Office Edit?

My home office has blue walls, and while I'm very fond of the colour (Scribe from General Paint), nothing in the room really relates to the walls.  

An old photo - the art has changed over the dresser, the chair will be reupholstered (once I decide on a wall colour) and the desk and side table (not shown) are getting new skirts.

The rest of the room is all linen and gray and off-white.  

So I'm thinking of painting the walls something like this:

Sherwin Williams Anew Gray.  SW has some gorgeous grays and greiges.

It reminds me a lot of BM's Revere Pewter, a perennial favorite which is a bit lighter and grayer:

I love the blue but it doesn't relate to anything.

I couldn't figure out why my office lacked coherence (maybe it's all the misfit furniture) with its beautiful blue walls until I realized that:

Decorators repeat the wall colour in the accessories and it helps to tie the room together.  

 For example, in blue and white bedrooms, the blue is often repeated in pillows, or the bed skirt, say, and the room looks "pulled together".

Maybe this is Decorating 101, but it really never occurred to me because I always use neutrals in walls and furniture and it never became a conscious issue...it always just worked. 

So with that wisdom, I'm rethinking the blue, since I am not really keen to repeat the blue in fabrics (I'd rather go neutral)!

Such a beautiful medium blue.  I might redeploy it in my downstairs bedroom where the current pale blue doesn't have enough gravitas for the low light...

I would really love to add wallpaper to the room, like this Farrow & Ball paper:

Silvergate BP-804

Or this one:

Orangerie BP 2502

However, at $300 per roll (3 roll minimum), this could be a very expensive experiment!  Plus, I'd probably have to hire an experienced wallpaper hanger.

So I think I might be a coward and just stick with greige walls...

What do you think?

Do I keep the pretty blue and introduce some blue accessories, say a blue pillow on a future linen chair, etc.?

Or do I go greige and make a neutral scheme (with lots of white and black and wood as my accents)?  This might look better with the neoclassical elements I seem to be collecting in here.

Do tell!

Favorite Things in the Office

My home office is in flux right now and I did not intend to style this small dresser (which will be repainted when the walls are done) but it ended up with a little assortment of favorite things:

One of my favorite things is this old candy box my grandfather gave me when I was 20. He died two years later while I was travelling in Europe, so I could not make it back in time for the funeral.  This little box unites me with him and reminds me of him.  I keep precious loose photos inside it. I love all its wear marks, which it had when I got it.  It must be quite old:

I also adore my small etching/engraving collection and still have to frame these.  I haven't figured out yet where they are meant to go but I think they will go on the walls in this room eventually. The gold picture frame was the first thing I bought in Paris 21 years ago, the first time I visited.  It was about $1 at a flea market (I didn't have a big decorating budget then).  The small ceramic dish with the lavender in it was loaned to me by a friend in university with potpourri in it.  I think of her when I recall that I never gave it back (bad me):

This is the engraving on the wall, which I bought in Paris a few years ago.  Shortly after that, I took a picture framing course and this is the first mat that I cut (very badly).  I have not gotten around to reframing it, but I kinda like its imperfection. P.S. After lots of practice, I can cut a perfect mat now:

Happy weekend!

To Paint or Not to Paint?

I cleared out the office a little this week so I could begin to see the space with fresh eyes.  I was growing tired of the blue walls (a rich blue called Scribe from General Paint) and was definitely going to repaint, but with less clutter, the blue looks so pretty again!

The old armchair (I have a pair...acquired when I was 19) sorely needs reupholstering...

I moved my lovely crystal column lamp (from RH) into the room.  The white shade adds airiness and the cylinder shape adds some structure and modernity to the old, curvy, dark dresser.  I also cleared off the bulletin board, which helped a lot! 

Here is the desk area (an old photo).  I definitely intend to have a new (tailored) skirt made for this table if I cannot find a desk I love:

I'm considering a grayer shade for the walls, to be combined with white drapes and lots of white accessories. I love Farrow & Ball's Manor House Gray and think I need a shade that is the same or perhaps even darker than the photo below:

I am so fond of these lamps from Crate and Barrel.  I think the tall one would be lovely on the desk.  The small one would be pretty on the dresser or on another table we have in the room.  Then I can move the RH lamp back to our bedroom!:

As you can see, I want to create a tranquil space (my typical decorating philosophy)...

I will share more as I make progress.  I am a slow decorator because I'm careful with my purchases and like to choose things which will be versatile and which will last.  I also get easily confused with my style (I have about 4 main styles I like) and need to ruminate and distill it all down to make sure it meets my deepest tastes, which I think this does. 

I also really need to buy an ergonomic chair for my bad back.  I hope to find one that is vaguely attractive, maybe in a light colored faux leather?!  Do you know of any good options?

Your thoughts are always appreciated...

The New Old Dresser

The new old dresser arrived from Victoria and we installed it in the upstairs office, in place of the old Ikea bookcase (good bye!).

I cleaned it with lemon oil (sorely needed) and we have yet to install the casters. I have just begun to declutter the office, so excuse our unstyled ethos:

I find the wee dresser very charming. It is well-loved and not in pristine shape by any means. It is thought to be from the 1920's, according to previous owners, but has no markings.

I will show you more once the office is transformed. I am keen to paint the walls as I've grown tired of the preppy blue. I am considering an antique white, with green drapes and a green velvet on the chair i.e. old world elegant (perhaps). I am also considering wallpaper, maybe a stripe or a damask pattern by Farrow & Ball. Suggestions are welcome, but keep in mind that I want to leverage the old-fashioned look from the dresser and chair.

Here are some gathered mementos. I love the vintage magnolia print (above) and nuthatch print (below). The small ceramic bird dish holds thumb tacks while the basket holds memory sticks and whatnots. The little business card is from Comer & Co., a favorite store in Washington DC. You must check it out if you go. You can read my post about it here.

I bought these "stamps" in 1991 in Paris, at the Louvre. I've been lugging them around for 20 years, so they are a little crumpled. I think I will frame them for the new space, at long last. I love all the images. I've visited the Louvre three times and have seen all these works. I love the Winged Victory most of all...it is housed in a large and profoundly beautiful space:

Happy Easter to you!

xo Terri

Where I Blog: A Mini Organizing

I love wire baskets and cool, old-fashioned office stuff, but sadly, I have yet to acquire many cool old things for this space. In the interim, I was feeling disorganized. So I picked up some cute little organizers with a pretty pattern inside - a paper tray, a magazine box, and a pair of little box trays.

The gray-brown colour inside the organizers works with my new RH "fog" linen drapes which you can see (left side) in the photo above. The drapes are actually not even hung yet - they are just draped in place. I must get to this, but was delaying as I am thinking of repainting the office...

The tray (actually the bottom of a box) corrals my pens (sorry, Martha, I don't have all matching pens) and loose paper, as well as my external backup hard drive. I also keep candy in here for late night blog reading:

The trays match my drapes and the fabric sample for the tufted RH chair I want for this space...

I have been slowly scanning old photos, so I am sharing my small desk with this giant professional scanner (left), an Epson v700. This scanner is amazing. But I can't wait until it's off my desk...

Organizers: Chapters Indigo

Scanner: The Camera Store

Lamp: Restoration Hardware

Ginger Jar: Paris flea market

Home Office: Colour Inspiration

The new drapes arrived today for my office. They are this colour:

I will keep the office walls blue for now (out of laziness and the volume of other projects demanding my attention). Eventually I think I will paint the office walls a nice white or antique white. I have been thinking about *accent* colours. I have to reupholster a chair (likely in a grey-brown, like the drapes) but think it might be nice to add soft pretty accent colours, perhaps through art.

I am inspired by the colours and imagery in these prints, from my files:

Odilon Redon (above)

Source N/A (above two)

I think the springlike imagery is so inspiring, but in a watery muted palette that I love. I don't think I will ever have bold, bright colours in my house in any serious way (maybe flowers...)

I am always drawn to weathered, worn looking things. I wonder why this is?

(baby, I was born this way).

What do you love that is inexplicable...?

A New Lamp: Scale?

I recently purchased this lucite lamp, from Restoration Hardware, to be part of the Office Redecoration Project (officially named, to be sure it happens). This is Step 1. I really love lucite and crystal lamps and don't care if they are a little ubiquitous - I declare I shall never tire of them!

I love the neoclassical lines of this lamp and its silver accents, but I'm wondering about the scale. I knew it was a little "overscale" when I bought it (everything at RH is huge). The height is 25.5" and the shade is 16" wide. Initially it seemed to dwarf my big iMac:

It seems gigantic to me because there was a smaller lamp here before, but it's starting to grow on me and looks "just right" in the photos. What do you think (excuse my messy office)?

The lamp, which arrived yesterday, actually came out of the box broken and is sitting a little askance. I need to take it to the store and order another.

It is growing on me, and will look polished with the new gray-brown drapes I have planned and the eventual antique-white walls. Today the old armchair went to the furniture doctor for a repair. It will be reupholstered...

The only thing that annoyed me about the new lamp, besides being too expensive, is that you could see the harp through the silk shade (visible in the second photo). I was using a clear bulb, but when I swapped it for a regular opaque/translucent bulb, the harp was no longer visible. Tada! Problem solved!

Thoughts on scale?

Home Office ~ Colour Dilemma ~

My office needs a makeover. And I am feeling lost. This is a room full of paper and stuff and proof of life, so I'm struggling with how to pull together a coherent "look" for it while still letting it be an easy unfussy space.

Today I painted some sample boards and thought about painting the whole thing a nice soft beige to replace the medium blue walls:

Above: Skimming Stone sample by Farrow & Ball

But don't get too excited. I decided against the beige and took down all my samples.

I still like the blue walls and the natural linen skirt on the work table:

A while ago, I painted my odd furniture (bookcase and little dresser) a soft blue, which I also like (although the blue walls and lighter blue furniture together have always bothered me). And don't worry, we are painting the trimwork white throughout the house, so this will be done too (eventually replacing it all). The armchair will also be reupholstered when all is said and done:

So...here is the dilemma. I have colour schemes racing through my head!

Option #1: My first plan was to paint the walls a warm white like most of the house. Nice and classic and foundational. This also works with the brown drapes I adore (Restoration Hardware's "Fog" linen drapes, which are a grey-brown, almost identical to the ones below). I think they look great with a white wall. And I could keep the furniture soft blue, like the accent in this photo. The chair would be reupholstered in a complementary brown, like the drapes.

I really like this combination:

Option #2: I keep the blue walls and do a white or natural linen-coloured drape.

This saves painting (yay!) and still looks soft and inviting:

This would give me a look similar(-ish) to the ones below:

The blue wall with white/natural linen curtain option would be quick and painless. A soft brown natural linen drape would coordinate with the linen skirt I have on my computer table. And I could reupholster the chair in a nice natural linen. But white linen drapes would be nice with the blue walls and crisp white painted trim too. And I could use all white accents. So even if I do the blue walls, what colour drape?

Thoughts? Some days I love my blue walls and other days I want those brown drapes, which I think would look better with a white wall.

I am torn between two loves...help!

Home Office Updates

Almost two years ago, I finally got around to "decorating" our home office. That meant a fresh coat of paint (blue), a nice linen skirt and glass top for our computer table and a few framed photos:

I painted the little dresser that came with the room (and added new knobs):

I also painted my old bookcase and added a soft wool rug from Ikea (which has held up beautifully):

I painted the built-ins white and started transferring photos into silver and wood frames for a consistent look. I covered two bulletin boards in linen so I'd have a place to collect paper ephemera:

We moved in our big wooden table, giving us a nice work surface and staging area for projects (and a place to hide boxes beneath). The basket is for electronics:

Since then, however, I'm afraid to say that nothing more has happened in this room! It is still tidy, but I never got around to adding curtains, reupholstering my old grey armchair, adding more storage, nor getting a new office chair.

I have a list of projects as long as my arm for 2011, but one of the main projects is to finish the office.

Window coverings are number one. I'm trying to decide if I should repaint the room white and use soft brown linen curtains, or leave it blue and do white curtains. I love these linen curtains from Restoration Hardware:

I also want to add some storage. Ideally I'd find an amazing antique cabinet, but my searches have left me empty-handed (for now). So I'm considering budget options.

I like this little Hemnes cabinet from Ikea, with its mix of open and closed storage. Don't you think the grey-brown cabinet would be nice with the white-wall-and-brown-curtain option? I do!:

The white version is nice too and would work with the blue-wall-and-white-curtain scheme. I would add interesting knobs.

I also like the all-glass version. I think two of these cabinets would be very nice side-by-side:

I also have four antique pressback chairs from my grandmother. I think one of these chairs (which are much darker than the photo below) might make a nice office chair:

Now, I'm on the hunt for light fixtures...

So...do you think I should leave the office blue and do white accents, or should I paint it white and do the soft browns that I love? The room faces south, so a nice white would be in its best light. Thoughts?

Office: Desk Reveal!

Last week I blogged about the ugly table I'm using for my office desk. I made lofty plans to cover it with fabric and glass, thanks to a suggestion from Joni at Cote de Texas.

I'm sorry to disappoint, but I didn't do as fancy a treatment as I'd planned. I decided it didn't make sense to bring the fabric across the front. As some of you mentioned, it wouldn't look very nice with the chair pushed in. And also, it would require a center pleat for sitting.

That was enough to discourage me. I wanted something simple that didn't cost a small fortune. My tailor is a posh dressmaker and could make anything, but I really didn't want the cost of fancy pleats. So I got her to do a simple hem (after she serged it). I love the way it looks but think I might bring the near-end all the way to the floor.

I bought 3m of plain linen for half price (about $35 total), did my measurements and took it to the tailor (who charged $20). I got glass cut the same day for $108. I did not get a bevelled edge (which cost $50 more). It is simply sanded round at the edge.

Biscuit really enjoys the fabric and likes to hide behind it.

I decided not to iron the linen. The tailor gave it a quick press, but I prefer the wrinkles!

I was so excited to get it all together but was shocked to find that my mouse doesn't work on glass! It needs a mouse pad now.

Here's the other side of the room:

I haven't decided what to do here. We sorely need some office storage but don't want to spend any new money! The table is great for holding things and for projects, but I hate the clutter that accumulates there and really need some file storage. Please ignore my ugly black shredder under the table (I should have moved it for the photo - bad stylist that I am!)

So I'm thinking of putting a chaise here and perhaps a tall cabinet near the window for storage. For now, it suffices and I've styled it with recycled art. I love this pheasant print by wildlife artist M.G.Loates which I bought it at a church auction for $10 (and will eventually re-frame).

The basket is for electronic stuff like iPods, cords, chargers, and cameras (I put a soft cloth at the bottom).

I still have to install curtains and some shelves over the desk. I toured Home Depot yesterday but they had a terrible selection of shelves (actually plenty of shelves but very ugly brackets), so I will check Ikea. More soon...!