An outdated dining room gets converted to a light and bright home office with a timeless new look and functional storage.
Oh my GARSH! It’s office reveal day!
Robert was saying the other day that it feels like we’ve gained square footage. And really, we have. Because this junky room was not functional in the slightest just a couple of months ago.
If you haven’t been following along on our progress, you can see the journey from the beginning here:
- Testing Out Mood Boards
- Our Home Office Makeover Plans
- My Entire Room Planning Process
- How to Build a Closet from Scratch
- We Have Paint!
- Easy DIY Closet Shelves & Converting Bifolds to French Doors
- DIY Large Scale Wall Art from a Shower Curtain
- Hale Navy IKEA Cabinet Makeover
- Work Table Makeover & Customizing Unfinished Furniture
- Our Office Lights + Splurge vs. Save Lighting Options
Our house was built in 1960, and we guess this room was originally considered the formal sitting room. The previous owners used it as a formal dining room with a long table and used what is currently our dining room as their music room.
We played a whole lot of musical rooms when we moved into this place. 😉
But this space was absolutely perfect to become our home office!
Can you believe this is the same room?!
The extra perk is because we installed a pair of closets in here as well as sealed off the once open doorway with a pair of French doors, this space is now technically considered a 5th bedroom.
Not that we plan on ever selling this house in the near future, but it’s good to know the decision potentially added resale value to this place.
I’ll give ya the grand tour.
Furnishings
We chose to use a big unfinished work table in the middle of the room that I customized with stain so that both Robert and I could share it as a joint desk, while having the flexibility to use it for working on projects.
Instead of traditional desk chairs, we got these dining armchairs on wheels and they have been very comfy so far.
Storage
We perked up these two IKEA cabinets with our laminate furniture painting method using the color Benjamin Moore Hale Navy.
And the closets gave us space for storing larger items and keeping them easily accessible. We frosted the glass with this window film to keep everything hidden behind closed doors.
Lighting
I totally splurged on this pendant light, but I just loved the linen shade with modern, clean lines.
And the sconces were the perfect blend of classic-meets-modern while adding some extra light to this window-less wall.
Decor
I still can’t believe we pulled off this $60 shower curtain art. It commands attention right as we walk in the door.
The rug leans just traditional enough and makes this room feel so cozy.
And the creamy white curtains add just enough softness to the walls that we painted Benjamin Moore Chantilly Lace.
I’m just thankful I don’t have to sprawl out on the sofa to write anymore. Ha! And I’m hopeful that soon we can start expanding to transform other people’s homes, which is always where my heart has been leading me.
God has a plan for the coming months/years, but we’re so excited to begin giving our time and energy to others and creating a feeling of peace in others’ homes during these times when we desperately need our havens more than ever.
For now, we’re brainstorming fun projects for the future with a few close friends and neighbors, and we’ll see where it takes us.
But I have a feeling big ideas will take shape in this room.
Here are all of the sources we used in the office:
- Wall & Trim Color: Benjamin Moore Chantilly Lace
- Cabinet Color: Benjamin Moore Hale Navy
- Door Color: Benjamin Moore Wrought Iron
- Cabinets (Tutorial linked)
- Oversized Art (DIY using this tutorial from this shower curtain)
- Work Table
- Chairs
- Area Rug
- Pendant Light
- Wall Sconces
- Curtains
- Curtain Rods
- Closet Doors
- French Doors
If you want to save this post for later, you can pin it here:
Lauren, your office is beautiful! I’m wondering how you frosted the glass in the doors. Did you think you would lose your mind with so many panes?
Haha! YES! So much measuring and cutting and I never want to do that job again. Haha! But it’s done and I’m so glad they’re frosted now because it does make everything look much more streamlined.
Love, love, LOVE this makeover! I have so been looking forward to seeing it!
You and Robert do great work, and I’m excited to see what the future holds for you business. Thanks for letting us readers join in on the journey!
what a lovely and functional makeover. I love all the details you and your husband added. You are very fortunate to have such a wonderful helpmate. I am amazed at your creativity. Thanks for sharing
Just perfect (as usual). You and Robert are such a good team. I know much inspiration and creativeness will be pouring from your new office.
Lauren it’s stunning!!!!
So beautiful!
Looooooove it!!! Every time you guys do a reveal it becomes my new favorite!
What a great job! I fell in love with your green pantry cabinet but that Hale Navy, loving it!
Nice looking work room!
A stunning room design ! I love the colors. The rolling dining chairs are a nice touch. 😉
Beautiful room, but I know I could never keep my ‘desk’ area that neat.
Thanks for sharing.
p
Come back in a month and there’s a good chance this one won’t be neat either. Haha! I’ll try though. 😉
Wow, it’s beautiful.
I love everything about it. You did a wonderful job. Jealous of all the closet space you created too 🙂
Since your table is high – which is perfect for working on projects but not full-time computer use – I’d recommend full-size wireless keyboards for your laps. They’re not very expensive and it will save wrist and hand pain in the future.
Great tip! Thank you! We’ll have to try that.
It’s gorgeous! (Where do you file all your paperwork though?
We are 90% paperless but what we do file is in the lower portion of our cabinets. 🙂
I am IN LOVE with your house! You and your husband are a great team!
Love this office, it has just enough to keep you interested but not too much so that you get distracted from your work. And it is also very sophisticated!!
Beautiful use of the space. You and your hubby have great vision. I have started painting all the interior doors black, in my home. What a change it’s making.
Stunning! Where did you banish all the stuff! Good call on the splurge for the light it is beautiful.
Vertical storage in the closets and cabinets. We really didn’t get rid of much. It just looked like a LOT all sprawled out on the floor like that. 🙂
Looks great, so elegant! I could certainly work in that space.
Simply beautiful! I love the rug..just might get one also!
You guys are lucky! My husband and I both have huge PC’s with double monitors and lots of other gadgets due to our jobs. Its 1000x neater with 2 little laptops!
We would love to get some larger desktops but we didn’t have anywhere to put them until now. Haha! So the big mamma jammas might end up there eventually. 😉
LOVE!!!!!! I am in love with the Navy Hale…so much that I think I would have done the closet doors and back of french doors in it! Even though that may have been over kill. LOL
Did you link where you got the frosting for the glass? I have been wanting to do that to a couple built in cabinet doors I have!
I do love that color so much. We have all of our doors (well, 95% of them) painted in Ben Moore Wrought Iron, so that keeps the flow room to room. The frosting film is from Amazon here: https://amzn.to/2WIdvbW
Love the chairs, but looking at you sitting there, you don’t look comfortable with your keyboard. Can you add a seat cushion, or use taller casters?
It’s super comfy to me. I might add a lumbar pillow but other than than, I’m a fan so far. The uncomfortable factor could be the fact that I’m forcing myself to be in front of a camera. Hahaha!
Love how it turned out and I love your optimism. I would never be able to share an office with my hubs. He’s quite the clutter bug. Fantastic man but so messy. And how nice it will be for the friends you can help. Wish I lived close! I’d sign up for your help. Best wishes. I know everything y’all do will make a wonderful impact on someone else’s life.
Lauren, Once again you have nailed it! (Literally and figuratively) I am currently vicariously decorating through your excellent taste and decorating. We are eagerly awaiting our new home building to finish and plan on using some of your very usable tips. Love the desk chairs on wheels with center desk! I already have a table to use as the desk just unsure if my husband will actually share with me! Thank you for sharing your beautiful home!
This office makeover is just lively and quite inspirational; your hard work and design knowledge have certainly paid off! I’m wondering where your files are kept? Are the cabinets really deep enough for those? Where do you keep your printer and extra paper? Shredder? Waste basket? Perhaps someday you can show us what’s behind those cabinet doors. I’m trying to think about an office redo and I guess I am still stuck back in the last century!🤣Blessing to you,
Cindy
I do still need to show all of the organization of that, but I plan to share that as a separate post since it was going to be a lot of info all at once. We have our printer in one of the closets with an outlet inside of the closet so that we don’t have to run any cords on the floor. There is also an outlet on the floor underneath the table that you can’t see for plugging in our laptops. The bottom portions of our cabinets hold our books and papers. For the most part though, we’re 90% paperless so that cuts down on the issue quite a bit.
I love your office reveal! I can’t wait to see every room you reveal! I would love to have you all help design our dream Farm House we hope to build in the next few years.
What a perfect office! LOVE! The light was completely worth the splurge; it pulls the entire room together. Thanks for the inspiration!
Lauren and Robert, your office is so beautiful. What a labor of love this has been but now you can both just relax and enjoy working in there. You are such hard workers and I like how you share everything with us. I know you will be blessed in your new venture! You have touched so many people with your lovely posts. Your home is absolutely gorgeous — as is your lovely yard! Hope you enjoy the rest of the summer!
Absolutely beautiful! I love every single detail and I would have certainly splurged on that light as well!
Hale Navy still seems to be the trendiest color and it looks great all tied together with the everything. Blue is still the #1 color people like in their homes. Since you’ve streamlined it with matching book cases, matching chairs and matching closets – I’d hide your storage stuff by frosting those panes as well. Polish it off very seamlessly and clean. And if you do get a business going where you’ll have people coming in – I suspect you’ll have to have a “swatch” space..hehe.
It’s beautiful. My favorites are the table/desk and cabinets.
Congratulations Robert and Lauren…this may be the best room makeover you’ve ever done! Awesome design, colors, and choices! God bless you all.
Awesome job and love all the space in there!! I’m sure you’re enjoying the private, dedicated office space 👏
VERY nice! You did a great job. Be proud of yourself!
Just WOW !! Gorgeous and so neat looking.Good job !!
Absolutely beautiful room! I’m actually interested in your venture to bring your creative design to others homes. I live in SC, 10 minutes from Charlotte NC. When you begin this adventure, I would love to be considered a client.
Robin Alion
[email protected]
I love the work you do but your website has too many advertising pop-ups and that takes away from enjoying your posts! I can’t see the pictures nor read what is written for all the ads that gets in the way.
Otherwise your house and what you do is awesome.
Came out great! Will you also be showing on your site upcoming before and after photos for clients? I’d love to see other homes and what you do with them.
Wow-really beautiful job and high/multi-functioning space!
Any other table recommendations? Both tables in your sources are unavailable 🙁
I love every single thing about this space! It’s so airy and beautiful! Great job!
Very well done, Lauren and Robert! It really looks fabulous.
Best of luck on your future designing dreams.
You and your husband are both amazing, Lauren!
This is gorgeous! I love the color scheme and that shower curtain art still has my mind blown. Like a previous commenter said, I’d love to know how you organized all of the other office “stuff.” Printer, shredder, files, etc. We need to redo my husband’s home office space, and I am hoping to create a little work nook in our master bedroom soon. So, I’d love some tips and tricks. Fabulous job, as always!
That is just beautiful. I am completely envious of how you create a vision and see it through so beautifully. Well done!
An inspiring and beautiful, logical, peaceful approach to creating a home office with plenty of breathing room. What I especially like is that the original function of the room for dining has not been lost, but you have added optional use of a ground floor bedroom. Your office design incorporating lots of functional storage and closet space would enable use as a dinning room, bedroom, or office; brilliant! I pray that your lovely family will be richly blessed in whatever God has in store for you all.
Fantastic result! I love the clean linen chairs with the timber desk. I’m also glad you axed the somewhat gaudy chandelier. It really looks like somewhere you can get a coffee and sit down to get to work!
Wow! This is so stunning! I love how you changed the chandelier to a more modern looking hanging light. It goes so well with the chairs you picked. The seamless looks of the pieces go so well together.
Thank you so much, Kathleen!
For the French doors to the closets, what do you use for a latch to connect the doors to each other when they are closed?
Your house is beautiful and I’m getting so many ideas, tips & tools from your blog. Thank you!!
The French doors here to the closets are actually a bifold doors. Don’t they look classy. hey do not need a latch. All the hardware is included for installing.
Everything looks so stunning and yet all so comfortable. Thanks a million
You are a design genius! Not only is this a stunning room, it’s affordable & practical! I just bought the table & chairs for under $700 total- amazing deal! Thank you so much for sharing. Would you be able to share a few more details with me about how you setup the computer electrical cords with the centered table & rug? We have a similar configuration in our space and would like to replicate, if possible.
I’m so glad it helped, Stevie! We have a floor outlet and have a hole cut in the rug so that it can be accessed for our laptop cords. You can’t see it in photos, but it’s there.