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Office Reveal

ROOM REVEALS

Welcome to the Late Show with Katie Bower.  Tonight we are talking about a little room makeover I’ve been working on.  Originally it was an office space…and now….it is still an office space.  just a much prettier one.  Let’s sit down and fill you in on some of the how-we-made-it-happen-details.

This house was a foreclosure. When we moved in, we fully expected to take it slow and steady with room renovations.  To be perfectly honest – it’s because a bigger house = bigger spaces = bigger budget needs.  And this house needs renovating in every single room.  So when Lowe’s Creative Ideas Magazine approached us to do a room makeover, we were all like take-your-pick.  And they were like no-it’s-your-pick and we were all like then-we-pick-the-office.  So with a $300 giftcard in hand and a room selected, we came up with a plan…

(you can read all about the plan here)

And then I came to realize, oh-yeah-I’m-not-good-with-plans….so I came up with a new idea.  Since this space would be mine-all-mine, I wanted it to be fun and preppy and girly with splashes of color.  I wanted it to be like KateSpade.com threw up in my office.  Graphic…yes…but you get the point.  Oh and then we came up with another idea…since we renovate/makeover/redo so much stuff all the time, why don’t we take a portion of the money and invest it in a tool?!  I know.  We are practically genius’ over here.  We could totally solve the energy crisis…and that silly thing called world hunger.  So we budgeted for a paint sprayer.  And it was like the Easter bunny & Santa Claus’ lovechild visited the Bower house in April…we were that excited.

After a bunch of prep work, my darling boyfriend took on the task of painting the poo colored trim and ceiling.  It was like the heavens opened and God said let there be light….and it was good.

A little blueish green paint rolled onto the top half of the walls, we had ourselves a pretty clean slate to decorate.  I was salivating at the thought of the Kate Spade vomit.  You know what I mean.

Next came lighting…

and then picking what furniture would be in here (as well as starting the painting process on those)…

Which leads us to the final reveal… (are you firmly gripping your underpants because these before and afters can blow panties off fully sober men and women…consider yourself warned)….before the office was dreary and depressing….

The walls were what I like to call Poo & Eww (a dark brown and a fleshy pink).

Not only did it lack personality – it sucked yours away.

Dirty was it’s middle name.

And the floors and available natural light were overwhelmed with the bad paint job.

and now it is light bright and inspiring for me to work in…

I had big goals for this space.  It had to store most of my craft & sewing stuff…it also had to be a place for my photography editing to take place…and the spot where I could put all my blog work.

First the desk.  I absolutely love the desk now that it is fresh and white with the new paint job.  Apparently you can buy these desks already white at Ikea but five years ago when we purchased this bad boy, it came only in wood tone.  Now, it doesn’t pop out as much – which is good with a floating desk because it makes the space look larger.

Since it has a glass top, I don’t have to worry much about protecting it either.

I tend to be a clutter-er when it comes to my desk top, so I decided that in order to corral the chaos, I would simply have two areas….one for my ‘stuff’ that ends up outta my pockets…

And the other a small tray for papers, notebooks, pens & papers.

The real star of the show is the chair makeover.  It started out black & gold, and now she shines with a new coat of bright red paint and a fun fabric cushion.

I love how the green in the fabric nods to my nearby bookcase with a ‘hey there- how you doin!?”

The green bookcase was probably my most daring makeover.  I bought two sampler cans of Valspar’s Lime Green and it looks so much more youthful now.  Stacked over head are two shelves that used to live in Will’s old nursery – and now they hold my boxes (they have lenses and other equipment inside), a few albums, and my books.

The bookcase does so major storage for me.  The two banana leaf baskets (both from Lowe’s) hold an amazing amount of fabric.  And the box on top is a charging station for my phone, Flip camera, etc.

Gotta love it when you can fold tons of pretties into one space, right?!

I love that picture of Cole too…he used to do this squinty eye thing for photos….it’s very him.

And yes, that is an old photo of Jeremy (he used to do a Katie Appreciation Week when we dated – he’s the cutest)…and I got to place him right next to my stack of House Beautifuls.

I think I am most proud of this bookshelf because it is actually functional and has photos of people…something hard about combining those two.

On top, I moved in my Bowers Mints tin.  Gotta love it when your last name is the same as a vintage candy company!  And the art is just some crazy blue squares I painted during one of our art sessions.

Next to the bookcase is this little topiary.  Since the bookcase is actually not as wide as the shelves above it, I faked it being wider by adding this next door…

Just beyond the book shelf is a little area that I deemed ‘the sewing nook’…

Here’s the wide open shot again –

The sewing nook is really great because I was able to squeeze in more craft stuff (stored in the bottom of the bookshelf), sewing stuff (in the baskets and desk drawers), and another desk and chair (which will be great for when I need a quiet moment & Will can color).

The big bolts of fabric in the corner are also great reminders of projects I have planned.

And yes, I didn’t have the rolls for all my fabric, so I just used yardsticks for easy storage.

More magazines, more paint, more glorious storage…

Now if you turn around in the sewing nook – here’s the view…

To the left is the sitting area…

I love how the homemade watercolor art looks like the jellyfish is sniffing the flowers.

I was able to reuse all the furniture and mix n match some pillows and accessories to make the art tie everything together.

Oh and that basket by the chair is filled to the brim with my ‘to-do’ projects…I figured corraling them in one spot and covering them so they aren’t an eyesore will be great for someone like me who often goes looking for something to do and ends up starting something completely new.

Confession – I faked this pillow cover.  It’s actually just fabric wrapped around a pillow form.  I will get around to sewing it though – now that I have a nook 🙂

And the last bit of the room has the giant $22 white board.  I have future plans to trim out around the edge but for now, it looks and works just fine.  It’s already halfway full of notes and reminders.

 

Plus, since you have to enter the room to see it, my messy handwriting won’t be the first thing you see when you come into the space.

Lots more still to do (coughcurtainscough) but for now, I am going to officially call this room done.  for now.

More random shots…

Now – and I know this is like the never-ending makeover post…are you ready for the side-by-side before&afters?

 

Special thanks again to Lowe’s Creative Ideas Magazine.  They were the ones that provided the motivation and some of the moolah for this makeover.  And special thanks to you guys too.  You all have been so encouraging lately and just to get one little room done is huge for me…so thanks for being patient as we slowly work on this beast of a house.  You rock.

****************UPDATE:  I forgot to post the budget info – so here goes:

Sprayer $250

BUDGET:

  • Hardware for hanging shelves, art & white board  $8
  • Rollers  $13
  • Paint pan  $3.50
  • Spraypaint & Spray Primer  $31.50
  • Electrical plates, switches and outlets  $26.50
  • Paper & tape $15
  • White Primer $42
  • White Paint $56
  • Blue Paint $24
  • Pot & Soil $17
  • Green Paint $6
  • 4 woven Baskets $52
  • Deadbolt $18

TOTAL :  $312.50 (plus tax) – and this doesn’t count the paint sprayer but like I said before, we put some of our own money towards that because it was going to be ours forever and because we like new tools 🙂

ADDITIONAL MONEY SPENT IN THIS SPACE (we did spend a small amount of moolah in this space over the course of decorating it – so I want to be upfront about that as well!)

  • Homegoods woven wall mail holder  $14
  • 2 teal vases from Target $12
  • Homegoods coral decor $9
  • Homegoods white frame $3
  • Fabric for chair $2
  • Fabric for pilllows $2
  • White board $22

TOTAL ADDT:  $64 (plus tax)

NEW OFFICE COST: $376.50 (plus tax without sprayer)   $626.50 (plus tax with sprayer) 

 

Update : Looking for more info on something you see in our house?  We have a Shop the Bower House page with paint colors and links to accessories, furniture and decor!

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Comments

  1. Your office is absolutely beautiful! I love that KateSpade.com threw up in your house! I’ll have to do that with my spare room too, once I convince my husband.

  4. WOW what a difference. I can’t believe how dark and gloomy it looked with the brown/flesh paint. I would love to see night photos with the capiz light on!

  6. It’s so pretty! I love how bright and girly it is…. and so functional, too!

    I think the bookcase is my favorite…. but I love the little sewing nook, too.

    Great job, Katie.

  9. Great job, Katie! It’s beautiful! I am so jealous of your HUUUUUGE room for crafting, sewing, hobbies, etc. Wish I had one. So easy to be inspired in there, I bet! 🙂

  11. Awesome! looks so clean n crisp! A White Haven!:)
    But what if u guys were sharing this space would u still make it this white? How would to tackle the space then? Would love to know. Cheers!

  12. Looks great!! Are you still planning on those curtains from ikea or do you have something else in mind?!?

  13. What a difference?! I was wondering how the lime bookcase was going to work with the Paladian blue, but all of the colors look great together. Really pretty!

  15. Katie, the office is BEAUTIFUL! I love it all, especially the use of the green and the red pops of color.

  18. WOW!!! What a difference…..it looks absolutely beautiful. Love all the pops of color ~ great job Bowers!!! 🙂

  19. gorgeous!! can’t wait to see the curtains. i bought similar fun fabric for my son’s bedroom. love that you have a desk and a sewing nook 🙂

  20. Color me impressed. I think my favorite aspect is the white trim, followed by the jelly fish painting. Fantastic!

  21. The big reveal looks amazing! Bravo! I’m a little in love with that faux-taxidermy deer head above your desk btw. Where did you find him?

  22. that is an absolutely amazing before and after. that paint job alone – big bang for the buck.

  23. when at first you talked about a red chair and a green bookcase i was all “oh hells no!”. But OMG this room looks amazing. I am moving in. Please blow up an air mattress.

    Thanks

    😛

  24. AH – I LOVE IT! It looks so chic and definitely preppy! What a great transformation!

    Do you use the door behind the sewing table or is the other door in the room the main entrance (Just wondering if you have to move the chair while you’re not at work)??

  25. It looks gorgeous. A million times better than poo and ewww. I am loving the bright colours against the white – total transformation!

  32. This is a gorgeous room! One of my favorites ever. I wish I could have an office that looked like that!

  33. Love love your office!! It looks so amazing 🙂 Can I please know where the letter holder on the wall next to the door is from??
    Thanks!!!

  35. Wow – you should be so proud! That is a great transformation… actually, an AMAZING one given you repurposed almost all the furnishings! And you’re pregnant. And you have a busy, busy toddler. I hope working in your new space is as refreshing as the space looks!

  37. Wow! I Can’t. Believe. The difference. You must be simultaneously pinching yourself while twirling around in there. The difference from the change in paint colors is simply jaw-dropping. Great job re-using all those items. You really deserve a nice office to work in; hopefully it will make you work-time more efficient and productive. Yay for you! The green bookcase looks more kelly green on my monitor so I was thinking a peacock or turquoise green would have been better, but I see the paint name is actually lime green so I’m sure it’s just my monitor that makes it look red/green Christmas-y. I am going to spend some time today figuring out how to fix my wonky monitor colors.

  38. You are such a natural when it comes to design makeovers. Very refreshing and original!!
    Long time reader of your blog.

    Sushmita

  39. What a great transformation but I can’t wait to see curtains since it doesn’t feel finished to me without them.

    Can you do a breakdown of what you used the Lowe’s cash for? Did you just use it for the paint and sprayer?

  40. Aw, KB, I luuv the room. Hats of to you & your boyfriend.

    That’s a lot of painting! Did you say that the furniture was painted by the paint sprayer or by hand?

    This is my favourite transformation in your home.

  41. It looks SO good!! I can totally see the Kate Spade influence and I have to say I now want an awesome office like this! There really is no comparison to what it looked like before. It’s crazy to think that this is the same room! Paint really can transform a room!

  43. Wow. Incredible, Katie! You guys did an absolutely amazing job. You are so lucky to now have such a fresh and precious space to work!

  44. I LOVE the new office. It really looks like something out of a magazine. It’ s so inspiring to know you can create a room like this on a small budget. And like you, I love the look of everything Kate Spade and you nailed it!!

  47. it is gorgeous. I didn’t even realize there weren’t any curtains because the room is so blinding-ly crisp and white, I couldn’t think of anything else other than how happy it was making me!
    great job katie!

  48. WOWZA!!!

    I REALLY want to paint some furniture now. Thanks for the inspiration. I love the wall color more and more every time I see it. Great job, KB!

  53. sweet baby jesus!!! that is fabulous. amazing. can’t even pick my favorite part right now. are you so pumped? because i’m so pumped. ok i think my favorite part is the bookcase with shelves. no, maybe it’s the little corral spaces on the desk top. yes, i think that’s it. there. xoxoxoxo!

  55. Absolutely Gorgeous! I love everything about this room and the before/after is amazing! I think my favorite part is the green bookshelf! And I am making note of the blue paint, I love, love, love it!

  56. Wow, what a transformation!

    I couldn’t help but notice your orchid… I bought one just like that last year at Lowes. Once the blooms fell off, I’ve had pretty bad luck with it (for a year now). I trimmed the stems back once the blooms fell off and I’ve had the beginnings of new stems for about 2 months now – they just won’t sprout! Have you had much success with yours?? Have you gotten it to bloom again?? Do tell!

  57. As everyone else has said….SO BEAUTIFUL!!! What a transformation, doesn’t even look like the same room!

  59. Katie,

    Your new space looks amazing. I can’t believe how quickly you pulled this off and finished it. All while having a toddler and being pregnant. You are my hero! I love the new office look.

  60. LOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOVE!

    That’s it. 🙂

  62. Fabulous! Paint is indeed a miracle worker, and I love the pops of color that you gave to the bookcase and chair. It all looks fantastic and I’m sure you’ll love spending time in there!

  63. Blown away, wish I had an ounce of your creative eye. I have the will just not the gene to make it all come together this nice! You should see my house… such a mish mash.

    Now you just need to figure out where to set up the baby swing and you will be ready to rock and roll when #2 arrives 🙂

  64. Picking my jaw up off the ground. How the heck did you do that so quickly lady? And when are you coming to do my office? You seriously are superwoman. Love love the colors and I think you achieved the Kate Spade threw up everywhere theme. Looks just like her.

  66. WOW!!! Looks absolutely wonderful. I love all of the different colors you used. I think your newly refurbished chair is my favorite part 🙂 Keep up the great work!

  68. That looks awesome! I love that calming colour with the bright pops all the way through. I would never have guessed the red would look so good!

  69. Wow now you are inspiring me! We have that same flesh colored wall color in some rooms from when we moved in 3 years ago. Just trying to finish off some other projects before painting so I don’t have to paint twice. I lov it all except I am not sure I like the red / green combo. I like the red and I like the green but not all that much together. I guss it is too Christmasy. I love the pink flowers and think that cmbo of pink/green & teal would be more appealing to me BUT I don’tlivethere so as long as you love it 🙂

  72. Katie, this is absolutely AMAZING!!! The room looks so fresh and so beautiful! It’s perfect! The paint on the wall is perfect, the furniture is terrific, and the storage – oh my gosh the storage – makes me so jealous!!! Your sewing nook is great with everything so wonderfully organized! Congratulations!!! Oh, and the white board makes me giggle it’s so fabulous. Yay!

    P.S. I found your blog through your fabulous friends Sherry and John. Y’all are just great.

  73. I am in love with this, and absolutely love the fabric you used to recover your office chair – Do you happen to know who makes it?

  77. Unbelievable! It’s beautiful!! I love what you’ve done to the space. It’s amazing to see the power of paint and how painting all the dark wood made the room seem a million times brighter. The colors are great, love the white board, art work, everything. Can’t. Stop. Staring.

  78. GEORGEOUS! I love it! Love the greenishblue-wall color, the sewing nook – just love the lot.
    You should be very proud!

    Congrats on your girlish, functional hideaway 🙂

  80. You did such an amazing job Katie – it’s really breathtaking, and I can imagine super motivational. I would just want to spend all my time in there! It’s great inspiration for a colour pallet – thanks!

  81. Beautiful!! Makeovers like these are what keep me addicted to decorating blogs. Except I come here for so much more than decorating photos…but you know what i mean. Wonderful job!! =)

  82. Oh Katie, you’ve done it again. Your office= officially the inspiration for my someday office (maybe I’ll get one next time we move). Let me just say that I am so uber impressed with you. Toddler and preggers and you’re still kickin bootie, you go girl! You’re an inspiration!

  83. Katie, I LOVE this room now! It’s beautiful. I would so want to work in that room. 🙂

  84. How fantastic!! You did an awesome job with that space, and I love how you re-used so much of what you had! It doesn’t even look like the same room (which I guess is kind of what you were going for ;))… Now I want to re-do a room in our house!!

  87. Your new office looks great!! I’m very inspired by the balance–if I had an office like that, it would beckon me to get to work/crafting, while having fun at the same time. You have such an amazing vision!

  88. Looks AMAZING! My hubby & I share a home office and I have to admit, I’m a little jealous of this beautiful, girly space that you have all to yourself… Enjoy it, KB!

  89. Fantastic! Great inspiration to work with what you have. But first you have to build up a stock to do this. But I love the simple white with little pops. Wonderful.

  90. I wasn’t sure how that green bookcase was going to look, but as usual, you pulled it off! Your office is gorgeous. I’m just a little jealous I don’t have a space like that to work in! My favorite part is your little sewing/craft nook. Love it!

  92. Katie Bower – you inspire me! It is beautiful! I love it…I want to move in. It is so happy – and I can’t wait to see what curtains you put up. Back to “you inspire me”…I love how you reused sooo much of things you already have. Yay!

  93. Who knew Kate Spade threw up such beauty!?!?
    I am in LOVE with the red chair. And the green bookcase. And the baskets of fabric. and the flowers on the desk. ok, I’m in love with everything! It’s stunning!

  94. I love love love it!!! I also love all the fabric organizing ideas you have just given me too!

  95. That is one heckuva makeover! I totally get that feeling of “itsdoneandicantsleepwaitingtodecorateit”!! I just had that with my daughter’s nursery. What a beautiful spot you have to work in now. I’m sure that beautiful surroundings will make for a more peaceful, creative Katie! Good job!

  96. Love it! Makes me want an office/project room. I currently use the guest room as a walk in closet which is much more easily reversed back to a guest room. My projects tend to end up in the living room until hubby realizes the same project is still half finished 2 weeks later and I have to either finish it or put everything away. Your color scheme looks so motivating and fresh I’m sure you will get all of your projects done twice as fast in there!

  98. OMG this is my new favorite room ever. You are a decorating genius Katie Bower! I want this office in my house. I think it could be cool with a jute rug under the desk too. I wish I had a sewing nook – my sewing takes place on the dining table in the basement – not so inspirational…

  99. WOW! how awesome! what a difference. i LOVE your new office! i can’t believe that you did all of that for under $300.

    i really love the way that you used paint to makeover all of those older pieces. i’ve been very gun-shy about painting some of our old furniture, but i’m totally inspired. it makes such a difference!

    i also love the way that you utilized all of the neat spaces in the room like the sewing nook and the short wall with the green bookcase. sometimes it can be hard to adequately fill a large space, but you did a great job!

    and, boy, do you have a lot of fabric samples! 🙂

  102. KB, it is beautiful!!! Absolutely stunning. I can’t imagine how you must feel when you walk in there. If it were my room, I would just walk by and smile all the time. Or go and sit in one of the chairs and stare around 🙂 You did a phenomenal job decorating it. I’m very impressed! 🙂

  103. That is the most epicly awesome room reveal in the history of epicly awesome room reveals! LOVE IT! Nice work. Can I come move in?! I kid, I kid! Okay…now off to work on my craft space too!

  104. It looks great! I can’t wait to see it with fun curtains. I know someone else posted this, but Lowes has some cute multi-colored floral curtains, not grandmaish at all. And I say this with nothing but love, I wish I had your hoarding tendencies. I’m a “get rid of it if I ain’t using it” kinda gal. That’s going to bite me when we move into a bigger place. Great job repurposing all your stuff. What is your process for painting furniture? I’ve attempted it once & it was always tacky & peeled off.

  114. This turned out so well! Thanks for sharing the play-by-play. Hope this means you’re feeling a little less overwhelmed. 🙂

  115. So lovely!! I’ve never been able to figure out office/craft room/sewing nook all in one… but with this inspiration and your ideas I’ll be trying again now! You did such a good job in here!

  116. I LOVE IT!!!! You did such an amazing job! I love how bright it is now. I’ve always loved those kind of desks too. Man, now I want to go home and clean out my office lol

  117. KATIE! I knew you were good… I knew you were really really good… but this is AMAZING! Love it! So bright, so inspiring. Totally pinning this! 🙂

  118. What a serene room. Very calming and conducive to creativity. I love it. Especially the walls, the chandy, and the green bookshelf. LOVE.

  119. Wow Katie Bower – you always inspire me! My husband and I just bought our first home and when I look at your blog I can’t wait to paint and put together some rooms! I think you do a tremendous job of setting up a room – with all the awesome little details. Thank you for sharing!

  120. Katie, it’s fresh and lively and gorgeous! What a difference some paint and fabric makes!

  124. What a beautiful space! You did a great job. I think having a space to work in that’s pretty too makes you want to get stuff done and be more creative.

  125. What an amazing transformation! You are do detailed and I love it! That green bookcase is absolutely an amazing color!!! Congrats on a great office/craft space!!

  126. I abso-tively LOVE this. I’m going to bookmark this page so I can pull it up when I have my own house where I can have a lovely office. It’s very beautiful, great job!

  127. LOVE IT KATIE B!!!!!!!!! you make me want to ask my boss if i can take some paint to my shelves and desk 🙂 my office is so boring- and i’m here so much! so adorable! way to go 🙂

  129. It looks so amazing! I’m totally drooling over that wall color. And the whole space looks so happy! Love the way all the colors come together.

  131. Although i’m an avid reader here, I’ve never commented before. I couldn’t believe it when my heart actually raced a tiny bit while I scrolled to the big reveal. This space is just stunning! You have done an amazing job. It’s so modern and fresh. I love love love it.

  132. It looks incredible! I love how it makes the floor stand out, before it just blended. Consider my pants and mind blown!

  134. Love, love, love it! I tend to err on the side of over-coordinating my colors, so I love (and admire) the pops of green and other bright colors! I’m inspired 🙂

  135. It’s amazing what a little white paint can do! It is so light and airy. And dare I say your best re-do yet. Love it!

  137. This room is great! I love the mix of the bright white warmed up with the wood tones and the pops of color. Perfect blend! Good job!

  138. It looks so good!! And so bright and clean. I love the way the molding pops off that fantastic blue! And the green accents might be my fav. Kate Spade vomit is awesome!

  139. Wow that was worth the wait as I scrolled down with bated breath! Seriously, I was like,” wait for it…wait for it…” BAM! “OMG!” Beautiful. Love the colors, the organization, the zones. Awesome!

  140. Oh man. I am coming over to your office. I need that kind of a girly space. I hope you wont mind if I pig out in the sitting area while you work. thanks.

  145. Beautiful job! Such a gorgeous space will inspire you to do even more creative things. Inspires me too to get started on my own spaces.

  146. Whoooa you are amazing! I am so jealous of your new office space. Of course, I would have switched the sewing and computer areas, but I’m a sewing fiend! I was eyeballing all of the fabric that you tucked in spots around the room.

  147. Wow! It’s an amazing and beautiful space. I can’t believe the transformation! Bravo!

  149. I’m curious where the shelves are from – I love them. I know you said Will’s room in your post but I was curious where I might be able to purchase them?! 😉

    Thank you!

    p.s. Office looks great – you’ve inspired me to tackle mine tonight!

  152. seriously? seriously! wow. i’m so jealous. that room is the size of half my house 🙂 beautiful job!

  158. This looks AHHHMAZING. I love the desk the most!
    Now, if only I could get you to come decorate MY house! 🙂

  159. I love everything you do…but there is just something about this room makeover that I REALLY REALLY REALLY love!! Between the garish and humble beginnings of Poo and Eww to the ladylike blues and whites to the pops of pink and green! And the nooks and crannies! I just love it all!! Really, really, really awesome job on this room!!

  163. I love it! You made a great combination of unexpected colors an it makes for a really fun, creative space! Well worth it!

    Jill

  164. Love the bright green dresser!! Gorgeous makeover, Katie!! Now you have a great space with lots of light to be creative!! Beautiful job!!

  169. This is such an incredible before and after and I cannot say how quickly I thought this went. Once you started posting, every time I looked back I was inspired. This looks amazing! Thank you for sharing. You are amazing to have finished so fast with a toddler and being pregnant. This comes from a dingle girl who cannot find enough time.

  170. The office looks amazing Katie! I love all the bright colors. Can’t wait to see which fabric you choose for the curtains.

  175. I use spray paint primer or oil-based primer…it always helps with adhesion. And I sand the piece lightly first too…keeps the surface a little rough for future paint to grab hold. And then I just use regular old paint until the coverage is good. It helps to let it dry and cure fully.
    xo – kb

  177. I cannot believe that’s the same room. It looks beautiful and so light and airy. Great job!

  178. It’s actually a ebay deer head – that looked really realistic till I sprayed it. It might be worth searching for ‘plastic deer head’ on ebay.
    xo – kb

  179. Well – just for transparency sake – it definitely was more than $300 if you count the sprayer. Don’t want people to confuse that!
    xo – kb

  180. Wow, ditto everyone, gorgeous, amazing, etc.!!! Question about paint spraying, since I’m assuming the trim paint is some kind of gloss and there was overspray on the walls was it hard to paint flat wall paint over that? Just curious if there’s any recommendations on that part. Looks like everywhere you weren’t spraying got protected except the ceiling and walls so I’m guessing it was no biggie?

  181. The door to the sewing nook is actually out to the garage. So we just deadbolted it and will keep it closed (neither of us have used it the entire time we lived here so I highly doubt we’ll ever open it).
    xo – kb

  182. I think I am gonna go with something different – I still like those curtains but I think they aren’t as inspiring to me in this space as something else could be.
    xo -kb

  183. It’s actually from HomeGoods. I just got it in the clearance section and thankfully it worked with the Lowe’s baskets!
    xo – kb

  185. Can you make me one?! This is fantastic – I love the wall color and think it came together perfectly with all of you repurposed furniture. Enjoy your awesome space – and, again, make one for me?!

  187. Looks GREAT!!! Enjoy every moment in the space – it’s beautiful & Kate Spade would be so proud!!!

  189. I have a deep love for crisp white trim! Your office looks fantastic! I think the octopus painting pulls everything together and is so much fun! Great job!

  190. I love the transfermation, so bright and airy, the only thing is that my favorite elephant lamp is gone :(. But you did a wonderful job, and it’s great that you were able to incorporate a lot of stuff you already owned.

  191. Wow! This is such a beautiful and inspiring office! I would actually want to work if I had an office like that! I think my favorite part is the green shelf – it’s an awesome and sort of unexpected pop of color. Great work!

  192. I love it!!! It’s absolutely amazing how much lighter it us in there, and the red chair and green shelf are just so lovely. Great, great job!

  193. Katie, it is just beautiful. So bright and warm and looks super functional. I am really taken back how quickly you put this together. Thanks for the inspiration! Cheers!

  194. Hey Katie! Just wanted to let you know I l.o.v.e. this room. I think it’s my favourite in the whole house. I really can’t wait to have a place of my own so I can do stuff like this too. Until then I love living vicariously through you. 🙂

  195. Wow. There’s such a dramatic difference between the dark, poop-colored office and the Kate Spade vomit office. I love it, especially all the great pops of color and the awesome jellyfish painting! Great job!!!!

  196. Seriously, AMAZING! This is so inspiring to me to get our “office/guest bedroom” DONE!

    We are on a tight budget these days and I have a hard time justifying buying stuff “just because it’s a good deal” and keeping it stored up in anticipation of later projects. Do you have any advice in this area? Seems like you are constantly thrifting and buying up sale stuff and good deals but for some reason I can’t pull the trigger.

    Again, beautiful space –I can’t believe it is the same room as those before pictures!

  197. I was staring at these photos for quite a while, trying to decide what my favorite part is. Although it’s a tough choice, I have to say that your jellyfish painting is hard to beat! Oh, and that wall color is just to die for. Excellent job, Mrs. Bower!

  199. i LOVE it, it looks amazing 😀 the colors are so cheery and bright. I’d die for an office [or living room, or bedroom…] like that 🙂

  200. Looks sooooo much better! Love all of it! This has inspired me to finally crack open the can of paint that is sitting in the corner of our office.

  201. LOVE the new office! So bright and refreshing. I can totally see you being super productive in this fun space. I have two questions for you…

    Where is the tall storage piece in the sewing nook from? I’m looking for a piece just like that, doors on the bottom with shelves on top.

    You mentioned that you used two sample paints for the book shelf. What finish is the paint? Does Lowes gives you options for paint finish in their samples? Some places only sell their sample paints on flat but maybe Lowes is different or did you coat the bookshelf after painting?

  202. It looks wonderful! So bright and happy! Now you just need to convince Jeremy that a Kate Spade purse would really tie the whole theme together … 😉

  203. Looks great Katie! Have a source on that chair fabric by any chance? Love the Valspar’s Lime Green for the shelf too- looks awesome!

  205. It looks great, fantastic inspiration for a future me room (one day, in the very distant future, say 15 years when the youngest has maybe left the nest!)

  209. Love the room! I have a wooden ikea desk I have been wanting to paint white as well- how did you do yours? Was it handpainted or spraypainted? What brand did you use? Did you use a clear finish also?

    Thanks!!

  211. Oh Katie… it is absolutely GORGEOUS!!!

    Love the pops of reds, and the white/bluegreen combination just makes the room look HUGE! So well put together.. just lovely! It’s amazing to see how you’re redone all of your old pieces (thank you for the side by side references last night) as they just fit perfectly in the room now. Inspiring.

    Lowe’s rocks!

  212. Looks beautiful – calm, light, creative & elegant. It was definitely worth the work I see! Love the green bookshelf & details.
    Beautiful space – great job

    Johanna

  215. Katie! I love the look of your new room!
    I have a bunch of bookshelves (cheapie, laminate-style) and I didn’t know you could even paint them! What’s the technique? Do you rough ’em up first, then prime and paint? Or just prime and paint?

    I love the look of your new room and would love to do that to my office, but don’t have the cash. I’d love to redo mine with just paint! What do you think?

  216. How does the paint color in here compare to that in your living room? They photograph similarly. I love the room. Great job.

  218. Your new office looks fabulous! You and hubby worked really hard on it and it shows.

  220. I can’t believe you got all this done with a toddler around. Bravo!

  221. Katie,
    You are so talented and artistic…LOVE the makeover…You inspire me
    Hope you are in pinkest of your health!Take care

    Chitra

  223. LOOOOOOOOOOVE!!!! good job, katie bower. you freaking rock 🙂

    what is the box you charge all your items in – i am dire need of Apple organization!

  224. WOW! What a difference! I’m getting ready to re-do my (much smaller) office… and have the same IKEA desk that you have, except in dark brown. Did you have to do anything specific to prep the desk before painting? And what brand/color did you go with for that white? I want to copy it 🙂

  226. Ok, I read this post this morning and I’m back to look again because I’ve been day dreaming about it all day! Does that make me some kind of home decor sicko? Don’t answer that. Anywho, I LOVE it! I think you had me at the red chair. This is my favorite room you’ve done so far. Great job!

  227. Wow.. amazing job.. i would never have put those colors together but it’s so beuatiful…. so very pretty… i think with the right drapes pulling in the kelly green, red and blue walls you’ve got it together.. I would get right on those drapes… 🙂 j/k … lovely job and amazing that you could pull it off with a toddler and a baby on the way.. You amaze me… Funny too! xoxox

  229. LOVE IT, LOVE IT, LOVE IT! And I’m surprised by how much I like the red and green combos w/out it feeling like Christmas. I’m sure it’s because you paired them with all that white and blue – soooooo purty! 🙂

    btw, where’d you get the seagrass wall filer you have hanging next to the door and white board? I’ve been eyeing one like that from Ballards but don’t like their price :/

  230. De-lurking to say UH-MAZING!!! I love everything about this room. Everything! You might be my new hero – SAHM to a toddler, hubs with a long commute, pregnant…and yet you STILL pulled off this awesome makeover. Great job!!

  231. Wow. I LOVE LOVE LOVE this room. I want my office to look JUST like this! It’s so breezy, yet colorful at the same time. Very inspiring! Thank you so much for sharing!

  233. Was the paint color for the green shelf just Valspar Lime? Or is there more to the color name? I’m looking for a good green to paint a piano and I love the look of your shelf. Thanks

  234. I LOVE this! You did such an amazing job- it’s so bright and fun and feminine… I’m totally jealous that you get an office to yourself. Hubs and I will have to share one 🙂 One question, where is the half bookshelf/half cabinet piece in your sewing nook from? We were thinking about something like that for our living room.

  235. This looks amazing! What a nice retreat between the office and the bathroom makeovers. I would love to see what you do with the curtains.

  236. Love, love, love this office! One day I totally want a craft room of my own. I live in a shared townhouse with three dudes (hello, mid-20s!) and have to keep my crafts to a little corner in my closet. One day!

  238. AWESOME JOB!!!! I need those shelves — remember where you got them?! THANK YOU!

  240. I LUUUUUURRRRVE IT!! Wow! What a difference. So impressed. Amazing how even just changing the paint colors can make such a difference. And the decor and paint jobs on your existing furniture are just fabulous. Well done Katie. Love this transformation 🙂

  242. My favorite thing about your blog is how you take a big project that could easily get overwhelming, and break it down in simple, manageable parts, and have it end up looking amazing and at a great price. I’m totally inspired! Love your new office. Enjoy!!

  244. AMAZING! If anyone has ever doubted the ability of paint to transform a room, they need to check out this post. I love all the colors & the pops of bright from the bookshelf and chair. Oh and I dream about finding chairs like those cane ones you have in your sitting area in a thrift store some day. Love it!

  245. It looks so awesome! I love it. My favorite part is probably how the white desk just floats in the middle and relates so well to the trim. Such a lovely space! I wish that my cubicle looked like that…

  247. Holy Moly Katie! AMAZING! I give you mad props! Please when you feel up to it, come do my house next 😉

  250. No, YOU rock. 🙂 Awesome reveal. I really love the color palette- it’s fresh and fun and just girly enough. Great work. And I am TOTALLY coveting your paint sprayer!

  251. Love it! Someday I hope to have a beautiful girly office all to myself too. For now, I’ll keep plugging along at the kitchen table… 🙂

  253. LOVE!!! This has to be my fav re-do you have ever done!!

    What red paint is that, may I ask?!?!?! I want to do a desk chair and have been pondering what color to do and that looks perfect! thx!

  254. Stunning work! The plant in the corner by your desk seems a little, i don’t know, sad compared to the gorgeousness of the room. Oh and when you paint furniture do you brush, roll or spray?
    Keep up the great stuff!

  255. Wow! I wish I had this as my office. Totally different room! Do you mind giving a play-by-play on how you did the desk? We have the exact same one for the same reasons…and a couple wardrobes. I have been wanting to paint them but I don’t know how to go about painting the stuff because it has the laminate. Same goes for a laminate storage credenza. Which products did you have to use to make it look great??

  256. I was originally skeptical of how the green bookshelf would look in the room. I have to say that it looks so much better than I thought it would. Great job 🙂

  257. Katie, OMG!!! I think this is my favorite makeover you have done!!! Totally amazing! Man…now I want an office like yours! So cool! Can I just move in?!? Great, great job!!!

  258. I LOVE LOVE LOVE your style! You have such a knack for choosing the right items, colors, textures etc. and making them all work together. Really really beautiful, well done 🙂

  259. What a beautiful transformation!! You did a fabulous job Katie! I think my favorite thing is the red chair! Or maybe the bookcase. Like you, I love that it’s useful for storage but still displays some pretty things just for fun!

  260. That’s a fantastic transformation. I love your red chair and Charlie Green bookcase against the more neutral tones. A+ all around! Plus, it’s so adorable that you have the picture of you and Cole. You’re such a sweet auntie!

  261. I love it and I have pinned it (and given credit)! Great colors and so much brighter. And I love how you had all the stuff before and just made it over.

  262. AMAZING! Favourite re-do ever! Does it look amazing next to the bathroom? I am sure it is absolutely lovely!

  264. Oh my goodness. Seriously. I love this office. You are amazing. I wish you would PLEASE does a furniture painting tutorial one day!!

  266. Whoa and holy crap! That space is amazing! I love all the ‘separate but included’ spaces. Fantastic job!!!

  267. Do I spy with my little eye, an ultrasound picture on your bookshelf? 🙂 Love it, looks amazing!

  268. Fabulous! I love the green pops, the sitting area, the jelly fish in a new home, the desk, the nook, and the white board! It’s so awesome- and the best part is that these are all totally do-able. No “Big Box store” required! (at least not most of the time) 🙂 great inspiration, as usual!

  270. Gorgeous! I could happily work in there every day! Loving the green bookcase. It must feel so good to have this room done.

    Looking forward to seeing your curtains up eventually. Curtains always warm up and complete a room so much.

  271. You rock!!! This was the extra motivation that I needed to finish up my office, which I started 2 months ago :-*

  272. WOW! Absolutely love it! I’m very impressed with your fast progress being 10 weeks preggo! I love the wall color, and I have that same desk from IKEA – you might have just inspired me to paint it white!

  273. Katie, it is beautiful!!! You have such great taste and the way you use the things you already have is amazing! So inspired!

  275. Love love love this! Everything about it is perfect! I discovered your blog about 6 mos ago and I must say that you have inspired me so! You, your family, and your design style are a breath of fresh air!

  277. Love, love, love it! Makes me Kate Spade happy. Good job once again Katie Bower.

  284. Katie it’s gorgeous! I can’t believe how different it is. You are going to be there all the time – you need a Will nook. My favourite part is the natural light! Can you believe what a difference painting will do for light in a space – magic!! Please remember to water that plant by the window, it looks a bit thirsty. *wink*

  286. Katie! This room is GORGEOUS! You have done an amazing job!! I hope that having an amazing room in your house like this, starts making you feel that your house is more your home now 🙂 It is truly amazing & I LOVE it!!! Green with envy here – wish I had a space like that in my home 🙂

  291. Favorite room you’ve done so far (and I’m including your first house!) I was a little skeptical of the green bookcase at first, but I LOVE it in the room. Now, what can I paint green…and red…and upholster…

  292. Katie, it’s really beautiful. The wall color is a wonderful choice. Very well done! So glad you have a great space to be creative in.

  295. I stinkin’ LOVE it. I can’t even decide which part I love the most, but I have to say that the wall color itself is particularly scrumptious. Well done, as always.

  297. It’s called Palladian Blue and it’s Benjamin Moore but I had it color matched to Olympic’s Eggshell.
    xo – kb

  299. That was something I worried about when picking the wall color (and when I say worried, I mean having a meltdown over)…and the Palladian Blue is really really close cousins to Valspar’s Park Place (which is what the bathroom vanity is) so it definitely looks cohesive.
    xo – kb

  302. I got it a couple years ago at Pottery Barn outlet – but googling charging station would be really helpful!
    xo – kb

  303. The living room is definitely more green and more minty. The living room is also a bit lighter.
    xo – kb

  304. LOVE!! So bright and colorful, yet sophisticated. Talk about a great creative space!

  305. I got this one at Home Goods – it was in their clearance section just recently. Maybe you’ll have luck there?
    xo – kb

  310. It goes out into the garage – never has been used – so we just deadbolted it and pretend it’s not there 🙂
    xo – kb

  312. i can’t even stand how much i love this room! it is so fun and i’m loving the pops of color with your red chair and the green bookcase. i’ve always loved your rooms, but this one really takes the cake. i mean, eyelashes coated in frosting, totally smashed in my face, takes the cake. and i love that it’s YOUR space and will be so helpful for you in keeping organized and on top of everything!

  316. AMAZING! Katie…..it’s freaking amazing!

    Oh just a quick idea…..since your desk is glass topped you can use your dry erase markers on it too for quick little notes or reminders that you don’t want on the white board!

  317. WOW!! The room looks amazing. You did an awesome job! I love all the colors you chose. You have such a great eye for detail. Wish you could come to my house:)

  318. I’m in love with this makeover! Like seriously. I love the vibrancy and the color combos! It’s so fun when all the stuff you have falls into place in a different space. (hey that rhymed!) I love how the deer head looks on that wall. It would also look cool to add (not that you need to) bright colored small framed mirrors or empty picture frames around that deer. red, green, yellow…I also love that it still looks finished even though the curtains aren’t in. Now, that’s a well designed room! Great job!

  320. Love the room….and love that your husband had a tradition of “Katie Appreciation Week.” I mean, really! The sweetest!

  322. I love this office! Amazing job. I am wondering though, could you do a post about how you painted your desk? I have a laminate desk that I would LOVE to paint white, but I am afraid that I will destroy it in the process! What kind of paint/primer did you use? Paint brush or roller? Did you prime first? Should you put a polyurethane finish on a desk? Does it feel sticky or just nice and smooth? Thanks so much!

  323. Great job – it looks amazing! Love that color – might have to find a place for that color in my house.

    Quick question – where did the file storage wall basket to the left of the dry erase board come from? Been to 5 stores today looking for wall mount file storage that is both decorative and functional – no luck. Can’t afford PB’s Daily System – please don’t tell me it’s from ages ago!

    Thanks!

  324. Katie this looks beautiful!!! I will admit that I was nervous when I saw you mention a green bookcase in yesterday’s post but it all turned out so great. Btw, I’m swooning over the deer head you have on the wall – I’ve been scoping one out at West Elm for months now and requested it for Mother’s Day. Is that weird? Actually, don’t answer that, I’d like to stay in denial about the whole requesting a deer head as a gift thing. Again, fantastic job! 🙂

  325. I got mine at HomeGoods just about two weeks ago – so maybe your luck will be fruitful there 🙂
    xo – kb

  326. haha – yeah, wish me a green thumb to try to keep that sucker alive.
    And when it comes to furniture, I usually use spray primer, then roll or brush depending on the size and flatness. I hate to waste rollers. In this room however, we had so many pieces, that we ended up spraying them all.
    xo – kb

  327. It was inherited so unfortunately I have no idea where it came from. But I imagine that it wouldn’t be too hard to get doors for a regular old bookcase.
    xo – kb

  331. We sprayed most of the furniture with the new sprayer…it was worth the clean up time since there were so many pieces 🙂
    xo – kb

  332. I just got this one about six months ago – and I am desperately trying to keep it alive. I hear that they need orchid food – so I guess I’ll have to get on that 🙂
    xo – kb

  333. haha…it’s easy to do when you find it for really cheap. Most of the furniture I like is so dirt cheap that it’s practically free…so I don’t feel guilty about pulling that trigger. I figure there are some things that you can use anywhere…a chair, a bookcase, a footstool…and if the budget is your concern – I always say when it doubt, pull out. Who says you have to buy stuff?! Me?! I’m a hoarder – what do I know?!
    xo – kb

  334. Well, I painted the trim in here eggshell – because the ceiling ‘panels’ would normally be flat and I usually paint trim semi-gloss – so I just split the difference with eggshell. The walls are also eggshell – because I love eggshell for walls. So I didn’t have the whole ‘painting-over-a-different-finish’ problem 🙂
    xo – kb

  335. We actually got that piece after Jer’s grandparents passed away – so I have no idea where it originally came from.
    And the Lowe’s Valspar paint comes in semi-gloss 🙂 perfect for furniture painting 🙂
    xo – kb

  336. Slight sanding, cleaning, spray prime with Zinnsers, and then spraygunned with eggshell bright white 🙂
    xo – kb

  337. We did sand it a little and used spray primer before painting. And I used Valspar’s Bright White in Eggshell 🙂
    xo – kb

  342. That’s EXACTLY what I imagine Kate Spade vomit to look like. Maybe with a couple of bows thrown in, but otherwise, exactly that.

  345. Katie,

    I love it!!! I am inspired to do a bold red chair in my living room–what color red paint did you use?

  347. Wow, wow, wow! Isn’t it amazing what paint can do?! The office looks incredible. I’d just wander in there constantly and stare with my mouth hanging open. Great job, Katie! The other Kate has nothing on you. 🙂

  348. katie- it looks fabulous! i love everything you’ve done with the space. what a happy place to sit and be productive and creative.

    if you’re thinking of adding a rug, i own one that would go perfectly in the space.

    http://www.urbanoutfitters.com/urban/catalog/productdetail.jsp?id=20659470

    the “green” is actually a beautiful rich teal/turquoise color, and it would go so well with your greeen and red accents and would coordinate well with the wall color!

  350. Gorgeous!! You really did such a great job….and it’s amazing what a little paint can do!!

  352. I LOVE it!! 🙂 So bright and pretty. You are so lucky that your husband lets you do what you want with the house. I’m sure some things he’s not too fond of but lets you do them anyway because they make you happy 🙂 My husband on the other hand is the style natzi. I can’t do anything with our house, it’s so annoying! True story: I showed him the before and after pictures of your office because I wanted to show him how amazing things look bright and fresh and he said “Oh, I like the before picture better!” I almost lost it!! ;o

  353. It looks absolutely BEAUTIFUL Katie! I can’t wait to see the curtains in the space. They will add the finishing touch.

  354. The room looks beautiful! I want to come work there! So inspiring, great job!

  355. It looks absolutely beautiful! Airy and inspirational and so very pretty! Quick question: how did you paint the ikea laminate furniture (was it laminate?!)? I have some old ikea dressers I’d love to paint or stain, but I’m not sure what steps to take to make sure the paint sticks to that smooth (ok, cheap!) surface.
    Thanks! Can’t wait to see what you do next!

  359. It looks amazing! I love what you did with the space! Before I read this post I was contemplating painting my dresser green ( I just painted my bedroom walls a light aqua color) but I wasn’t sure if I had the guts to do it. It would make a pretty bold piece of furniture, but after seeing how awesome the bookshelf looks, I think you may have convinced me to go for it 🙂

  360. I’m totally planning to use the green ikat-ish fabric you used for a chair I’m reupholsterin, except I’m going with the navy. Nice to see if on a piece, rather than just the swatch I ordered.

  361. This space is soooo inspiring and beautiful!!! Congrats girls!! You are an amazing designer!

  362. Yay! What an amazing space! I’d stay in there and do office things all day long. Your desk chair and bookshelf makeovers are off the chiz-ane!

  364. Love the new office, Katie! I’m amazed at how fast you guys pulled that one off! Makes me want to get off my butt and get something done! Thanks for the inspiration, as always.

  365. I can’t stop looking at your new office! Seriously, its fantastic. You are so talented! Can I be you when I grow up (even though I think I’m actually older than you)!?

  366. Your office came out so well! I’m a little jealous… okay, a lot jealous. You may want to consider adding a coat rack or a wall mounted hook rack so your clients have a place to put coats, purses, etc. Also, if you’re feeling frisky you could add some fun draw pulls to add a punch of color to your fabulous desk. Maybe something from Anthropologie?

  368. IN LOVE WITH THE BLUE!!! Such a great color- not too bright! Looks amazing- great job!! And a clean white has the amazing ability to brighten a space. Love love love!

    Katie of Athomewhenimwithyou.blogspot.com

  370. Holy breath of fresh air that is AMAZING! You should really be proud of yourself (and your helper(s)). I have total room envy and am so happy for you to have such a beautiful space to work in and appreciate…and I totally bow down to your ability to pull this off a) period, b) with a toddler at home, and c) while pregnant. Well done!

  371. Great work, Katie! You’ve inspired me. Not that I’ll act on it soon, but it’s in my head now.

  372. Katie I am so impressed with our office! it TOTALLY looks like Kate Spade threw up in there…mission accomplished!

    For the white deer head….how about a chunky frame around it, painted a bright funky color? Could be cool.

    Can’t wait to see what you have up your sleeve for Baby #2’s room!!

    ~Laura

  374. This room make-over should go down in hostory as one of THE GREATEST MAKE-OVERS OF ALL TIME. Including all the former contestants on The Swan.

    So inspiring. So bright. So bold. I love your mix of colors and patterns. And the floating desk. It’s so easy just to shove everything against the walls, and this has such a better impact. It’s so inviting!

    I’m exhausted just reading this! I just want to hang on that chair with the green blanket and banana-leaf pillow, and soak up all that light flooding into the room!

  377. Absolutely gorgeous! I love the way your jellyfish artwork looks in the office. Really wonderful!

  379. I love it!

    It’s clean, fresh, organized and inspirational and I’m sure you’re going to love working and playing and loving in there…

  381. Ummm, yeah. You and that boyfriend of yours do some AMAZING work! A-MAZING!

  382. I love how the room turned out! My hubby works for Lowe’s so I am always emailing him your posts when you do something with Lowe’s Creative Ideas mag. Are you thinking of adding a rug? I think a rug would look great under the deak and anchor the room a bit more.

  383. so so awesome and I’m so jealous! great job- envious girlified office space complete with sewing corner 🙂

  384. Right now we don’t have any clients visit (it’s tough being a blogger/photographer to draw that line in the sand – but for safety sake, we just went the more cautious route)…but I do think that KATIE needs a purse hook 🙂 And is it weird to admit that I am not cool enough to go into an Anthropologie alone? In fact, I’ve been in one…one time…clinging to Sherry…because she makes me cooler than I actually am.
    xo – kb

  385. It’s Valspar’s Bright Red. It comes in a regular ole paint can or you can get it in spraypaint too 🙂
    xo – kb

  388. I’M AMAZED !!!

    It’s looking stunning, full of beautiful details and splashes of colors are just right! It feels warm and cozy there…

    Very well done, The desk is my favorite, I love the old/serious/fresh style.

    I’m very inspired to change my little office too.

    Thank you for sharing 🙂

    xoxo

  389. The ikea piece wasn’t laminate – but the bookcase was – and I prep it with a little spray paint prep – then a few thin coats of paint and a coat of spray poly at the end will seal things up 🙂
    xo – kb

  390. I just use light sand paper to prep…spray primer…and then thin coats of your paint. I sprayed it but a paint brush or roller can do just fine too. Just remember to clean it really well and allow for dry time (it’s gotta cure lots!).
    xo – kb

  392. I used spray primer – Zinnser’s – and then the paint was just regular ole Valspar eggshell in bright white. I used the sprayer for this desk but a brush and roller could look just as good – just make sure you do thin coats. Also – allow for plenty of dry time – that will prevent the sticky problem. It’s gotta cure. You can use a top coat – Verathane is awesome for white furniture.
    xo – kb

  393. You can rough them up – just super lightly!
    And go for it – paint has a transforming quality that can’t be beat!
    xo – kb

  394. Yes – we would still make it white – but maybe do a little less pops of color and make it a little more complimentary…like matching desk chairs and no sitting area and more graphic art. More like Kate & David Spade 🙂
    xo – kb

  395. Katie- I love that you said that! I am the exact same way… But I don’t have sherry to go with me. So, I just shop online; but totally feel I miss some of the experience. 🙁

  396. I think my favorite thing about the room is that you have given every seat a lovely view, so you will be inspired no matter where you are hanging out. I’m also thrilled that your jellyfish now has the perfect showcase. That’s one of MY favorite projects you have ever done. I am in awe of your many talents.

    Last night I dreamed that I made a detour on our next flight to fly to ATL and come see the office in person. Yep, I just showed up on your doorstep and asked to see it. DreamKatie was understandably surprised to see me but still very gracious. The room looks just as good in realdream life. For realism’s sake, my dreamhusband was not happy with my decision to make a solo detour. of course, he didn’t realize how cool the office is.

  399. Katie, you did an amazing job and what a great space to work in! I have kind of a side question for you…how do you do your “mood boards” are they created in photoshop? I love how you have an “inspiration” piece to work from and then you put the room together. I am such a visual person and I think this will help me put rooms together in my home. Would you ever consider a blog post on how you do that or is this something everyone knows and I am a turkey for not knowing yet? Really love your art work too!

  400. I just can’t stop looking at this room reveal. You did a fabulous job of turning a dark, sad space into a beautifully bright and modern space. Love it! It’s amazing what some white paint can do!

  401. I make them in photoshop – but I’ve done it in paint before – and there is a few programs out there that work great for free 🙂
    xo – kb

  402. haha…did you read right before bed? Because sometimes I have dreams about the weirdest stuff and it was always something I was looking at right before I go to sleep…which kinda explains why I was an UFC fighter last night in my dreams 🙂
    xo – kb

  403. It looks beautiful, Katie! I was wondering how much advance warning Lowes Creative Ideas magazine gives you — did they tell you on April 1 “Okay, do a room makeover and get it done by the end of the month?” Or did you know back in March this would be coming up, so you could take a little more time to plan before you jumped into the room redo?

  407. The office makeover is great. You really hit the Kate Spade shades on the head without it being too overwhelming with color, just funs little pops. I need to figure out how to shrink this down for a bathroom.

  409. I’m sorry if this posts twice, I got an error message when I saved my comment. I just wanted to say this is AMAZING! I think it’s my favorite of all our re-dos. The pops of color are so fun but the room still feels so calming…you rock!

  410. This is awesome. I think I even would call it your masterpiece. Although ist goes neck to neck with Will’s nursery in the first house. I love it, I would move in, sleep on the floor, whatever.
    Katy you rock!!

  412. I’m so obsessed with this. I can’t stop looking at it…I don’t know how you do it, Katie.

  413. Love your new office! So bright & cheery! One thing I thought would look cool (I’m sorry if you don’t appreciate people telling you how to decorate…) BUT, I thought it would look cool if you put an oval, ornate frame around your deer head. It would frame it so nicely and a dark gray would like nice or you could go with something fun like a bright yellow. It would fill the space and draw even more attention to the amazing piece! (I go gaga over deer anything.) However, it looks great the way it is too, so either way. And as always, love your blog!

  414. We get told what we were doing in March when they asked us to participate in the spring’s challenges – so I knew 90 days before it was due. We are sent the gift card at the beginning of the month and then we have literally 30 or less days to tackle the room and get it posted. We will have more planning time – but sometimes it doesn’t matter how much you plan because you gotta wait on the cash 🙂
    xo – kb

  416. What a great room! It would be useful to have breakdown of the cost, though. Are you planning on posting that?

  417. You got it… I read it right before bed! It’s so funny how my dreams are always *mostly* realistic – real people, real places – but I am sure that Atlanta isn’t in the flight path between Belgium and Croatia! (Which is good, because dreamJeremy was kinda freaked out by the whole creepy stalker thing… but still gracious, as well.)

  418. I am obsessed with this room – it’s beautiful!! Now I want to re-do my office 🙂
    Also, when do you EVER have time to sleep?!!!

  419. How many cans of paint did u need? I never used a sprayer and always wanted to. does it clog, does it seem to need more paint then if u rolled it, or less? i am doing our kitchen this weekend, and would love to purchase a sprayer and make my life easier.

  422. Hey Paula – I am so scatter brained! I just posted the budget info at the bottom of the post! Sorry about that – I did intend to do that just lost my brain momentarily!
    xo – kb

  423. We definitely used a portion of the money to go to the sprayer (but we also dug into our own pockets to finish the room) – sorry I didn’t post the info on the budget before – it should be at the end of the post now 🙂
    xo – kb

  424. Katie now you are all pro-designer with your fabulous workspace! I’m dying over all of it!

  429. How awesome to have your own work space – consider me jealz for real as I try to stuff a desk in our already crowded guest room so I can have a work space. 😉 I would love some Kate Spade vomit over here! Your new desk chair is like the cherry on top – I LOVE it! Did you spray it? Loving that bright glossy red!

  430. I have the same Ikea desk and always wanted to try painting it white. I assume you took the doors off, etc primed and painted. Did you use the sprayer or brush for it? Could I use plain spraypaint?

  432. Love it, Katie! You’ve inspired me to finish my studio/office, which is currently a complete disaster! Now go get some rest. 🙂

  433. There is nothing I don’t love about your amazing new space! The transformation is night and day amazing! My favorite part of the whole project is that you have a place to call your own and to retreat to.

    The color combinations rock my socks off!

    xoxo,
    Jen

  435. Hi Katie, thanks for replying to my earlier comment.

    You have so much wood furnitures in your house, did you do any termite treatment before you move in? Is termite a common problem at your area?

  436. Most homes down here have a termite letter when you buy the house…so you don’t have to necessarily have to do a termite treatment…but having termite coverage is a good idea.
    xo – kb

  438. I absolutely love this room. It not only has inspired me to do my own makeover on my sewing room but I also need a sprayer to redo my “poo” colored dining room wainscoating. I am so glad I was on hgtv.com and came across your blog. I will be back often.

  439. Katie, I just have to tell you. Before I started reading your blog, I hated the color white. I can be messy and hard on things, so I always tried to steer clear of anything white. Now, however, whenever I’m at Hobby Lobby or looking at furniture for my apartment at college or dreaming about my future home, I always think: “How would this look if I painted it white?” You’ve created a monster 😉 Just kidding. I do love to read your blog and hear all about the great things you do! Thanks for being an inspiration to a fellow Georgia Dawg! 🙂

  440. haha…I love it! You and Jer both – just the other day I picked up a piece of furniture at a yard sale and Jer asked – you are painting that white, right?! I was like – maybe…maybe not 🙂
    xo – kb

  443. Hi Katie –
    I really enjoyed perusing your blog. This office post caught my eye because you were able to do so much with $376! I’d be interested to know where you do most of your photo editing – do you work off of that Vaio laptop for all of it? Or do you shoot film?

    Love love love the desk in the middle of the room with no cords, and am wondering about the photo editing because large monitors require all those cluster-inducing cables and such, just eliminating all the romance of a cable free environment.

    Looking forward to more of your pseudo minimalism and bright sassy dialogue!

    Amy

  444. I work off the laptop for 95% of it. And I do not shoot film 🙂 I would like to let you know that the desk has a hole that allows for cords to be wrapped down the back into the hole right under the desk top and goes through the right hand side cabinet. It is kinda awesome for eliminating most of the showing cords.
    xo – kb

  445. This is an incredible makeover, Katie, extremely inspirational. I’d love to one day have a room like this in my house for all my creative pursuits. The wall color + the green bookshelf is my favorite part, I think. 🙂 Thanks so much for sharing!!

  446. Katie,
    I’m now excited to start my own office update – my biggest decision was paint color. It has been so hard to find the right blue/green color without it looking baby blue. When I saw your Palladian Blue – Benjamin Moore selection, I almost peed a little – it is the same color swatch I have in my laptop bag that I’ve been carrying around. So excited to see an entire room painted with this color and have it look as awesome as I imagined. I’m however, going to hire painters to do the work as I have two toddlers at home and cannot fathom the stress painting would cause in my house. So a HUGE THANK YOU for posting this!!!

  447. oh it’s awesome in real life…and I hear that it looks good in lots of different types of rooms no matter the lighting! Hopefully it’s just darn perfect for you too!
    xo – kb

  449. Best makeover EVER!!! Love the wall color with the pops of red & green! I just installed those Ikea shelves too… super cute! So I’m sure NO ONE else is dying to know this, but I’m wondering where you got that little wood fish on a stick? It’s probably old, but it just adds a little something… not sure, but I love it!

  451. A seriously stunning office!!! Beautiful! What on earth is that paint color, I am looking for something JUST like that – I neeeed to know!!

  452. I had a question about how you refinished your desk. Did you use your new sprayer on it? or go the old fashioned route and just use a brush/roller? or did you do it with a couple cans of spray paint. Have my own desk project I’m working on and want to get the smoothest finish possible. any advice?

  453. We used the sprayer. If you don’t have one, then I recommend that you use spray primer (Zinnser is awesome)…and then use a brush or roller to do multiple thin coats with sanding lightly between. Happy painting!
    xo – kb

  454. Where did you get your deer head? Do you know the measurments? I love yours and I’ve been looking for a deal on one, but I can’t even tell if what I’m finding online REALLY looks like what I want!

  455. Love this reveal. I am telling you now girl that I am so copying your idea for the “pops” of color in the room! I am in the process of fixing up my “mom cave” and am super excited. We moved the sons (and well daughters but she’s only 5 months so she isn’t really playing) playroom down to the basement and a few of his toys to his room and I am coverting the old playroom into my space. I already know I am in love with your wall color and the pops of red so I will probably do the same. I just love your decorating style and love reading your blog!!

  459. Do you have a link to show how you painted the bookcase? If it is somewhere obvious, sorry I missed it! 🙂

  462. I get so sad when I go to your print shop and the arrows you painted or the jellyfish for your office aren’t there for me to buy. I cry myself to sleep at night. Please let me give you my money?

  464. OMG! I should have read the captions. I just spent a whole weekend scouring the web for that fabulous octopus print! YOY MADE IT!!!

    P.S.We have the same colored office! 🙂

  467. So I actually think I’ve commented on this post before, but every time I see it, I sigh and think, “It’s just so beautiful”. I really love it THAT much.

  469. Were you able to have the glass cut somewhere for the top of the desk? I’m so wanting to get this done!

  471. This. Is. Wild. I also have a Palladian Blue home office with white wainscoting and dark floors. I am adding a wire bookcase and could not decide what color to paint it. So I went to Pinterest, found your pin which led me here and …my name is Katie too. 😀 Great Katies think alike!

    BTW, after seeing your chair, I think I am going with cherry red. 🙂

  473. WOW, it always amazes me the difference when you throw a little paint (of a different color) on a wall. Just added the two colors opened the room and made it seem larger. Thank you for sharing your transformation.

  476. Hi Katie! That jellyfish is so cool. I am a fairly new reader so I may have missed it, but where did you get that? Or did you make it? Very cool.

    Laura 🙂

  478. Hi! I stumbled upon your blog while doing research for my office and I am so in love! Can you let me know where you purchased your sewing desk? Thank you!

  480. I have seen your wicker/cane chairs in several posts on your blog. Where did you find them? They are great!!

  481. Goodwill! I recovered the cushions and gave the wood a weathered look but other than that, they were just a great find!
    xo – kb

  482. Sooooooo adorable!! I love the chair color! I painted ours white but I think they need a pop of color too! Where did you fond the white board for $22? I’ ve been looking for a large one just like it.

  484. i was wondering since there are so many different variations of white, what is the name of the white paint u used?

  485. It’s just the whitest white you can buy at the store and it is untinted. The trim is semi-gloss and the walls are eggshell.
    xo – kb

  486. Your office is beautiful! What color paint did you use. I’d love to use it in my becroom!

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