Home Office Remodel Makeover
A home office remodel makeover that does double duty as a virtual home school!
When we moved into our house last year, we knew we’d renovate our ‘bonus room’ aka 4th bedroom that the prior owners had converted from part of the garage and into a bedroom. Here’s what it looked like:
Since this room was used primarily for storage, we weren’t in a rush to spend the money and update the room. But then boom! Covid-19. We spent the spring homeschooling Penelope from our kitchen table which was not ideal for so many reasons. First, it wasn’t a dedicated space for her. She was like a visitor to it. Second, there were tons of distractions, not the least of which was me trying to work, and Henry playing and watching TV in her line of sight. As the summer wore on and the realities of school came to light, we made the quick decision to makeover this room and set it up as a home school and office room.
It’s worth noting that as of now, Penelope is in school 5 days per week. However, should schools shut down again, I don’t want to be caught on my heels. I wanted to have a space for her to do her school work, homework, and eventually for me to use as an office space as well!
So, I got to work scouring Pinterest to decide on design direction. This room has one window and had been so dark for so long that I was just aching to give it a light and bright makeover. So we did.
With a chair rail already in place, I wanted to use 2 colors; an ivory on top and a bluish-hued green for the bottom. And of course, some crisp white trim to make it all pop.
We chose Benjamin Moore Cotton Balls for the top section and Wythe Blue for the bottom. I just love how beautiful this looks! So airy and bright!
And let’s talk about the floors. We chose laminate flooring for cost and durability. I love that these have a gray undertone which keeps the room feeling soft and subtle.
To warm up the space, we added a rug from Lowe’s. I love the ivory and charcoal here. The ivory keeps with the light and bright theme, while the charcoal gives a little bit of an edgy contrast. Eventually we will add a bed in this space to the left, so it will do triple duty as a guest room, home office and virtual school!
This room also has a small closet and we’re excited to add a custom closet system to maximize storage and functionality here.
And finally, the home school set up reveal!
We didn’t have a desk yet, so we borrowed a folding table from my parents and I covered it in craft paper so that Penelope could doodle on it, and we could leave her some fun messages. I absolutely love this detail because it’s a fun way to use what you have! I grabbed a few items from her room to cozy up the desk…some frames and signs that I knew would make her smile!
And, an art cart to hold all of her supplies.
Of course, this room is not finished.
Still left to do:
Replace window treatments. Haven’t decided if we’ll go shade of curtains in here.
Add a bed! We have a headboard and frame, just need a mattress. This room is going to pull triple duty and also serve as a guest bedroom for overnight visitors.
Hang some artwork.
Get a real desk.
Install a closet system to maximize storage.
So there you have it…our home school and office reveal thus far!
What do you think? How would you use this room, and what changes would you make?
