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Wrensted Office Makeover

We did it! I’m so happy to finally reveal my complete home office makeover for the Fall 2020 One Room Challenge. This room is, by far, my most ambitious project in the Crhacienda to date. It started out with removing two closets and adding some lighting but turned into something so much bigger. I’m really happy to have this space as the Wrensted Interiors headquarters. This isn’t just my work from home situation, or home office, this is where I make the magic happen for my clients every day. Is it weird that I’m excited to get back to work? Check it out!

 

GET CAUGHT UP

If you clicked through from the ORC site, howdy! I’m Shaun, an interior designer in Los Angeles, CA. Check out my previous One Room Challenges for my laundry room and primary bedroom makeovers. My husband Sean and I are currently updating our 1930 Spanish bungalow – the Crhacienda! We’ve already finished our dining room, laundry room, front garden, primary bedroom, and The Casita guest house. Thank you for checking out my home office makeover! Check out the entire process on my Instagram Story Highlights or the progress posts:

Week 1Week 2Week 3 | Week 4 | Week 5 

 

BEFORE

At 170 square feet this room has a nice amount of space when it’s used properly. Let’s take a little trip down memory lane to see where it started though. Based on the before photo below, you’d think the entire room was done already. But in reality everything behind the camera was a hot mess.

 

The Den Before

Marie Kondo Where Are You!?

Office From Hell

 

What do you get when you steal space from 1 full bathroom, a powder room, and a breakfast room? This Frankenstein of an awkward bedroom we inherited from the last owner of our house. Add in a small hallway, 2 closets, and access to a Jack and Jill bathroom and you’ve got a recipe for disastrous design.

For 3 years I tried to make this room work as a home office and a family room as my company has grown and it wasn’t cutting it. Nothing was where I needed it, the storage was awful, the desk was too small, and I had nowhere to create presentations. Then I added new A/V equipment in April 2020 when my Design Wife, Rebecca, and I started The Hot Young Designers Club podcast. It was finally time for a major upgrade.

 

 

THE CREATIVE ZONE

This room is a fine balance between creativity and maturity, without being too serious.

For the most part this is a neutral room, but I love how the red sofa and the large-scale pattern on the custom ottoman. The lighting, sponsored by Hudson Valley, invokes an Art Deco style as a nod to the age of our home. Our dining and living room have custom window treatments, and I cannot express in the right words how their quality and function elevates the entire room. I installed the custom drapery panels and custom French return drapery hardware from designer-exclusive sources.

 

 

GALLERY WALL

The sofa has been the perfect place to work on my laptop and reset when I need a change of scenery. I’m really happy with the velvet cover from Bemz since it gave our old Ikea Färlöv sofa a new life. Hudson Valley Lighting sponsored the alabaster wall sconces that I incorporated into the gallery wall. In the evenings, the light glows through the alabaster and it’s just magical.

Has anyone told you that gallery walls are not fast, easy, or cheap to pull off? Most of the art came from my personal collection, it’s a mix of vintage flea market finds, antiques, family heirlooms, and collected newer pieces. I even used Emily Henderson’s gallery wall guide to help me create the arrangement. It can take a long time to collect art you love, but it speaks for itself when every piece has a personal connection or meaning.

There are a few pieces you can have for yourself:

Butterfly Art | Burl Wood Frame | Mike Wilcox Print

 

 

STORAGE

Controversial decision alert: we removed the closets from this room. And it’s the best thing I ever did. Maybe it’s not for everyone, but this is our forever home and I needed more functional office storage. Now I’ve got an entire wall for my files and samples! Plus a decent-sized counter for preparing presentations and printing. Even though I took my giant printer out of the room for these photos, it normally sits on the counter by the door.

The cabinets and quartz counters were a splurge and a major level-up for my business. Schuab & Company sponsored the hardware, and I used their Northport collection in brushed bronze. I love the oversized pull on the file cabinets and the coordinating knob for the upper cabinets. I was describing to a friend how sturdy and substantial they feel. Do you know what I mean? It’s a subtle detail, but so important when these get used everyday.

 

Home Office Storage

 

THE DESK

Can you even call it a home office makeover without a fantastic desk situation? This entire area went down to the studs so we could create the desk area and fix some structural and electrical issues. From the beginning, I knew the custom barrel vault would be an amazing focal point for the desk. TableLegs.com sponsored the solid white oak desktop, and I partnered with Surfacing Solution for the solid white oak half-round tambour panels. Finally, I added two of these white oak shelves to bring everything together. It wasn’t that hard to install the desk area ourselves, but it did require skill and attention to detail. If you’re a tenured DIYer with the right tools, you could probably handle something like this. Otherwise I recommend a finish carpenter.

 

Home Office Built-In Desk

Office Organization

Home Office Shelving

Office Nook

 

Where there once was a doorway to the Jack-n-Jill guest bathroom is the perfect place for my glass white board. Hudson Valley also sponsored the light above the white board. I stuck with the same brass finishes in the rest of the room and this Ridgewood light is perfect to highlight the board when I’m working in the evening. I pulled from my personal collection to style the desk area with studio pottery, baskets, trays, and books.

You can get your hands on some of them:

Modern Minimalist Art, Desk Mat, Notebook, Gold Rings, Two-Tone Basket, Glass White Board

 

Home Office

 

FINALLY

A few things made a big difference in this room, starting with the finishes. The wall paint (Alabaster, Dunn Edwards) and trim (Dark Shadows, Dunn Edwards) elevated the room and kept it from feeling cold or serious. The Flor carpet tiles warmed up the space, especially when I layered on the antique runner I got 3 years ago from Blue Parakeet Rugs.

I’ve already had some really productive work days back at the desk and it’s been amazing! My 3rd consecutive One Room Challenge has been so rewarding. Thank you all for following along with my home office makeover and helping to create such an encouraging community of designers and design enthusiasts.

 

TO MY PARTNERS

I worked with some incredible sponsors and partners for this room and I owe them a huge thank you for making this project possible. DISCLAIMER: Wrensted Interiors contains some contextual affiliate links. I only recommend products or services I use personally and feel my readers will enjoy. All opinions are 100% mine.

Hudson Valley Lighting Group | TableLegs.com | Surfacing Solution | Schaub & Company