As a Realtor, blogger, business owner and Pinterest addict, when the fiancé and I made the move to our current construction site, I would have given anything to have my very own home office that the old 2 bedroom house just didn’t afford me. Fortunately, our new house has a dedicated “man cave”, so it was pretty easy to negotiate one of the upstairs bedrooms as my home office. Score!
Over the past week, I’ve been hard at work putting together my newfound office space, but you know my rule with my before + after posts. Before we jump into the after pics, I must first force you to revisit the office in its previous state so that you can really appreciate the after shots. Not so lovely carpet, old as the stars curtains and…two different shades of paneling? Oh, boy. This one has fun written all over it.
Once painted (Sherwin Williams Big Chill) and equipped with new hardwood floors, I was determined to outfit this office without having to shop for any new items. That’s right. Only furniture, wall art and decorative pieces that we brought with us from the old house were allowed. Let’s see how I did.
I had way more fun that any normal person would spending a Saturday night pulling together pieces from the old house and reintroducing them to each other in the new office. And as for my keep-the-debit-card in the purse goal for this room? The only items I bought were the curtains (that are actually tablecloths) but I used a gift card, so I’m still giving myself an A+.
Dine easy. Forget the five course meals, some of the most fun nights are spent sipping wine with good friends gathered around a few chunks of bread, fruit and cheese.
History lessons. Outfit your space with family hand-me-downs and finds from past travels. Home decor is so much more fun with a story behind it, and what is easier than going shopping in Grandma’s attic or more fun than combing the beach for coral and shells to fill that bowl that’s been sitting empty on your coffee table?
Get by with a little help from your friends. Last week a few friends that I hadn’t seen in far too long and I made plans to get together for dinner and to watch a mutually shared trash TV addiction. Alas, day of, the wonderful hostess was under the weather just enough that she didn’t want to cancel plans with her gal pals but slaving over a home cooked meal sounded like the least possible amount of fun. Solution? Frozen lasagna, salad and wine arriving with friends and a good time had by all.
Grab a paintbrush. I’ve said it once and I’ll say it again—Alright, fine. I’ve said it a thousand times but it still holds true: When it comes to easy do-it-yourself projects, a little paint goes a long way. Whether you are thinking about giving your living room a fresh coat or painting a dated brick fireplace, the minimal cost and big result make this project a no-brainer.
Backsplash it up. While a kitchen remodel is out of the question when it comes to quick and easy weekend updates, adding a tile backsplash is high on the you-can-do-it list and also a great starter project for wannabe tile gurus. With so many how-to videos on the internet that show just how simple a backsplash can be to install—like the one below from DIY Network—why not put a little lipstick on your kitchen before holiday guests arrive?
