posted by Heather Blue Harkovich

Scott and I have had a fun and busy week at High Point Market, followed by a trip to Nashville to see old friends at my college reunion (Vanderbilt University).  We have been taking notes on all the latest trends at market, ordering fabulous products for the store and scouting out cool towns and villages around Nashville to get fresh ideas!

So, today’s blog is a quick Home Office “before and after”.  We did not make any architectural changes to this room, just a fresh coat of paint (that made all the difference) and updated furniture/decor elements!

Home Office Before:

This is a small room, so my ‘before’ picture does not show much.  The room had actually been very crowded with a heavy home office furniture piece so it was hard to snap a photo.

Left wall of room “before”- yes, I am photographically challenged!

This room is in a home where we did a major makeover (updated kitchen, family, dining, breakfast, living and powder bath!).  The homeowners had not planned on updating the office, but once they saw the changes in the rest of the home, they had to take the plunge and add this room onto the scope of work!

Home Office After:

The paint color (Benjamin Moore HC-160 Knoxville Gray) is gorgeous green-blue-gray color that really sings.

Simple white panels lightened the room, as did a natural fiber rug.  New, smaller scaled furnishings make the room feel double the size.  Thanks to electronic mail and wireless technology, you do not need all the bulky storage anymore.  We were able to install a great looking desk with drawers instead of file cabinets, etc.

Now our husband and wife have a tranquil home office they can both use at the same time.  A comfy chair and flat screen TV provide a new space to “work” or retreat! 

Do you have a room in your home that you are not taking full advantage of?  Think about changing the layout and the furniture in it to make it a space you will use more often!  Square footage is precious, make sure you are making the most of it!