Ever look at a room and think, my goodness, an animal could be living in here and I would never see it…yes…it’s that dark.
I felt that way about the office.
But after we sprayed it, it seemed that the true culprit wasn’t necessarily the deficiency in lighting…
although that definitely plays a role during the nighttime…
the menace in this space was the paint colors.
You see, after we sprayed it white, it was literally the brightest room in the house. The light poured in from the two windows and reflected back with the white wainscoting. All that to say – I told Jeremy that I didn’t need a whole lotta lighting in here…maybe a small girly overhead light and a couple task lights.
He got to work removing the uber-classy and probably really expensive old single bulb lightfixture.
Enter my use-it-or-lose-it attitude.
I hate buying new things….don’t get me wrong – I LOVE BUYING NEW THINGS…but I also hate it, especially when I have perfectly good and lovely items in our house waiting to be used. like, this capiz light fixture from my old dressing room…
Even though it doesn’t put off much light, I am convinced that this office is the perfect spot for it and Jer got to installing it for me faster than I can say – Capiz PLEASE!
Now it hangs proudly overhead….
I love that it looks dark because every space needs little depth, right? correct answer – yes.
And I also love that it was FREE!
and it’s feminine – I mean, I probably would have never been able to convince my boytoy to hang this up if this were his space, but since it’s mine, he didn’t hesitate.
Lighting DONE!
Next up = FURNITURE!
We are just moving right along, aren’t we?!
Rebecca says
I KNEW that was the light fixture you were going to use. It looks great!
Erin @ WriteTasty says
Your office is looking amazing. I love the new wall color! And now I’m inspired to get on the ball with updating my own rooms.
Laura@JourneyChic says
I’m a huge fan of capiz lights! They’re so pretty and girly, and it’s great that you can use one in your office.
And I’m AMAZED at the massive difference that paint made in this room! It’s really shocking! Now I’m considering using Palladian Blue in the nursery design for our wee one #2 since you’ve shown what a pretty color it is. I wonder if it would work well with off-white trim? Hmm…
Kristen H says
gotta admit, the jury is still out for me on this choice. 😉 I’ll wait to decide until I see it all come together. 😉
Heidi says
love, love, love! so feminine and “free-form” in such a boxy space…perfect!
Urban Wife says
Precious! The suspense is killing me….
April says
It looks great and nothing beats FREE! Cannot wait to see the rest of the room!
Julia says
This room is SO gorgeous with the paint color change. In two weeks (right after soccer state cup is over next weekend and my weekends don’t revolve around soccer fields) I’m putting up wainscoting in the basement and I think you’ve just given me my new paint colors 🙂 I’ve got a brown sofa (it hides a multitude of sins) and a big brown bookcase/tv stand, which is nice, but it’s dark. I’m considering the ability to paint it, but it’s veneer over particle board and I’m not sure if I can. Hmmm, more research needed in that area. But… paint colors for the walls- Done! 🙂
Jennifer says
Love the light fixture, and the contrast it brings. Can’t wait to see the next steps!!
Lindsay says
OOOOOOH that makes sense that this is your office space! I am slow. When you introduced the redo i thought it was for Jeremy’s office and wondered how he was going to handle such a pretty space. ha GOT IT. love the colors and lighting!
Melissa @ HOUSEography says
Looks great!! I love the light but I think my husband would be in Jeremy’s corner on the girliness of this one 🙂
Anna says
Ahhh, I love it! So bright and feminine! I can hardly believe it’s the same room… Can’t wait for the big reveal!
Carli says
Ooooo, I love that light fixture in there! The dark capiz is delish in that space! The office is coming along beautifully. Well done Katie B 🙂
Carrie says
Ohh la la Love it!! Can’t wait to see what’s next 😀
Nicole says
You are rocking this room! I love it!
Emily Morrice says
i’m loving this Katie!
good work 🙂
ps – i thought this WAS his office?
Sherri @ House & Home{stead} says
Looks awesome! I have yet to buy one of those capiz lamps, and mostly because the room I’d most like to use it in (our master) I was worried about the lighting factor. We NEED light in that room, and I’m just not sure the cheap ones would cut it. And the pricey ones are…well, pricey!
Carla says
LOVE IT!!! keep these posting comin!
Christina M. says
GORGEOUS! I think you are totally on the right track for a fun + girly space! It’s amazing what a little paint can do.
Brittany says
I love it Katie!! The contrast and color combo is great : ) I am excited to see your jellyfish pic on the wall too!
Sarah says
OMG…can I move in? I love everything about this room so far(it is amazing what a little white paint can do) and cannot wait to see what else is to come!
Elizabeth @ The Little Black Door says
Rock on sister! Looking good!!
Cordia says
Love the color combos going on in there- the white trim with the blue walls and the brown capiz. Cant wait to see the rest of the room come together! It’s so fresh.
Kate says
I love the new color so much, I want to puke.
And I’m not even pregnant!
Kristen @ Popcorn on the Stove says
I really like the capiz lamp up there – the dark color of it looks really nice against the wall color!
J says
The light in the first space, and probably everything else in the first space, definitely had me drooling, but it is amazeballs in here! I love the balance it brings to the room and I am, again, so jealous! Loving where you’re taking this formerly blah canvas and making a vital mom/woman cave for yourself.
Suki says
I’ve never seen a dark capiz light fixture before (that goes to show you how much I’ve seen…)! It looks great!
Lori says
Love it! It looks great in the office and you didn’t have to spend any money, which makes it even better!
Dianna says
Love the wall color! Also, love your site! I stumbled upon this site when looking for ‘best design/decorating blogs’, now I cannot get enough of visiting this site (and Holly’s and YHL). I have tons of questions, starting first with the paint color. My other questions are related to your blog, not sure if posting a comment would be okay to ask those questions? I.e., how long did you consider creating a blog before you…created it? Did you go to school for web design, photography, interior design? Thanks in advance for any response!
Karen says
The anticipation is killing me!
Whitney Dupuis says
I love it! I love the contrast of light and “dark” so far!
Candace says
Oh man, that dark gray works SO AMAZINGLY with the rest of the room colors!!!!!
And now I want a paint sprayer even more. Thanks. Because that’s necessary.
Kaytie @ GardenKitchenHome.com says
I love the progress! It looks incredible. Can’t wait to see the furniture 🙂
Kim says
This room already looks 100% different! Can’t wait to see it with all the furniture 🙂 You go girl!
Lizette says
Good grief, lady! I think the projects you do around your home are amazing. This room is already so pretty and you’re not even done yet! I can’t wait to see the finished product!
Michelle @ Lifewithacrazypup says
It looks great! I’ve been refreshing your page all day waiting for the next step. I love your sense of humor. The little side comments are awesome and completely make your posts (not that your projects aren’t great too!) 🙂
Courtney Carll says
LOVE it! It’s so you! What’s the paint color on the walls if you don’t mind me asking?
Melisa says
It looks so pretty! Can’t wait to see the rest of the room!
Kim Dunn says
Very nice! Yay for reusing stuff you already have! And way to go on 2 posts in one day with everything going on! It’s lookin’ good! 🙂
erica p. says
The room is looking great! I love the paint colors, and the capiz pendant is the perfect scale. Major improvement!
Ashley @ sunnysideshlee.com says
It’s looking great! I love that color!
Adriana says
Amazing transformation and the new paint color is wonderful. Congrats on this one, a hard job well done!
Hilary says
I love this! So light and bright but not too feminine!
erika m says
I just saw/read the palladian post and this one together ….I love the color…and that light…CANNOT believe the difference a paint job made…that room already looks 1000x more gorgeous…
Ashley says
Just as I started to ready this post, I thought this kind of light fixture would be perfect! Great minds think alike!!!
I’m curious to see what it looks like at night with that light….
Christina Bailey says
Ahhhhh….how I still adore your old dressing room! I love when you do “girly” rooms! I love your style and you always give me so many ideas.
SUPER excited to see the office!
Alyssa says
So pretty KB!!! I can’t wait to see more!
Lindsey says
Your office is gorgeous! From one photographer to another, I’m jealous! I don’t even have an office.
Tiana @ muse-decor.com says
The room looks great so far…can’t wait to see it with furniture!
Kelly says
This is gorgeous! I am thinking of repainting my living room with this color but it looks so different in every photo. How blue would you say this is on a scale of 1-10, 10 being HOLY EFFIN BLUE EYES?
I adore that capiz light, too. Its the perfect spot and color. I had a capiz light in my bedroom and it drove me absolutely nuts I had to return it. No one told me capiz shells make noise!
June says
Very cute! I can’t wait to see the end result of your creative space. 🙂 I also struggle with trying to keep up with everything around here too. I have a 6 year old, 3 year old, and 8 month old.
Connie says
I am already super jealous of your office space. It makes me want to kick my roommate out and turn her room into a Kate Spade-esque space for my own business… but that would be wrong, right?
Bridget says
I have been on the fence about adding this to my craft/office room. I am officially jumping off the fence and onto your side this is gorgeous! Free is always awesome too! Cant wait until the whole room is together!
Sarah says
It looks great! The whole room, even without furniture!
Katie says
The first full length picture with the chandelier and the wall color is probably accurate 🙂
xo – kb
Katie says
It’s called Palladian Blue by Benjamin Moore.
xo – kb
Katie says
Nope – I didn’t go to school for this…actually I went to be a biology teacher. And I made this blog after initially discovering blogs in general and learning that I could use it to keep my far-away family updated on house renovations 🙂
xo – kb
Lindsey says
you rock my socks – really you do. I have been reading your blog since almost your beginning. YOUR BEGINNING as in your blogs I guess. Your humor in the way you write kills me, because it sounds like stuff that would come out of my mouth. To a T! So thank you for getting me to literally LOL at work – alla Poo&Eww 🙂 Love the *NEW* color though and I am thinking of making your color MY color for my living room. Keep trucking girl, I read your venting post the other day, and you are a rockstar!
Jessica @homewithbaxter says
I love the light in there, looks awesome! And I really like the paint color you chose too. Can’t wait to see the furniture.
Amanda says
I think it looks darling! One question about the paint color, and I do love it, but I know you said you “hated” the mint color on the rest of the house, so I’m curious to know if you changed your mind? Or does this color read different in person than in these pics? Keep up the great work! 🙂
Lori @ Lighten Up! says
This is so fun! I am on Brussels time so I should be going to bed, but I’m dying to see the next posts. This room is going to be beautiful.
Anna says
What a change! I love the capiz light fixture…
Katie says
nope – still hate the mint…I call it toothpaste. I probably wouldnt hate it as much with clean walls and white trim…and if it was just in one room vs all over the house.
xo – kb
Katie says
it was…as in past tense…but since last year we moved him to the basement because Will figured out a way to knock on the doors…and now he commutes.
xo – kb
Megan says
LOVE it!!! I love the bright white of the trim and details, the blue on the walls is beautiful and the new light is great. I have to have a little contrast in a room or else it bores me. Dark wood floors, accent pieces, light fixtures… something! Can’t wait to see the rest of it come together.
Sally says
I found a great capiz pendant for my guest room at World Market but would love this shade of capiz for my nursery! Where did you find it?
Christine says
Looks AMAZING!!! I can’t believe the difference. One of the best B/A and it doesn’t even have furniture yet. Your hard work paid off!
Christine @ Park House Love says
Love how bright it looks in there now…and the capiz pendant looks great against all of the light and bright. I scored a white capiz pendant off of ebay that I’m putting in my office once I make it over along with an Ikea daybed I got from Craigslist. It’s like your old dressing room came from my vision, except put blue where there is pink :). Can’t wait to see the final reveal!
Meredith & Gwyneth says
Oh my goodness, we are SO enjoying your office reveal! It is already looking absolutely amazing, and we can’t wait to see the next edition!
xoxo,
mk & Gwynnie
Kayla says
What happened to all the posts you promised today?
K (Barking Babymama) says
It’s so PERFECT in there! Love it KB!
Angela Hanson says
Patiently awaiting your next post!! NOT!! 🙂 I swear I’ve checked your blog like 20 times in the last few hours, just to see if there was a new post up! 🙂 I can’t wait to see the finished office!
Katie says
They are coming! I gotta blog when I’m not doing my main job…mommying 😉
xo – kb
Katie says
It’s an old one from West Elm. I got it a long time ago so it might be worth hitting up ebay 🙂
xo – kb
Lacey says
I love this! I actually love it more in this room than the original room you had it in from the old house. Also, I really love that you are re-purposing items from other spaces- because it gives me ideas on how to use something in more than one place, and who wants to start completely over in buying stuff when you had perfectly good stuff in your first house! I worry about that sometimes 😉 great post can’t wait to see the end result!
Beth says
Love it! Love capiz chandeliers. I’ve been lusting after a really similar one from West Elm for our eat in kitchen and the bigger rectangle one for our dining room. Have you seen the DIY ones all over pinterest-made out of wax paper? And it looks like a completely different room in there with white trim. I’m showing this to my hubby, we need some white trim in our house, bad!
Jenn says
this looks SO much better! already is a huge transformation!
Kim says
You go Katie! You have your priorties straight!
Kaitlin says
MAN your timing is good. I was just thinking about a trimmed-down version of this for my room. SO pretty!
Jenna at Homeslice says
The white ceiling looks incredible, what a transformation!