Blue Floral Office Makeover
This office makeover includes a little bit of everything. I built bookshelves and window seat, sourced a vintage desk, added wallpaper, and did a neat piano DIY, and created some desperately needed storage solutions. We have decided to move out of this home within the year, so while I did want to make a big impact with this design, I didn’t want to spend too much money on something I wouldn’t be able to enjoy very long.
Where We Started:
This extra bedroom in our house had become a catch-all for random furniture, unused items, and things that didn’t have a home. The first step was a massive declutter. Once I settled on the furniture I wanted to keep in here, it became a lot easier to see a clear vision of how I wanted to design this space.
The Color Palette:
I knew I wanted to paint the room a soft blue, but I didn’t want it to feel too “baby boy nursery” so I filled out the color palette with rich shades of burgundy, dark brown wood tones, and brass hardware.
Designing the Built-In Shelving:
I already had two bookshelves in this room, and they fit perfectly on either side of my window. Unfortunately, the window in this room isn’t centered, but I had one larger bookcase and one smaller that fit into the unsymmetrical gaps. I bought pre-fab cabinets at Lowes, which saved me a lot of time and money. Although these aren’t the most well-built cabinetry you’ll come across, they’ll get the job done in a pinch. I think if this home was going to be a more permanent stay for us, I would have splurged on some nicer cabinetry.
The bench seat is one of my favorite elements of the room and I was so happy with how it turned out. The extra storage is a game-changer, and it has provided the best place for me and the dogs to cuddle up with a good book.
My mom helped me sew the bench seat cushion and I’m so happy with how it turned out. I bought the fabric from SpoonFlower and selected the Duck Denim to provide a more durable surface. The cover is removable and washable, which is perfect for this type of area.
DIY Piano Cover
I am seriously so shocked with how this project came out! I started with a generic electric piano that I’ve had for years. I love to play, but never loved the cheap black plastic base that came with this keyboard. Building out this wooden stand provided the perfect solution for me.
I have a more in-depth instructional blog post here for the piano cover.
Facebook Marketplace, Vintage, and Thrift Finds:
I really leaned in to finding second hand and vintage items to fill out this space. Vintage items give charm and very lived-in feeling to the room, which is what I was going for. A lot of the art and bookshelf trinkets are thrifted and the desk is one of my favorite Facebook Marketplace finds.
One of my favorite things in the room is the typewriter on the bottom shelf of the bookcase. It was my late grandmothers and I’m so happy I have a fun spot to show it off now.
Ceiling Wallpaper:
I went back and forth between color drenching the entire room in blue, or adding wallpaper to the ceiling. I’m so glad I decided to risk a little neck pain (or a lot!) to add this whimsical floral print to the ceiling. It pulls the room together, and gives it the charm I was hoping to achieve.
I used this Wallpaper from Wallblush and I absolutely love it. The quality was great, and it was easy to put up. I would not recommend their glue, it didn’t work too well for me. But the generic wallpaper glue from Lowes did the trick.
Overall, I’m so happy with how everything came together and I am enjoying working in here every day. It’s a room filled with some of my favorite things – books and my piano, and now it looks the part too!
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