Well it was a crazy busy weekend at Casa de Haskett as we worked very hard to re-do my teeny tiny office in just forty eight hours. I’m excited to show you the “before” & “afters.” Who doesn’t love a great makeover, anyways?
So here’s the run-down…I was given ULTRA LED Dimmable 12W A-line light-bulbs by SYLVANIA, a $500 gift card to Lowe’s, and a weekend to basically whip out a miracle.
I’m beyond embarrassed to share the before photos. I’m cringing…yes, it was a complete mess. I didn’t even bother straightening up for the photo - just keeping it real.
Okay, ENOUGH with the ugly! Now for the plan…I have to go into any design project whether it large or small, with a plan. You’ll see that the plan was tweaked just a little, but for the most part it served as a great guide (and kept me organized) during my shopping spree at Lowe’s!
Seriously, it’s tiny but I know I can make it work for me (click image to enlarge).
I knew that adding a skirt to the desk would immediately help corral the clutter (not that I just want to shove all of that mess underneath the desk). I would like to hide the trash can, shredder, etc. It has also been painfully clear that I need a better solution for fabric samples.
The loot @ Lowe’s. I feel like I got a lot of bang for my buck!
Now, finally, the AFTER photos:
One of my first pieces of inspiration was the silver and white wallpaper I found on clearance at Lowe’s for $15! I knew it would be perfect on the back wall. I picked a coraly-pink paint by Olympic for the walls and decided to paint the bookcase the same color because I didn’t want a white bookcase to “pop…” I wanted it to feel more seamless in the space.
Let’s talk lighting. Lack of good lighting was a major problem. I found the chandelier at Lowe’s and added the SYLVANIA ULTRA LED lights. One thing to note about LED lighting is that it is a very clear, bright, light. I love the fact that I won’t have to change my light bulbs so frequently as they last 25 times longer versus the incandescent bulbs I was using before! SYLVANIA’s ULTRA LED series is also dimmable so you can really control how much light you would like. The chandelier I installed is large for the space (though I love the drama this provides), so I am using SYLVANIA’S ULTRA LED 8W A-line bulbs. I could work happily with just the 12-watt bulb in my lamp. This bulb allows me plenty of task light which is so important when working. I can’t wait to replace all my current incandescent bulbs with ULTRA LED 12W A-line bulbs! SYLVANIA also makes DOT-it Linear Swivel LED fixtures that you can adhere to the under side of cabinets or shelves. Make sure to visit the SYLVANIA website to look at all the new LED products. The improvements and advancements in LED lighting is so exciting, not to mention going green and saving green is an added bonus in any makeover!
The gold baskets that now hold fabric samples were originally copper that I spray painted gold. The white IKEA boxes I already owned were each individually sorted and re-organized so I wasn’t hanging onto unnecessary clutter. It was so much work sifting through everything and purging what I didn’t need.
Overall, I’m very pleased with the new lighting, new organization, and totally new feel of my office! If you are inspired by my makeover, be sure to head to the SYLVANIA Facebook page and enter their Room Makeover Series! The contest is going on through 5/6 and one lucky person will win the Grand Prize: a $1,000 gift card to Lowe’s. Imagine what you could do with that!
We’ve been looking for the perfect floor screen to conceal all my Dad’s speakers/amps/music equipment in their Music Room/Studio/Media Room. All the electronics and wires have become an eye-sore, so we need a pretty, easy way to hide the stuff!
