Behind the Scenes – Home Office Makeover

One of the features that sold us on our new home is the home office. It has tall ceilings, double doors and triple windows which flood it with natural light. When we first saw this home last March, this was to be my work area that my husband would share in the evenings after he got home from work. Fast forward a few months when his job went remote indefinitely, we found ourselves struggling the make the space work for the both of us.

Initial Setup

We floated the DH’s desk in the middle of the room with the credenza behind him, while my desk went in a corner. At the time, this seemed like the best placement with the windows and doors taking up two of the four walls. Though functional, there was nothing aesthetically pleasing about this setup. Also, whenever I was on a Zoom call the DH was a default participant as he sat behind me.

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After a few months with this setup, several issues initiated change:

• I began having carpel tunnel issues with my wrists. My beloved writing desk did not have a keyboard tray, which is not ergonomic. So it was time to say goodbye.
• The search for a new desk with a keyboard tray wide enough to hold a keyboard and mouse revealed would not fit in my 57 1/2″ space. I needed at least 60″.
• We were both ready to unpack the boxes of office supplies and trinkets that had flanked the sides of the credenza for far too long. We began dreaming up stylish storage solutions, none of which would work in the current setup.

Mood Board

The DH and I have distinctly different tastes. However, we both agree on a neutral palette with pops of color. We’d scoped a wooden 3-D world map we saw online and fell in love with. This would be perfect for our large blank wall opposite the windows. (We really can’t use this wall while trying to accommodate two full-time work stations. It’s more of a background to the narrow walkway we’d created in the room.) And the earthy tones would work well with the existing color, which is Sherwin Williams Agreeable Gray.

New Layout

We decided to move the desks to the middle of the room, which meant I need to find a desk with tones similar enough to the DH’s. We bought his from Walmart eons ago when solid wood and drawers with dovetail joints were an option. We could not find anything remotely close! After an extensive search, we decided on Bush Furniture Somerset Office Desk with Drawers. I love the large surface area, extra wide keyboard tray for my keyboard + ergonomic mouse pad, and the color match was almost perfect. A few weeks later, we purchased the matching file drawer which is easily disguised on the side of my desk so as not to take up any visual space.

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The Reveal

So how did it all come together?

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We both love the new layout! And my wrists are doing much better. Most of our boxes have been unpacked, and many of our lovely trinkets are on display. There are a few more pieces of art to hang and some additional houseplants to bring into the room, but all of the major enhancements are finally done. What do you think?

I’m so very thankful Family Travel Adventures LLC has a beautiful work space to continue to plan amazing adventures for you.

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Behind the Scenes – Home Office Makeover / {My Favorite Things} Enjoy the Wood