Hiya! If you’re following along with The Warwick Reno, you know my husband Luke and I are slowly renovating our 1932-built home here in Chicago. Since the renovation is already in process, I thought it would be fun to play along with the Instagram and design blogger sensation: One Room Challenge. See last weeks post for more on the One Room Challenge, and follow this link to see all the guest participant projects. There are more than 200 design bloggers playing along!

I’m doing a makeover on my home office space. Nothing feels better than a well-organized work space, and I can’t wait to get this room in tip-top shape. Here are the before photos. And here is the new and improved design plan!

Design studios tend to get cluttered and covered in color real fast! I’m craving a CLEAN, CRISP and WHITE office space. Of course, I’ve got to throw a little pattern and vintage into the mix. I found a fabulous block printed fabric from India while browsing a flea market last year, and I’ve been holding on to it waiting for the right moment to use it. I think roman shades in the office space will be perfect! The fabric happens to be the perfect complement to the Benjamin Moore Gray Cloud color I was already set on using. Love when those design coincidences take shape!

Note about Gray Cloud here. This color has a lot of blue and purple in it. If you’re wanting a light gray, try Classic Grey, or Gray Owl, but Gray Cloud is almost a pale periwinkle blue. It’s great in a bedroom, or any space you want to set a serene mood. I love the way it looks with lots of natural light. I definitely get the feeling I’m up in the clouds, which is just perfect for my work day.

I’m also going to use pre-made bulletin boards from Amazon. I want a neutral backdrop for pinning fabrics, and this burlap wrapped board already comes pre-finished. I’m glad to save time on the DIY effort here, and I honestly think this will be cheaper than the DIY version.

I’ll be reusing my desk and shelving from my office area in our last apartment. Remember this space?

White painted floors (more on this later) and some serious IKEA shelving and baskets will serve as my design library. There is never enough storage! Here are a few pictures as we started priming all the trim. Not super exciting (sorry!) but this is all I’ve got.

Lots more to come. I’m already so excited about the transformation! Anything you’d add?

XO – CLAIRE