my winter project -- our future office/library

12 years ago

I'm a little bit further along with this room than the photos show, but I figured I'd share my starting point. This is the last untouched bedroom in our 100 year old house. It will become our office/library when done. The big TV armoire will house the printer, file boxes, computer router and office supplies. I may or may not paint the armoire. The corner cabinet and bookcase will go away. We'll get three or four matching bookcases for the wall where the bookcase and slot machine are now.

In these pictures, I've gotten all of the painted-over wallpaper off, but the ceiling and walls still need to be repaired (our contractor recently finished that, but I haven't taken new pictures yet). The windows still need a LOT of TLC. Looking around the mostly empty room, the open door in the first picture is the door from the hallway and the closed door is the closet:

Walls will be painted Wythe Blue; trim will be white. We are trying to furnish the room with things we already own as much as possible. Here is the rug we're using:

I'm planning to use unbleached linen curtains from Ikea that I originally bought for the living room but didn't use there, as well as this settee that I moved out of the living room:

We'll also be repainting and reupholstering these vintage wicker chairs that I got at a trash-and-treasure day in our neighborhood a few years ago (the best score ever!). They've been sitting in our attic room waiting for attention ever since. They are in great shape except for the fabric, heavy, sturdy, and extremely comfortable. I'll be asking for advice about these soon.

So that's the starting point. Scary, huh? The whole house was this scary when we bought it 7 1/2 years ago. I joke to DH that we'll look back on this house adventure as "the lost decade".

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Comments (14)

deeinohio
12 years ago
Your room is going to be simply wonderful, and will be a place you'll want to spend lots of time. I think it's Auntjen who has a cozy little attic room with tons of charm.

We have a room (called a "bonus" room) over our garage I furnished with craigslist finds and other cast-off items from our past and it's my favorite room. It's like being in the trees.

Can't wait to see your room finished!
Dee
arlosmom
Original Author
12 years ago
Dee, the attic room is the next project after this one, and that will be my own little hideaway. This room is one of the second floor bedrooms. I have to share this room with DH, LOL. For both room, the office/library and the attic hideaway, we're trying to use stuff we already own or find. Our next move, down the road several years, will certainly be to a smaller house so we don't want to buy any more stuff.

Thanks for your nice comments. I'll look for pictures of auntjen's cozy attic.
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yayagal
12 years ago
I think it's a cozy room just by it's size and window. It won't take much to make it exactly what you like. Can't wait to see it finished. I love rooms with pieces in them that have age and character.
pps7
12 years ago
I LOVE the rug. What a great inspiration piece and jumping off point.

The only comment I have is that the wythe blue is quite a bit greener than the blues in your rug. It may be just my monitor and not that everything has to match, but you may want to put paint chips up against the rug to see if it works for you. Please post pics when it's done. I really like your living room too.
User
12 years ago
It's going to be beautiful! I LOVE your floors. And the puppies are adorable!
User
12 years ago
I have an oriental that is exactly that print ! Very nice room you are going to have when it is done. Love the chairs..I have 4 on my porch that need a lot of loving care and upholstery....I will watch what you do with yours..be sure to post. c
schoolhouse_gw
12 years ago
This is going to sound nuts, but I like the walls just the way they are - I know it sounds weird, but that third pic just speaks to me. But, the blue with white trim will be wonderful too. :)
arlosmom
Original Author
12 years ago
yayagal, the room definitely has a cozy feel. I don't know if it's the scale of the room or the angle in the wall from the roofline, but it has always felt cozy to me too. I'm excited to be making progress here.

pps7, you're right about the Wythe Blue having a lot of green in it. I have now put huge samples of the Wythe on the walls and am communing with the color. While it doesn't MATCH the blue in the rug, I still think they play together nicely. Maybe I'm even a little happier that they don't match exactly...I tend to like things to be a little off/quirky. I have a picture that I want to hang in here that looks really good with the blue. Lacking a backup plan, I will most likely plow ahead with the Wythe. (And thanks for your comment about my living room. I'm still surprised by how much happier I am with it since my small changes.)

jillinnj, thanks for your vote of confidence and the compliment on the beasts. The floors are heart pine and are in every room of the house except the baths. I think the attic floors are even heart pine, though we have yet to have them refinished.

trailrunner, I'd love to see your rug...is yours the same colors too? Regarding the chairs, I might be crazy, but I'm toying with the idea of mohair velvet for the upholstery. I have 3 samples of gray mohair coming in the mail. I've always yearned for some, and have been inspired by sueb's soon-to-be saphire chair. I'll post picture of the samples when I get them.

schoolhouse, yes, you're nuts. : ) When we moved in, our walk-in pantry was covered, wall to ceiling, with alligatored, chipping, peeling paint. A good friend of ours tried really hard to talk us into keeping it just like that. Theoretically, I admire a relic as much as the next guy, but it's much nicer to live in a house that isn't cracked and peeling.
schoolhouse_gw
12 years ago
lol.
caminnc
12 years ago
It's gonna be lovely, I am sure. Looks like your home has tons of personality.
macybaby
12 years ago
looks like a fun project. I love the settee.

I like that you refer to it as the "lost decade" I sure know how you feel. Maybe we should both set a goal of being "Done" before the ten year mark!
hudsonleigh
12 years ago
That is going to be a great room....it already has so much going for it! Love that settee & the rug, too. Good luck!
ttodd
12 years ago
It's going to look so great! I love your place - takes me back to when our house was at that stage and starting the whole process. So exciting and filled w/ possibilities! Now our house is at a stage where it never really got done and there's crayon on all of the walls and I can barely bring myself to want to do anything because of it.

12yrs later we literally just scheduled the electrician to come out and do some projects that I've needed done for yrs.
schoolhouse_gw
12 years ago
Since this was brought to the top, any updates arlosmom?