Sara’s Second Design Dilemma
*Update: Oh happy day! Sara sent us her after pictures, so check out our mood board below and then click over to see her room’s progress!
When Sara came back to us for her second mood board makeover (the first one is still in progress), we reached for our goggles and dove right in. Just kidding, but we did grab our laptop and start trollin’. Here’s her letter:
Problem #1: My hubby is trying to bring a commercial filing cabinet into our home office (you know the big chunky metal ones.. eek!). And, he has all but threatened divorce if I don’t get a home office set up asap. He runs a business which comes with A LOT of paperwork. I would love a place to scrapbook. This will one day be the nursery, so we need pieces that can easily be moved into other spots in our house. Can you please help us figure out a good office setup and ways to control the receipts, incoming/outgoing bills, filing?! I’d like the wall color to stay and really want a brown, green and white scheme in here. I have the poster trio from Ikea with the green flowers in white frames (same ones you have in LR) so I thought those could work. Here’s the rest of my wish list (which I know may not fit): $99 dark wood floor mirror from Ikea (similar to one you have) chair for vegging out, a clean-lined desk, window treatments (before the neighbors begin to hate us) and a cover for the closet. This room is small 8 x 10 to be (almost) exact. Thanks a million. -Sara
We’re no strangers to a tan 8 x 10 room (it’s almost the exact same size as our craft room/3rd bedroom which will also get turned into a nursery someday). Sara and her hubby will be surprised at just how much function they can cram into such a modest space. So without further ado, our fresh green, brown and white mood board:
And now for the mood board breakdown.
1. Our color scheme for the room will include chocolate tones complemented by a few pops of fresh green and an abundance of tan (thanks to the existing wall color). Oh and we can’t forget a healthy serving of crisp, clean white. When it comes to the floor plan, we’d love to see the desk centered under the long window with the cheerful striped rug under it to ground the working/scrapbooking area. The small wheely filing cabinet can slip under the desk or live to the left of it while the tall wooden mirror can be leaned against the wall to the right of the desk (not pictured) and the upholstered green and white chair can live in the corner to the right of the door (also not pictured) for a bit of relaxing while the hubby works away in the “office” part of the room.
2. Storing things never looked so good thanks to these fab green laquered boxes (on sale for just $9/3!). Sara better snatch those babies up fast though, because they’re definitely gonna be gone any day now. They can be used to store pens/calculators/envelopes/stamps/checkbooks/etc on the desk- or even on top of the rolling white file cabinet and the top shelf of her closet. Gotta love functional storage that’s also easy on the eyes.
3. Hanging these gorgeous sheer stripe-on-stripe curtains on either side of the that long window will add subtle texture to the space and still allow the room to be flooded with light (totally crucial in such a small space). If privacy is an issue in this room, Sara can also grab anything from bamboo blinds to venetian ones to lower whenever they’d like. But the main thing these ethereal sheers will accomplish is to add more of a vertical element to that horizontal window wall and to add height to the room while perfectly framing our centered desk under the window. And as for covering the closet, Sara could go with the same sheers to keep it cohesive or something a bit more opaque, like a simple white curtain from Ikea suspended with a tension rod.
4. This big ol’ metal filing cabinet actually charmed us with its warm putty color (it’ll look right at home amidst the green and the tan tones) along with the undeniable function that it will lend to the space. And we think either tucking it into the closet for concealed storage or even placing it to the right of the doorway (with the chair a bit beyond it in the corner) will be a surefire way to please the hubby in a flash.
5. Ah, we do know this trio of Ikea prints well (we have two in our living room and one in our guest room)- and we love Sara’s idea of working them in. Every room needs a bit of “life” and this foliage can’t die. Tucked into those white frames, one print could be placed on the desk casually leaning against the wall under the window while the other two get hung next to each other on the right wall to the left of the leaning mirror (towards the corner where our plush chair will live that’s not pictured).
6. The short of it: this is the perfect desk chair. How do I know? It’s my desk chair and I sit in it for literally ten hours a day. Sometimes longer. Sad I know, but it’s comfy and stylish and it’ll bring some of that rich chocolate tone into the space for a traditional-meets-modern mix. And at just $119 (for a real leather parson’s chair!) it’s the best deal in town. Oh and it bears mentioning that there are a few of these babies on sale for even less in our local Target in the Home Design Event section (for something like $89!) so Sara should definitely drop in to see if there are any at hers before ordering.
7. Yes, it’s the green glass based lamp I fell in love with at Target a few days ago (see me drool over it here) and it’s beyond perfect for Sara’s space. The glass is actually a lot more green in person, and the shade has a great leafy pattern that subtly shows through when it’s on. Instant ambiance- and it’s on sale!
8. This floor length leaning mirror from Ikea (in a rich dark brown) was on Sara’s wish list, and we think it’ll look great leaning against the right wall in the space with a plush slipper chair in the corner of the room to the right of the doorway (not shown).
9. This little wheely guy will add a ton of function in a tiny footprint (and look so seamless with Sara’s future desk thanks to the polished white finish). It can be rolled under the desk or stored to the left side of it for easy access. The beauty of having a filing cabinet within arm’s reach is that it can be filled with priority items or active bills/paperwork while the bigger putty colored one can be a bit further away (full of papers that still need to be around, just not right at your fingertips).
10. And speaking of the desk, here it is in all it’s glory. The West Elm parson’s desk is famous for a reason. It sports a sleek, impossible-to-stain-with-a-coffee-mug surface that will facilitate working and scrapbooking alike. The two slim drawers are perfect for holding just the basics (we love ‘em because they can’t get too messy since there’s only a limited amount of space- oh yeah, did we mention this is our desk too?) and the clean, leggy lines will keep the space feeling open and light.
11. This rug is the bee’s knees. I really don’t even think we have to say much more. It’s a great way to inject some of that casual charm that Sara loves, along with that green and white color scheme that she so adores. But the benefits don’t stop there. It’s also just $95 and totally machine washable. It doesn’t get much better than that, people. And centered under the front two legs of the desk it’ll ground the office area and add warmth, texture and color to the space in one simple step.
12. And here’s the aforementioned slipper chair covered in fun green and white upholstery for an instant loungey vibe to ensure that the room isn’t all work and no play. It has quite a Pottery Barn look for just $299 (thanks Target) and we actually own two of Target’s Dolce Lounge chairs, which are extremely similar (and actually quite comfy now that we’ve broken them in a little).
So there you have it. A fresh green, white and brown office space with style for miles. We can’t wait to hear what you guys think!
Update: Sara sent us her after pictures and they’re nothing short of amazing! Check them out right here.
Update #2: We sadly can no longer find the time to take on client commissioned mood boards (we now whip up general inspiration boards instead) but if we ever reinstate them we’ll make a big announcement!
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I love the desk!!!! I just ordered today, however, mine is not a Parsons desk (looks identical), but for $130 less. I can’t complain about it not being the real thing!
Here is my blog where I posted this great find:
http://www.fabfindsforless.blogspot.com
Wow! What an amazing find. Please let us know when it arrives how you like it! We’d love to know if it’s sturdy, level, as shiny when it comes to the finish, etc. It’s definitely a great option for Sara to look into as well!
xo,
Sherry
I love the slipper chair! I am going to have to check it out. I think it would look great in my “new” and improved studio!!
You two have been busy! As always, its lovely. The green, white, and tan is so fresh.
overstock sells what looks like a dead ringer to the parson desk. i have heard that it is not quite as shiny but it’s about $150 less.
Sherry
LOL at the bee’s knees. Did you mean “da bizness”?
When we needed a filing cabinet a few months ago, I really wanted to avoid spending $100+ at office max or staples on something not so pretty… we found one just like the one you’ve included here on craigslist for $75 that was in great shape. It now lives happily stuffed in our garage. :) But we do have a cute little filebox from Target that fits in a desk drawer for current bills and other important info.
Great pieces! You youngsters have been busy!
I *love* this room! We have this same color scheme & now in the market for a couch after using my hubby’s bachelor pad futon our first 3 years of marriage! Yay! We’re can’t decide which couch to get? Any advice? http://sammyw.wordpress.com/2008/12/31/vote-couch-dilemma/
Love the green for a home office! We have ours in a grey/green combo and I find it helps me focus and relax more than my clementine-orange former one. Who’d have thought, huh?
Yay, I love it! That was so quick! Thanks so much John & Sherry. We made out Ikea trip today, and will be getting the rest ordered this week! This room will be together in no time. I will be sure to send afters.
acg~Thanks for the craigslist note. We actually have a big gray one that was free! So, it will just take a little work to spray paint it. I am addicted to craigslist though, almost as much as YHL!
if the filing cabinet thing freaks you out.. I saw an article in an early issue of Domino, where the lady used this very cool , black and white contact paper, and adhered to the front of a big metal file cabinet… It looked awesome.
If i can find the issue ill comment later.
Good luck!
I absolutely love your style!
If you’re not a fan of ugly filing cabinets, one solutions would be to use a gorgeous wallpaper (my choice is always a beautiful metallic paper) to pretty it up. A lot of design shows have been featuring this lately, and the end result is so great!
GAHH! i didn’t even need to read this.. that is absolutely my favorite colour green .. siiiigh annd i like the board too :D
I love it! My current home office is black, white and blue and I was thinking of making the switch to green.
Hey! Love your site. I have been testing wall paints for an office room to be done with this same color pallette. Love the color on the wall in the room here – I’ve been so frustrated that all the paints I have tested seem to lean too pink or grey. Do you know what color is used here? Or, Sara, if you are reading, what is this great color?
Thanks!
Sherry- I love this office! I also have a 8×10 tan office and may try some of these ideas in there. I always wonder how can you tell the actual color of the items from your computer? How do you know the green boxes from Crate & Barrel are about the same as the rug? Just curious if you go and look at each piece or if you have some magic way to diy from home. Also do you have any other suggestions for white desks? I have a huge printer, CPU, speakers and I think they might look odd on such a slim, clean modern desk. BTW, I started reading your blog this month and I love it! You guys are so adorable and I love the ideas your come up with. Aloha, Malia
Aloha Malia,
Being the varsity window shoppers that we are, we’ve usually seen a lot of the items that we suggest in each of our mood boards, so we generally know what to expect in terms of the colors that we’re pairing. We’re also not super into the whole matchy matchy thing, so as long as things don’t clash, we don’t mind suggesting a few different shades of green for a space- it’ll really give it some dimension and keep things interesting!
As for another white desk, you might want to try target.com (they’re having another one of their furniture sales) and jcpenney.com (also a great furniture resource). You can also go to nextag.com and search “white desk” and scroll through a slew of white desks that are currently for sale at tons of online stores. Hope it helps! Happy hunting…
xoxo,
Sherry
Hi Sherry,
Mahalo nui loa (thank you very much) for your great suggestions! You truly are varisty shoppers with a great sense of style. Thank you so much for inspiring me so much. When I pull it all together, I will send some pics.
Take care-
Malia
Hey Malia,
Yay pictures! We’ll totally take you up on that offer so send ‘em our way whenever ya can. Good luck sprucing up your office!
xo,
Sherry
Elizabeth,
The color is Water Chestnut by Glidden (colormatched to Behr paint). I loved the color that John & Sherry used so much, that I decided to try the same one, and now have it in a couple rooms in my home. Good luck finding that perfect shade!
Sara
Pink Desk Chair Find The Best Deals On Pink Desk Chair.
I’ve been using this mood board to make over my own sunroom/office. The room is the same size, but I have windows on every wall but one. It’s coming together nicely, but slowly. So far I’ve gotten the lamp, desk, chair, and the “little wheely guy” :). I’m tackling the curtains next. This was a great mood board, thanks!
FYI: That West Elm parsons desk look-alike is back in stock at overstock! I wish I’d posted a comment here in early Feb, the original desk from West Elm was on sale for $254 (from $299).
And the Leather Parsons Chair from Target is on sale now for only $101.99 (+free shipping). There’s a coupon out there that will shave off some extra loot too. I just got one myself for just shy of $100!
Thanks so much for the tips! We’re glad it’s all coming together. And of course we’d love to see after pics someday!
xo,
s