Farmhouse Office // Design Plan

THE FARMHOUSE Somehow we've managed to live without a home office for the last 8 years and it's not for lack of wanting one!  But we really just haven't had the space...until now!  With baby girl's pending arrival in July (meaning I won't be getting out a lot) and paperwork piling up from running 5 rentals and renovating the Porch House, I decided it was finally time for a dedicated office.  And thankfully, Garrett agreed!

Directly off the Farmhouse entryway is a small room (11.5'x9.5') with large windows and an oversized pocket door.  It has no closets meaning this space has probably always been an office or library (or sitting room?) and it'll be perfect for Garrett and my shared space.

With Garrett on board, I picked out a paint color and persuaded Garrett to spend one whole kid-free day at the Farmhouse with me.  We painted, pulled up carpets and hung new light fixtures.  Here's what the room looks like:

The navy blue is moody and cozy and surprisingly spacious.  It's perfect for this space.  But that didn't mean that the color was an easy decision for me!  I was actually very tempted to go with white in here - white looks so beautiful with our wood moldings and really goes with the whole historic, farmhouse vibe I'm going for in this house - but at the last minute I selected BM's Hale Navy.  The main reason for the darker color is that I wanted this space to feel like a real destination and separate from the nearby living spaces at the farmhouse (which will all be white).  Going dark is so hard for me, but every time we've done it (like the Dexter guest bedroom, Julia's kitchen, and the Porch House exterior) I've loved it.  So I trusted my gut, and went with the dark color.  In the end, both Garrett and I really like how it turned out!

I mentioned earlier that we also pulled up the carpets in this room (which, for the record, I've been itching to do for a good 9 months now!).  We found spots of missing finish and more of those carpet stretching scars we found in the living room, but thankfully there's no damage that a throw rug can't cover for now.  Speaking of a rug, the one in the picture above actually belongs to the nursery (it's the Skyline from Rejuvenation and has floated around a few rooms here at the Farmhouse), but I had it in here to check scale.  For this space I'm planning to use a cowhide, as you will see in the design plan.  We are also planning to buy real office chairs for this room - say what?! - but I'm waiting for them to go on sale (any day now West Elm...!).

Even though I'll likely use our office more than Garrett, I really wanted both of us to feel comfortable in here, meaning I picked design elements that we'd both love.  The desk and lights are feminine and airy, which was what I was dreaming of, while the chairs, cowhide, and vintage accessories feel darker and grittier, which feels much more like Garrett.  Hopefully it all balances out to a coed office space where we can both happily design, manage, and do everything else for our construction projects, tenants, and blog.

sources: light // rug // chair // trestle legs // magazine rack // clock // art // floral pad // brass scissors // vintage adding machine

I'm really excited to see how this space turns out!  Here's a look back at the evolution of this office since we moved in last summer.

There's lots left to address in this space like storage, functionality, and how we're accommodating the kids (because those little buggers are sure to sneak in here from time to time ;).  But I'm really excited to be putting together a beautiful home office that both Garrett and I will love.

xoxo

-Cathy

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