture for this space and really, how could we say no to that one?
We decided on the Quoizel Wilder Drum Pendant and could not be happier. It’s bigger than I’d anticipated, but I love the statement of it in here.
Robert really was the one who took charge in this room and made most of the decisions, including the layout, since this was technically all for him. I’m glad all of his military mementos are at least dug out of the closet and are now on display in here where he can see them and be proud of them.
He just beams every time he walks into this new office of his now. And that makes me happier than anything.
So now… are you ready for the grand tour? (All of this room’s sources and budget breakdown are listed at the bottom of this post.)
I DIYed this ginormous “vintage” map from a poster I found for way cheaper than the real deal.
We installed these industrial shelves and I decorated them with lots of items that Robert already had or were passed down to us or that I found at the thrift store. We hardly had to pay anything for any actual decor on our shelves.
It’s amazing to me that those boots that are now on display on this shelf once trudged through the desert. That little Bible sitting on top of that book stack is what he carried in his pocket overseas and what he read a few scriptures from in his bunk most nights.
I ended up painting or recovering most of our books, and maybe it’s a tiny bit neat freak of me, but I like how they are unified and clean looking now.
I found this typewriter at the thrift store for $9 a couple of years back and always knew it was perfect for a military inspired office.
I placed my grandmother’s old suitcase in here that now houses all of our old photographs. We can just lift the top whenever we feel like getting nostalgic.
These horse head bookends once belonged to my grandfather, who also served in the Army in World War II and the Korean War. They’re one of the few things I have left of him, and I think he would have appreciated these being in an office like this.
So now every spot in this room is all filled up! Normally, I’m a bit more of a minimalist, but this room is definitely the exception, and I wouldn’t have it any other way. A lot of personal history is in this space.
For Robert’s desk, I picked up this fun desk calendar and metal letter tray to (hopefully) keep us a little more organized.
Over on the other side of the room, it used to look like this:
But I gave our closet a little vintage love with this DIY office sign I made.
Robert originally had an all black safe in here that I painted with a faux zinc finish and accompanied it with some thrift store finds on top.
The wall adjacent to it used to have this cluttered look going on:
So we sold the bookcases, donated some of the things that were taking up space, and hung up some of Robert’s accolades in a gallery wall along with this DIY yardstick flag art we made.
We placed that WWII relic on top too and hung up his pack and field books.
Our window looked like this in the beginning:
So to recycle our blinds, I made them into Roman shades with some olive drab burlap, and we framed the window with our usual Craftsman style method that we’ve used on almost all of our windows in our house now.
I gave the floor some texture too with this olive and jute herringbone rug.
Starting tomorrow (May 20), Del Mar Fans and Lighting will be hosting a giveaway on their Facebook page for free lighting too. Ya know… if you have a ceiling boob that you hope to replace in your own house.
So now here’s the big ol’ budget/source breakdown:
- Wall Color | Sherwin Williams Pediment – $0 (leftover paint)
- Desk | Craigslist find – $180 (Originally from Pottery Barn)
- Chair | Craigslist find – $65
- Light Fixture | Del Mar Fans and Lighting | $389
- Shelving | Home Depot – $210 for all 3 shelves
- Herringbone Rug | World Market | $80 (on sale and with a coupon)
- Craftsman Window Trim | DIY – $60
- Burlap Roman Shades | DIY – $50 for both
- Zinc Safe | DIY – $50
- Office Sign | DIY – $18
- “Pull Down” Map | DIY – $48
- Wall Frames | Michaels – $40 for all 4 (on sale and with a coupon)
- Yardstick Flag Art | DIY – $50
- Clipboard Frame | Michaels – $10 (on sale and with a coupon)
- Vintage Tin War Loan Sign | Local Antique Shop – $12
- Vintage Military Trunk | Thrift Store – $5
- Office Supply Organizer | DIY – Free
- Artificial Plants | IKEA – $6 each
- Wooden Desk Calendar | World Market – $21 (with a coupon)
- Pencil Cup | World Market – $7 (with a coupon)
- Paper Tier Tray | World Market – $25 (with a coupon)
- Desk Globe | World Market – $20 (with a coupon)
- Typewriter | Thrift Store – $9
- All the rest of the decor was free since they were items we already had.
Grand Total: $1379 Not our cheapest room ever by a long shot, but considering we had to furnish this entire room from a completely empty space, I guess it’s not too terrible. And since we sold the pair of bookcases for $100, we could really say the total was $1279, right?
So you think it’s worthy of the title “man cave”? This is absolutely the most masculine room in the house. Robert works so hard behind the scenes of this blog and does so much for our little family that I can think of no better way to show him how much I appreciate him than with a space that’s all his own.
Suzy Handgraaf says
May 19, 2016 at 7:03 amY’all did a wonderful job, Lauren – it looks great! My hubs is a retired Marine, so I’m sure he would love an office filled with some of his military paraphernalia. We have boxes of it stored in our attic!
Lauren says
May 19, 2016 at 10:47 amThank you, Suzy! And thank you to you and your husband for the service and sacrifice!
Ari McKinney says
May 19, 2016 at 7:25 amCongratulations ! Outstanding ! Job well done !
Lauren says
May 19, 2016 at 10:46 amThank you!
Maria says
May 19, 2016 at 7:36 amThe room looks great. I really like the metal shelving!
Lauren says
May 19, 2016 at 10:46 amThank you, Maria! Isn’t it crazy that those shelves were originally garage shelving units?
Carol says
May 19, 2016 at 7:38 amWOW! Outstanding job.
Lauren says
May 19, 2016 at 10:46 amThank you!!
Mary-In the boondocks says
May 19, 2016 at 8:09 amThis looks really great Lauren. A perfect room for Robert. The lighting fixture gives the room weight and makes it even more masculine. So much testosterone in there and a worthy tribute to your husband!
Lauren says
May 19, 2016 at 10:46 amThank you, Mary! If a room could man grunt, right? This one would be it. 😉
Karen @ The Decorated Nest says
May 19, 2016 at 8:10 amWhat a great room and a great theme. Beautiful job Lauren, as usual!
Lauren says
May 19, 2016 at 10:45 amThank you so much, friend!
Brittany Wise says
May 19, 2016 at 8:18 amOutstanding job! We hav dozens of boob lights around our new build, too! I cannot wait to get rid of them ALL! 🙂
Lauren says
May 19, 2016 at 10:45 amWe did too! So glad to have finally prevailed over those things. It’s a sweet feeling ripping those things off the ceiling. “Get outta here!” Hehe
Melba says
May 19, 2016 at 8:45 amThis room is a worthy tribute to your sweet Robert’s service to our country! We thank him and you for your sacrifices for us.
You all did a great job on this project and it shows a lot of love for each other,God,and country.
May the Lord bless your marriage and family,and God bless America!??????
Lauren says
May 19, 2016 at 10:44 amThat is so sweet, Melba. Thank you for those kind words. It truly means so much.
Erin says
May 19, 2016 at 8:50 amI love this room and I adore that light fixture, it looks really great in this space. Job well done, Lauren!
Lauren says
May 19, 2016 at 10:43 amThanks so much, Erin!
Elaine Sarchet says
May 19, 2016 at 9:24 amFantastic job – everything fits in perfectly.
Lauren says
May 19, 2016 at 10:43 amThank you, Elaine!
Sharon says
May 19, 2016 at 9:28 amWhat a fantastic job! Gives me lots of ideas for my husbands office! Love all of your ideas and decorating!
Lauren says
May 19, 2016 at 10:43 amYay! Thank you, Sharon! So glad it could give you a little inspiration.
Amy K says
May 19, 2016 at 9:41 amThis room is awesome! I love everything about it. Especially that you used family memories as part of the décor. Well done!
Lauren says
May 19, 2016 at 10:42 amThank you so much, Amy! Definitely my favorite way to pull of cheap but meaningful decor. If it was all pricey retail items, I don’t think it would pull at my heart strings as much. 🙂
Linda says
May 19, 2016 at 9:45 amHOLY MOLY!! Absolutely amazing.
Lauren says
May 19, 2016 at 10:41 amThank you!!! 😀
Kathy says
May 19, 2016 at 11:33 amVery nice, but I have to wonder where the framed flag went. Those are usually given for important occasions, like retirement or end of command or deployment.
My husband had 22 years in and I had five, so we have a lot of military books and whatnot. A good bit just lives in boxes. So what did you do with the coins and mugs? 🙂
Lauren says
May 23, 2016 at 1:25 pmThe framed flag is still there. It’s on the top shelf on the far right near the window; it just might be hard to see in these photos. Anything that couldn’t be put in frames on display were put in the little cigar boxes on the shelves. 🙂
Brittany @ Nadeau says
May 19, 2016 at 12:56 pmSuch a brilliant mix of new and old, meaningful pieces and bold statements. Is it weird that I wouldn’t mind working there? Ha!
Lauren says
May 23, 2016 at 1:26 pmThank you, Brittany! Not weird at all. I sneak in here and work sometimes too. 😉
Meg @ Green With Decor says
May 19, 2016 at 1:54 pmI love everything about this space! The light fixture is awesome, and all of those personal touches are so neat. I also love the typewriter – I have no idea why, but I’ve always wanted one at home, ha!
Lauren says
May 23, 2016 at 1:26 pmThanks, Meg! I’d always wanted a typewriter too. I couldn’t believe that one was only $9 when I saw it at the thrift store.
Kaye says
May 19, 2016 at 3:22 pmDid you find the yard sticks for the flag at garage sales? I would love to make one like that. The room is awesome! A great tribute to your husband and his service to our country. Let freedom ring!
Lauren says
May 23, 2016 at 1:27 pmThanks, Kaye! You can find them at a lot of random places, but I found mine in a bundle on Ebay.
Kendra @ www.joyinourhome.com says
May 19, 2016 at 6:28 pmI’m sure your husband will love this office for years to come! It’s gorgeous Lauren and so many beautiful, personal touches! (I love that wooden calendar on the desk especially… suits this room perfectly!) xo
Sarah says
May 19, 2016 at 9:20 pmFantastic room and excellent choice for the lighting!
Lauren says
May 25, 2016 at 6:55 pmThank you, Sarah!
Katie @ Little House of Four says
May 19, 2016 at 9:31 pmWow Lauren, this space is incredible! I love all the personal touches, rustic finds and incredible DIY projects. As always, you did an amazing job.
Lauren says
May 23, 2016 at 1:28 pmThanks so much, Katie! It was a lot of fun to put together. 🙂
Danielle says
May 19, 2016 at 11:41 pmLove this room! My husband is a veteran, and I recently made some shelves to display some of his Air Force items. I would love to do an entire office like this for him some day ?
Lauren says
May 23, 2016 at 1:28 pmThank you, Danielle! And thanks so much to you and your husband for your sacrifice. 🙂
Christene Holder says
May 20, 2016 at 9:02 amThis looks amazing!!! I love how everything turned out! All of the details come together so well and everything fits together perfectly. One question, how high are your ceilings? And how low does the light hang? I love that light and I want to have a statement light in my husbands office but he’s nervous that it will hang too low and also hit him in the head LOL!!! We have 8 ft ceilings on the floor where his office is.
>> Christene
Lauren says
May 23, 2016 at 1:31 pmThanks, Christene! Our ceilings are 8 feet and the light fixture hangs down to 6 feet. (My husband and I are both only 5’9″ and 5’7″.) It hangs a bit over his desk too, so it’s not really a spot that you walk directly under. But for someone taller than that, it might be problematic. There is a similar one that is a semi-flush mount here though: http://www.delmarfans.com/quoizel-lighting/wilder/wlr1716mb/
Colleen says
May 20, 2016 at 10:58 amLove how this room turned out! I’ve been showing my husband the progress and we’re using this room as inspiration to decorate his man cave which is a hodge podge of, well, disaster! Thanks for the inspiration!
Lauren says
May 23, 2016 at 1:32 pmYay! Thanks so much, Colleen! I’d love to see it when it’s finished!
Ashlea says
May 20, 2016 at 11:09 amIt came together so well Lauren! I love the lighting choice. Well done 🙂
Lauren says
May 23, 2016 at 1:32 pmThank you, Ashlea!
cteachr says
May 20, 2016 at 6:39 pmIt looks terrific! Glad you found a suitable replacement for the boob lamp!
Lauren says
May 23, 2016 at 1:33 pmHaha! Me too. Thank you!
Rachael Smith says
May 30, 2016 at 10:59 amSo I just ran across your blog from pinterest and I am completely obsessed. Literally every post I am in love with. This is the exact kind of style I love and I am trying to do for our new house. While it is pretty easy to find “farmhouse” inspiration these days very little of it is on a budget which is what makes your blog so special. Not only is it beautiful but completely obtainable. Thank you for sharing! Looking forward to using some of these ideas for my husband’s office/music room.
Lauren says
June 1, 2016 at 10:54 amThank you so much for that sweet compliment, Rachael! I’m so glad this little blog of mine is helpful to you!
Kathy says
July 8, 2016 at 9:27 pmAmazing…I love everything you do!
Lauren says
July 12, 2016 at 11:30 amThank you so much!
Nicole Shellard says
July 12, 2016 at 10:42 amI am in LOVE with your husband’s office re-do! (this is EVEN BETTER than just the trunk!) I wish I had an office space to do this for both myself and my better half! I was in the Army for 5 1/2 years and my honey is being medically retired after being in the Army for 29 (GASP) years! I had been thinking of doing a memorabilia box for him with his name and rank burnt into it but this stencil idea would be much easier! I’ve only recently found you and I am in LOVE with all your ideas and suggestions. Thanks! Keep up the good work. So, you ever make it down to Texas and wanna help me decorate my casa? Ha. Hugs- Nicole
Lauren says
July 12, 2016 at 11:00 amAw thank you so much, Nicole! And thank you to you and your honey for your service. 🙂 I’m hoping to one day launch an online decorating business, so who knows! Maybe I can at least virtually help decorate your casa.
Melina T says
October 15, 2017 at 11:46 amWhere is the rug from? Working on our office now and this is perfect!!!!
Kelly says
January 1, 2018 at 10:36 pmThis office is perfect! I shared your post on the facebook page White Walls. I know other military spouses will love it too!
Kelley says
July 27, 2018 at 5:40 pmHello I love the room. Can you tell me if the center shelf was cut from the other higher storage shelf .
Lauren says
July 30, 2018 at 8:42 amHi Kelley! We bought three shelves and only used half of the center shelf when we put it together. There is a bottom and a top that we connected in the middle for the two on either end. We just left off the top for the middle one, so no cutting needed.
Taina Laraba says
September 22, 2018 at 7:20 pmI added this Re-do that you’ve done to one of my posts A Modern French Country Home by Restoration Hardware by Tailee’s Designs. It’s perfect for my post.
– Tailee’s Designs
Lauren says
September 26, 2018 at 10:16 amWonderful! Thank you!!