Before & After--Home Office

I still see the ghosts of cubicles past. So much grey (and probably little tolerance for paintings of naked people on the walls.) Thankfully, I think we're experiencing a shift in some corporate cultures, where organizations are now realizing that their employees' work environment can have a big influence on both creativity and productivity. It's about time!

We recently finished dressing up our new office digs. The space was once a formal living room--fireplace and all. We're not "formal living room" people and, while I was sad to see the fireplace go, my disappointment quickly vanished once a large new window was installed. Removing the 2' deep fireplace bumpout also opened up the room considerably and created better opportunities for furniture placement.

BEFORE:

AFTER:

BEFORE:

AFTER:

The original fireplace mantle is now a bookshelf/ ledge.

The 1950s John Van Koert desk, a lucky find at a local consignment shop, is in amazing vintage condition and features a pullout leaf on the right side. It's like a sidecar, where kiddo can draw while I pretend to look very busy beside her.

A can of spray paint turned a worn-out but sturdy library cart into a bookshelf/ printer stand. A bonus: it's double-sided, giving us twice the storage space.

BEFORE: