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Yeah, the cabinet doors and drawers aren’t done…yet. But it is nice to have my own space to spread out and organize.
This room also doubles as a library. I love having everything in one designated space, opposed to all over our house. Once the doors and drawers are built, my office will be complete!
I’m back to show off more of my almost finished office!
I was using the children’s desk we have in our living room to run my stationery shop, Customized Stationary. A little more than a year and a lot of complaining later, I am using my new office! Ben still has some building to do, but I’m happy as a clam to have more space.
Before we go into the present day office, lets take a trip down memory lane, shall we?
This is what the office space looked like before. Then Ben worked his magic. Summer rolled around and we got busy with outdoor projects and life, so my office was on hold. Winter came and we started working again, but now we had a deadline. We were going to have a baby around the end of March 2010. Time to go into over drive. We had an entire basement to finish, including my office. So, 15 gallons of white paint later, we have arrived at our destination.
Ladies and gentlemen, I present to you, MY OFFICE
Once the office is complete, I will have a stack of four drawers on the left side of the desk and four cabinet doors to cover the right side. I will also have adjustable shelving in the cabinet that houses my computer tower and printer.
Here is a look at the other side:
Ben is building the cabinet doors to cover the right sides.
Here we have a door waiting to be filled, sanded, primed and painted.
Ben is pretty smart and had a few ideas to improve the function of the space. One idea was under cabinet lighting. The other brilliant idea was a magnetic backsplash to serve as my inspiration/work board. (I was planning on using a framed metal board, but this is so much better AND it allows artwork on the left wall). The original plan was to install painted steel, but we didn’t know how we would keep it in place without ruining the walls and making it obvious.
Then, my dad suggested using magnetic primer. Brilliant! A quart costs between $20.00 and $25.00, but we covered my entire backsplash 6 times (the can suggests a minimum of three thin coats) with one can. Once the primer has dried, you just paint over it with your wall color and voilà! Instant magnet board. The magnetic primer can’t hold heavy items, but it’s perfect for my papers.
The left side holds three IKEA containers with paperclips, rubber bands and small clips.
The longer right side is my working order side and it extends around the corner to the bookshelf. Notice the under cabinet lighting, too.
Ben is definitely a keeper! I’m so lucky to have such a talented man in my life.
My office started as a concrete bunker style space in our basement. Then Ben framed in the walls and added sheet rock. Then the real fun began. I designed a full wall of floor to ceiling bookshelves and a wall with a desk, workspace and open cabinet shelving. Ben did a great job building everything!
Here is a work-in-progress shot of the bookshelves:
And the open cabinet style shelving, desk, and workspace:
Ben found a 2 inch think piece of Brazilian Cherry hardwood to make my workspace countertops. He actually had to join two pieces together to make it the right depth. Then he used a floor sander to make it smooth. Here he is right now:
Then he cut the pieces to size and added a few coats of clear polyurethane. Ben cut and installed the marble desktop, too. I’m telling you, he’s talented!! Here is my office at that stage. So ‘cited!
I also designed a wall treatment which Ben painstakingly installed along with some reclaimed French doors!
Then we painted the trim, bookshelves and cabinets white (along with the rest of the basement).
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