Home Office & Teen Room Redo

I’m having a moment for sure…maybe a number of them at this point.

Prior to moving into our home almost three years ago, I knew exactly what I wanted to do with this space. Built as a dining room for the original owners, my goal was to revamp it into something bigger and better. Since I couldn’t enlarge the space (the dimensions are too small for a true dining room), and we were in need of an office/gathering spot for ourselves AND our kids, I decided to make this a multi-purpose room of sorts—an office and teen room combined.

Check out the before pic here.

PC: Andrew Knizley

You guys! This room was in desprate need of some serious updating. I mean, for reals. From the red accent wall, to the draperies, the oversized oak furniture, and the orange tile floor—let’s just say this baby was stuck in a serious rut…and then some.

Once we moved in, I got to work and immediately removed those draperies for my own sanity. And even though this particular space was (a little) less dated without the previous owners furniture in it, it still needed a lot of love.

Paint was the first thing on the list. After tackling the ceiling with a bright white, the walls came second with a cool grey (Behr Tanglewood -25%). I then replaced the fan and added recessed lights to create more evenly distributed lighting throughout the room.

Next up? Covering the window!

Yep, you read that right. I had the window closed off and up. The main reason being that any desk I put in there would sit too high and actually block a portion of the window. This wasn’t going to work long term, so away it went.

But(!) totally removing it would have cost a lot and made the outside aesthetic wonky and weird. So, we just closed it off inside and left the outside just as it was.

Next step? The tile floor. If you follow my Instagram stories, you know I have this orange tile ALL over my home. Removing it in steps has been a process…a messy but super satisfying one.

P-R-O-G-R-E-S-S !

Out with the old and in with the new.

Once the flooring was finished, it was time for the brick accent wall. Since I wanted to keep costs down to make room for the next phase (built-in cabinetry), I decided to use brick paneling as opposed to brick veneers. Plus, if there were ever any issues with that window being closed off, I wanted something semi-permanent so we had access to it.

Nate Koogle rocked it again!

It was just starting to come together…

The next phase was construction of the built-in units. I contracted Master Finishes in Yuma, AZ, provided them my drawings, explained my vision, and they got to work while I began treatment on the brick wall. I knew I wanted black cabinetry with a medium stained butcher block counter in order finish this room off right. They completely exceeded my expectations and then some…

The final step before the built-ins were installed was adding a treatment to the brick accent wall. I wanted a more vintage-y/urban vibe and got a hold of a big bucket o’ joint compound in order to produce the final result I originally envisioned.

Slapping this stuff on using a straight edge was the easiest thing ever. Easy but a little messy. Once dry (and using a wet rag), I removed any excess. The end result? A super fun faux brick wall.

Getting closer…

While waiting for the built-ins, I also wanted to tackle a couple of projects I’d been meaning to get to. The main one involved my husband’s (and mine) letterman jackets. After years of just sitting in our closets, I dusted them off and got to work disassembling them.

I think I enjoy demo work a little too much.

Anyways, once all of my numbers and patches were removed, I sent hubby’s letter off to make a super fun and crazy special throw pillow—a throw pillow he would actually like!

Just look at what Letterman Supply Company—based out of Utah—did. Wow!

PC: Letterman Supply Company

Okay, here we go. After curating items for over two years, planning, saving, and working hard towards the refinishing of this room, here it is.

I am so, so proud of every element and every detail of this room…especially the decor. From the pug bust, the oil can, the collection of books and Bibles, to the unique planters and other items, this room’s unique decor is a mixture of old and new. Numerous trips to the Goodwill, Dandy, Hobby Lobby, Junk in the Trunk, and Rebel and Rove made everything you see here come together. I even have my daughter’s ceramics projects (back when she attended school), along with framed photos she entered in last year’s fair, and knick knack’s special to me.

I love it. I really, really love it.

One more before and after comparison. I’m still amazed it’s finished—it’s a reality.

PC: Andrew Knizley

THE DETAILS:

Paint: Tanglewood (Behr), Valspar Ceiling Paint

Paint Labor: A Fresh Coat-Yuma

Window Closure: Kyle Hardin

Flooring: Julio Martinez

Built-ins: Master Finishes

Custom Stained Butcher Block: Master Finishes

Chairs: Wayfair

Throw Pillows: Pottery Barn Teen, Ashley Home Store, Hobby Lobby

Letterman Pillow: Letterman Sullpy Compant

Furniture: American Furniture Wharehouse

Cowhide: Dandy Home and Ranch

Decor: Junk in the Trunk, Dandy, Hobby Lobby, Rebl and Rove, Pier 1, Goodwill, Kirkland’s, Annie Sulpizio

Love, J

Seeing Stripes: Teen Boy Room Makeover

Some projects seem like they take forever to finish and this room was no exception. Sometimes you’re just waiting on one last detail to “make” the space, and for me and my middle son’s room, it was these amazing metal-looking negative space oversized letters above his bed. But before I gush on those awesome things, let’s start from the beginning of this room reno.

We moved into our home almost ten months ago and as I’ve mentioned in previous posts, there’s a LOT to do. A. Lot. But the first area(s) I wanted to focus my attention on were my kiddos’ bedrooms. By no means does this indicate they are actually finished but we’re getting closer and closer with each passing day. So close, that I decided to post the before and after pics of this room for you all.

Here’s where we started:

The tan walls and matching carpet were fine and all but I like to add personality and character into my rooms and this was missing a whole bunch of both. Besides, prior to moving into this home I created Pinterest boards for each of my kid’s rooms and consulted with them on colors and the overall look they wanted to achieve. My boys were the easiest to work with (go figure), and here is where we’re at with “K’s” digs today:

The first step was to paint the walls a cool blue-grey and he selected Valspar’s Stormcloud (with a 25% reduction) followed up with Valspar’s Drizzling Mist (same color reduction) for the large and small striping up top (courtesy of AFC).

Next was the layout of the room. With a double bed, it created a bit of a problem with how the room was initially designed—so I opted to frame in the not-so-centered bed with shelving and nightstands to make it all work a bit better and yet still provide him enough space to perfect his Fortnite moves…seriously. ;)

Most people have a tendency to shove a bed up against the wall but if a room is large enough, placing the bed in the middle or even off-center as I did here, could be an option. It all depends on the size of the furniture you have and the amount of room you have to work with.

When it came to syling this space, decor was super easy with this son o’ mine. He’s got a lot of personality and spunk so the pieces selected had to reflect who he is. I think we got it right.

Even better? Most were on clearance. As it turns out, not a ton of people are interested in buying banana bookends, ghetto blaster art pieces, or even framed bicycle prints. But me? I will take them and love them even more since they were crazy cheap. Sometimes, the weirder, the better.

And how about those letters? Originally I wanted oversized steel letters (we’re talking 39” each) to create a really bold look above his bed. Simple but bold. However, the only place I could find such a thing was through Restoration Hardware Teen. Even though I loved (like, love-loved) these letters, the price tag of $149 each was a dealbreaker. I just couldn’t justify it. But aren’t they pretty?!!

Instead, I found Jillian Van Horn of Lazy J Signs here in Yuma, AZ. Rather than use the actual letter, I asked for the negative space instead. This gave me the height and width I needed inbetween the shelving units pictured below. I asked her to create a rustic metal look on top of these wood cut-outs and she rocked it. These actually look like metal and I love how it completes the space.

Last but not least were the small finishing touches which included a set of old lockers (I painted black) for additional storage, an oversized cork board, and large industrial clock.

That’s it! We’re just one window treatment, one new door, and one new area rug away from this room being completely finished. So close I can almost taste it. But in the meantime, here is the before and after pics one more time.

and after:

The Details:

Paint: Walls-Valspar’s Stormcloud (25% reduction in color)

Stripes-Valspar’s Drizzling Mist (25% reduction in color)

Paint Labor: A Fresh Coat-Yuma

Shelving: Hobby Lobby

Decor: Target, Hobby Lobby

Side Table Lamps: Kirkland’s

Side Tables: Hobby Lobby

Ceiling Fan: Lowe’s

Bedding: Pottery Barn Teen

Headboard: Wayfair

Negative Space Letters: Lazy J Signs-Yuma, AZ

Clock: Hobby Lobby

Cork Board: Hobby Lobby

Desk: Pottery Barn Teen

Industrial Mail/File Holder: Hobby Lobby

Love, J