Awesome transformation!

I'm trying to figure out how that computer has no cords....

Me likie! :0) Its to fresh and uplifiting.

Love it! Liked the 'before' too, actually.

I loved the darker floors too, but you did a really nice job, and the green and removal of arch bits on the built-ins is just so crisp and lovely. (And yes...where did you hide your cords?!)

This looks great; very fresh and new. It would also be interesting to see how to keep the vintage esthetic but freshen it up and make it less stodgy. Randy Florke from Country Living is good at that.

the phone has no cords either

Oh my guh. What a transformation! Love, love, love it. Wow. Love the pop of yellow with that bag. And the green. And the white. And basically all of it.

I think it's a lovely, modern update. Great work!!

It's pretty but I agree with FRENCHEE. I did perfer the arches in the bookshelf and the dark floors with all that light wood would have been warmer. BUT as long as you love it, that's all that matters.

That chair is so modern and chic but I would not enjoy working from it. Otherwise yes to the face-lift!

It is so refreshing and gives me some "peps". J'aime beaucoup !

The West Elm desk is gorgeous and who would have thought that green would work so well. I think the accessories you have chosen like the choice of flowers and the painting above the desk are perfect.

Most staged arch photos will take the chords out for the shot. I wish everything were wireless, to me it's a necessary eye sore. I think the antique elements could have been blended with the modern ones. However, I prefer the lighter floors and streamlines built-in's. Very nice reno!

I think it looks great! Total 180 transformation! Very inspiring.

Very nice how you modernized the room without changing the bones much at all. I personally love it, but I'm interested to know how it looks when it's really 'lived in'.

Hmmm. I agree that the before was kinda "granny," but it was also warm. Bright and white is refreshing, but keeping the darker floors would've toned down the sterility. I do like the green accent and the recess lighting and think the new room is aesthetically interesting, though.

I'd love to combine these: Arches on the bookshelf and dark floor, white paint and green backdrop for the bookshelves, keep the desk and that phone (!!!), but get a new chair or re-paint one of those old ones. So many good things in both the before and the after.

I understand the need to update spaces, and creating a fresher look to the space is fun. I live in an older home and do the balancing act between keeping it fresh and preserving the architecture and craftsmanship. I think you accomplished completely changing the style of this room. It does seem as if the slate was wiped clean.

Where did the books go? The shelves are now cluttered with tchotchkes that don't serve any purpose.

Well, in 20 years, someone is going to refresh it and put the arches back in the bookcases :-). I really dislike plastic chairs and wonder if, like cords, this person does not use paper, pencils, postit notes and the other small detritus of what I think of as office needs. Not very usable looking to me. Sorry, but think you missed the boat on this one.

I'm sitting here in my spice-colored den with my ivory with woodgrain-topped desk and credenzas, my dark wood floors, my Restoration Hardware surveyor lamp with animal print shade, my favorite artwork and a small library of books and I just cannot get into this makeover. I would have put a deeper color on the walls, changed out the photos and artwork, edited the books down to a reasonable number and added some interesting items. I do like the cameras, but the ones we will display bring back our own memories. I also would have put a real desk in there with drawers and file cabinets. I prefer warmth. I go to my den to think and it has to be "me." The makeover is good for the modern crowd with it's contrast and "checklist" of popular office items, though. I don't hate it...I just prefer warmth.

Did you paint those beautiful oak floor boards?! It seems like a really horrible decision to paint (or even bleach?) the original hardwood flooring. I know from experience that it seriously devalues a home.

Love the new room, but as a senior citizen with SOME taste, could we maybe drop "granny" as a euphemism for "outdated and tacky"? Thank you.

Where is that post by Sororitysheep? You've piqued my interest!

I'm with GirlJen on this one... there's some very interesting aesthetic potential somewhere between unself-consciously-personal traditionalism and hyper-consciously-impersonal modern catalogue.

WOW, guess we'd better all keep our opinions to ourselves if we don't 100% love this Before & After. Incredible lack of integrity to delete those comments. I suppose this means I can't comment either since I agree with Frenchee, Archdarling and SororitySheep that this makeover unfortunately stripped all the soul from a nice room and replaced it with a cookie cutter design mag checklist.

Very nice and fresh looking.

Big question: where are the electrical and phone cords? Do they drill down the desk and into the molding? Come on now - if you dressed the shot for us, be honest and let us know. If you made them disappear - really, let us KNOW! I wanna know how LOL!

Gee, I didn't realise that AT no longer allows dissenting opinions. I still maintain that this looks like it has ticked off the all current trends from a checklist.

wire basket: check
vintage cameras: check
boxes for office supplies: check
contrasting inside of bookcase: check
parsons desk: check
ghost chair: check

This is the best bookcase transformation that I've seen in a while!! LOVE it!

too staged.

It's amazing that removing those little arches totally changes the whole built in. And love that green.

very nice, HOWEVER, I would have kept the dark wood floor.

SHERRYBINNH, I want to believe the "granny" comment was made lovingly, however your point is well taken. That yellow isn't my favorite, but I didn't hate the old room. Its new incarnation is fresh, clean, and charming, but lacks a certain functionality, I think.

Is grandma still living there? If so, I bet she'd really be more comfortable with the room as she had it (unless she felt she had to follow current trends when she first set up the room and is really happier with today's styles).

I think it's really nice and fresh. I'm not sure why everyone feels the need to be so negative. Someone worked hard on this room, put a lot of thought into it, and loves it to pieces. Can't you just let them enjoy it without pooping all over it? Sheesh!

I don't really want to "see" the recessed lighting. I think I'd prefer a piece of moulding or something there (straight moulding). But other than that, there are some really nice ideas here, and it does look nice and fresh.

if you're presenting a project in a public domain, especially in one such as AT, you need to be prepared for both positive and negative comments. jeeze. take everything with a grain of salt and allow people to speak their minds!

I really liked the reform, the cabinet giving these forms and modern lines. Although one of the walls, would have included some shade of green to break the monotony, which gives all white walls

I'm confused why arches supposedly make the shelves dated... a simple curve is still a clean line and can work just fine with modern decor.

I like the suggestion of adding a straight moulding to hide the recessed lighting.

And I should add that while I think the floor should have been left as-is, it really is a beautiful makeover. The staged photo makes it seem stale (which staged photos almost always do), but the staleness will dissipate once it's a bit lived in. Enjoy your hard work!

i adore this, well done....a thousand times nicer than the old dark stale room...
feels airy and fresh and modern...i for one would love to sit at the computer in this room...
love the lighter floors too.

I am always impressed by makeovers which involve primarily color..this to me is true art...love the green..love it all...

perfect transformation.

I'm a granny and if that's what's you call your grandmother (whose room this is), who can object to identifying this room. I, for one, love it. Like the neatness (research shows it is UNstressifying) and lining up the shelving. You could put any color you love behind the shelves.

Msulmonte, you may have a point. On the other hand, a lively debate is probably the real point of AT, isn't it? To share design ideas and exchange perspectives? It would be unrealistic, not to mention boring and weird if everyone agreed. I don't think disagreeing strongly is necessarily pooping, is it?

I'm currently reworking "inherited" built-ins -- we had to strip out 1940s/50s orange shellacked knotty pine ones. Funny thing is, our concept is a combination of the before and after shown here: white cabinets and shelving, yellow walls, and dark wood floor. The cabinets and shelving will have clean simple lines. We'll see how it turns out.

The "after" is certainly a nice room, but am I the only one who thought it was a picture from Domino five years ago?

I think the "before" is better, and the "after" seems generic. Maybe it's just because we see so many rooms that look just like the "after" on this blog and elsewhere, all white (with the one de rigueur "pop" of color) where all the lines are perfectly straight and all the fun tools and books that make an office look like a productive space are put away where they can't be seen.

But viewed on its own, for what it is, the "after" isn't bad.

I like it but I lean toward the modern side of things for sure. It is possible to have an office that clean without post its and pens lying around, I keep most supplies tucked away in drawers or boxes in my home office because I mainly use my desk to write, blog, edit pics so everything is on the computer. The once a month or so I need to actually sign a check or write a note, I just pull a post it & pen out of the drawer (which the west elm desk has two). All my hardcopy files, etc are tucked away on shelving in a closet.

Beautiful but does anyone ACTUALLY live here?

on the surface it's 'nice'. but there's something unsettling about the change. it's sort of flat and void. it's like i can't imagine it as an actual space beyond a computer screen...

and i think the dark floors would have worked really well with all the updates.

I have to agree with some of the posters above, the darker wood floors would have been a better contrast to all that white. Love the green though...really adds some punch to the room, although I'm a little sorry to see the arches gone.

I wish these office before/after shots would include the 'real' chair (maybe people sacrifice comfort for style?) OR these desks aren't sat at for too long. Seems like so many office design photos don't include a comfortable chair? Something the designer office chair industry should look into. They'd sell more chairs.

I disagree with some of you- the dark floor with that bright green backdrop would be too much like a doctor's office or too formal. It's so crisp and refreshing. Good decision on getting rid of the gingerbread trim.

Didn't see the deleted comments, but...perhaps it wasn't the disagreement, but the manner of disagreement? I see lots of comments suggesting other alternatives/viewpoints. What I don't see (too much) are degrading language and insults. Is the After my style? Not so much. Do I think it was a mistake to change those floors? Yep. Can I express that in a polite way? I think so.

a little staging of the bookshelves, replacement of art on the walls, a desk and a chair or two, perhaps some paint and "granny's" room would have been a thousand times more welcoming than the sterile, modern redo. should have left the dark floor and maybe the rug too. i'm just saying.... oh dear, but i'm a "granny" aka grammie (my personal favorite). i didn't know we decorated by generation.

WHERE ARE THE CORDS?!?!?!?! I want realism so badly!!!

I have to agree with Rita - perhaps the comments were deleted not because they presented different ideas/viewpoints/preferences (since this is the essence of design after all), but rather they were presented in a rude, snarky fashion? I can't say (since I haven't seen them), but that would be my guess. Superiority aka-mine-is-better-and-yours-just-sucks complexes seem to prevail nowadays - and I have seen it happen on this site at times o.O.

I think it's quite pretty and if the owner likes it, that's what matters imo. As for cord hideage, I'd bet the cords were taped along the back of the desk (Apple uses only 1-2 cords I believe & phonecords are transparent iirc) and I'd also put money on it that the outlet is hidden behind the bag =D.

It's so hard to think about the floors. I mean, the "after" shot has twice as much light, even taking into account the brighter white walls (look at the light patch under the desk. Wasn't there before.) If it's a windowless room, lightening up the floors can help a lot to open things up visually. I like some things about the after. It's very bright and cheerful in color. But...no cords? No books? Who lives or works here with no papers and a hard plastic chair? It looks like a showroom. Maybe that's what I like about it. *imagines a life without stuff*

I actually liked the before picture better. To make it interesting would be to simply remove the personal pictures and put some fine art reproductions in interesting frames and remove the doilies. The after does not look comfortable or personable. New is not always better.

i like it - particularly the built-ins with the green. I can't see a granny in it though with the parsons style desk and starck chair - i'd venture the color update alone would've made the old accessories cuter :)

Since when is the Ghost Chair, not a "real" chair? Philippe Starck is iconic! And there are plenty comfortable and modern task chairs out there. But this person did want a typical task chair.
I think people are forgetting how many eclectic and "lived-in" spaces are featured on this blog. Who cares if it's staged and she took the chords out for the photo? It'll look "lived-in" by next week. . . honest opinions are fine, but some of these comments are silly.

sooooooo excellent! i love this!!

I think this is lovely! That green is striking against the white. I will say that when something is derogatorily labeled 'granny' - I tend to like it. The before of this was pretty too, in my opinion.

Looks so much fresher and clean! Great job!

People, it's an iMac. That means one power cord that runs off the back of the stand and the keyboard/mouse cables plug into the back. Those can easily be wrapped and hidden on the back of the computer. I have the wireless keyboard and mouse with my iMac so that eliminates those. I'm also going to think they're running on a wireless network so no cables for that. Maybe the outlet is behind one of the Parsons table leg/bag area and the power cord has been deftly run behind.

Now, to the room at hand. Sure, there are many 'on trend' elements in the new space, but they work. It's easy to criticize when we see it so much of the trends here on AT and other design blogs, but in real life I'm thinking it works really well for the homeowner. I think it's a beautiful transformation.

A good design, first and foremost, must be functional. The better it works for its intended purpose, the better the design. As an office design, this is not very functional. The table is tiny, and looks rather flimsy. If you need to work and spread out a bit, you can't. The large ornamental phone would get in the way, and the vase of flowers actually takes up a lot of room. The chair is uncomfortable (I personally am tired of the Ghost chair), and is simply not functional as an office chair.

I'm afraid that is what it comes down to for me.

The removal of the arches was a key improvement. Beyond that, simply making the shelves uniform and staging makes the room photograph better. The kelly green actually seems "grandmotherly" to me, but then we all have different tastes in color.

"Old crusty brass" ? I dunno, I'm gearing up to INSTALL brass handles in my home.
The tarnish can be removed from brass so easily --even if it's really caked on from decades, simmering it in tomato sauce will shine it up fantastically. But it's all a matter of taste.
I'd have been happy in the first room just updating colors and removing the rug and replacing furniture with Mission style desk & rolling chair & accessories -- but i'ts not my house. And although I prefer dark hardwood floors, we have no way of knowing whether or not the floor was intact under that rug.

But if that's really an oil painting, I hope it ended up elsewhere in the home -- because it's lovely.

The After is certainly fresher than the dated look of the before, but looking at it, the after too will become very dated looking because it has that je ne sais quoi of the tasteful suburban lady home. You know what I mean, like you go into the nice home in the nice upper-middle class area of your middle manager and everything she has in there is nice and modern and fresh and current, but it kind of looks like that room in every other house in that subdivision, like a showroom that is every so carefully not quite a showroom, and you feel conflicted inside. It's like that. Right now all the estate sales are in houses with the before picture room, give it a couple decades and they'll all have the after room.

This is so funny to me. A year ago, when I bought my 760 sq ft home, I converted the garage to living space (approx 300 sq ft). I could do anything I wanted, and I made it a home library, a mix of country and Victorian. It looks something like the before pic, and I love it to pieces! Wouldn't change a thing.

Nice transformation. I'm a 69-yr old grandmother whose tastes run to the traditional but, still...this is a fresh look and a huge change. The desk actually does have two hidden drawers and cords are always hidden (or removed) for these shots in magazines. West Elm did the same thing in their picture of the desk. The "before" was a little stuffy looking and the point was to take a total departure from that look. The designer accomplished that well. I say good job.

For the most part I prefer the before.. the after is a little stark and bare for me.

That being said, I do love the green wall, the telephone and yes, even the lighter floors. :)

I really like it. So much fresher and more fun - the before was just kinda tired. I guess it would have looked fine if you had left the arches, but you know, you probably had your reasons.

A parsons desk and starck lucite chair are pretty classic in my book, so I think this change will hold up for a while. Eventually those pieces might move to other spots in the house, but they will never truly go out of style.

Ok .. so I love it too, particularly the green and white combo. It's young and inviting.
As for the floors, I actually would have gone a step further and painted them white.
But this is your room and I'm sure you feel very good when you walk in to this room- as well you should! :)

It is a little "White" for my taste, but it is a huge improvement from the original! I like the green behind the shelves~

Umm...where's Granny?

My goodness, so much strong opinion! It may be a little cliche, but it is bright and fresh. The layers particular to this new homeowner (I assume she has inherited the home) will come in time and create a warm, personal space. It's just a baby room now, but it will get there!

Well, I am old(er) anyway, but I liked the "before". I like the new color of the walls, and I like that you removed the old paintings, but I would've kept the furniture, and perhaps changed the chair cover fabric and eliminated the lace doily thing on the sideboard.

The before was not only dated, but also dark and cliche (and cluttered, which is a problem in a fairly small space).

The after feels much brighter, yet calmer and more relaxing (the green cabinet backs are a nice touch - modern without being sterile). It's fine for a part-time office that doesn't need to pull heavy duty and that you don't want to look too office-y. The dark floors were lovely (and I don't typically care for them all that much), but bleaching the floors was a good move in this case.

Yeah, some of the After elements are a bit cliche too, but they work and anyhow they're just accessories. As is usually the case, lightness and simplicity are an improvement.

The granny title is really off putting. It was hard to look at your makeover objectively. I like the color and the removal of the arches. But your granny's room was much warmer.

So. The before is warm and personal. The after is cold and impersonal. With bad feng shui. So. BRING BACK THE RUG! The colors will look great. The feng shui can be improved by moving the desk so that it faces the room, i.e. bookshelves, then chair (lose the ghost, bring back one of the "antiques."), then desk, use the other "antique chair on the other side. YOU NEVER WANT TO WORK WITH YOUR BACK TO THE ROOM! And seriously, bookshelves are for books. With some styling. Some. relegate storage to the bottom shelf and load up the rest with books. on the bookshelf. and finally that landscape seems possibly charming. Especially with the color on the back of the shelves. I just think the owner went too far with the clean sweep idea.

Why oh why is the desk pushed up against the wall? With the space in that lovely office, it could have been positioned at right angles to the wall, in front of the built-ins and give the desk a more open feel.
A table lamp of the desk will add elegance and better lighting than the recessed ceiling lights that are above the built-in shelves.

I think there are merits to both the before and after. After reading the discussions going on in the comments, the ironic thing (to me) is that the white parsons desk and use of kelly green is actually something I remember as being quite hot in the mid to late 70s - which would have probably been when "granny" was closer to the author's age? More retro than contemporary - and probably why both are (presumably) happy with the makeover!

I like both and would have, for myself, incorporated a little of the old with the new. I like having pictures of my grandchildren around when I am working in my office and other small reminders of who I am and where I have been.

But, I do often think I might like a clean sweep of things but I always chicken out so I really like this make-over - it's a complete change which is nice. But best thing about it is it's neat and I really love neat. Beautiful transformation, Kudos.

One of the other changes to make the built-in more modern was simply the rationalising of the shelves. Now that they're all lined up, the whole unit appears more sleek and stylish.

Just a little change, but still an important contributor to the look.

I think this room looks great! I do agree with OMARTIGER about moving the desk into the room and using one of the antique chairs and maybe the rug. You could also reupholster the seat on one of the old chairs to bring it "up to speed" with the new look. I never knew it was bad feng shui to work with your back to the room....guess I will have to reassess my own desk arrangement ;)

Oh, and oak is not a dark wood! Natural oak is fairly pale, its with the use of oils, protective coatings or stains that you get the range of colors that most recognize as "oak". I bet the floors were just sanded and have a "natural" protective coating.

The comments on this are sooo much more interesting than this post. I have to agree about missing the dark floors and where are the cords and also what happened to all the books?? All in all it does look better, but...

#1. I really liked the before picture (in fact I thought it actually was the after picture until I read further), but I really appreciate the after. The author/designer/homeowner stated that she knew the old furnishings would work, but wanted to completely have an all new look that was modern through and through, rather than modern/eclectic.

#2. I love the green with yellow bag. I think that I would have liked a little more color like that in accents, as well as some additional modern art. There are so many great artists out there, affordable too!

#3. I thought the natural oak rather than dark-stained oak brightened up the space quite a bit. I think that there is a window - I love staring out the window, and for myself would have placed the desk near to it so I could stare outside.

#4. I do love the straight edge of the cabinets and the exposure of recessed lighting really brightens up the room

#5. The new desk and chair really indicate with complete certainty that the style of this room is modern. I agree with a previous comment - with time and usage more personality layers will emerge - more art, family pictures, etc.

#6. I made sure to read the comment policy!

I think it is very pretty. Though I would have enjoyed seeing more pictures of the space aside from that wall and corner. :-)

Hah, wow, I can't believe I just read all these comments. I prefer the After, although there are some aspects that look overly "styled," like the empty wire basket, the relocated flowers (a beautiful choice on their own), and the mouse on top of a hardcover book. That is asking for some serious carpal tunnel. But I've wanted a white lacquer Parson's desk for my future home office for practically WEEKS now, and I still want it. Best part of the photos.

Style preferences aside, I think this was a successful transformation given the goals stated. And I do prefer the after.

Re: bookshelves being for books, well, this is an office space, and most of those shelves don't contain tchotkes, but office supplies. Well, aside from the inexplicably empty wire basket on the one shelf....

Gorgeous makeover, so fresh! I'm not sure why people think that it's acceptable to leave unnecessarily horrible comments on AT. Most are far from constructive and I hope that they wouldn't say that to someone's face if they were invited over to see the makeover personally. Okay, now I'll get off my pedestal. I think that this space will definitely look better once it's been a bit more 'lived in.' A few books will add character in the shelf and I'd love to see that basket filled with crap (ummm... just to make me feel a little better about my basket filled with crap!). LOVE the desk, chair, phone and vase of flowers and the space looks practical to me. Anything that's not aesthetically pleasing is probably stashed away in your newly painted cupboards. :)

The shelves look much better without the arches. I like the white walls, but would add warmth with a colourful textiles (maybe an oriental rug), a wooden desk, or leather chair.

totally love this. everything about it. i would put a sheepskin on the louis ghost though :) for comfy reasons ^^

I can appreciate that they've hit the 'modern' mark 100%, and that unusual green keeps it interesting! The comments show that AT readers aren't overjoyed when a real, traditional, lived-in-looking space is given so much of this the stark and glossy showroom treatment, and feel a little deceived when it's as staged as this (cords)...though these commenters can be a little rude with their opinions, which are just opinions after all!

Amusingly, that green is the exact kelly my granddad had in his house. Green and white was apparently a big deal. That shade too. Grandpop Green, to me. He was not a man for subtle colours.

I can see the appeal of the white walls over the butter yellow, but I don't think removing the arches from the bookshelves really did much for the space, though the bookshelf is now certainly more styled. Exposing those lights in the shelves doesn't do anything for me.

I can see the logic for all white office supplies, but I think combined with doing the walls in white, it really cries out for keeping either the floor or furnishings dark. A light floor with white desk and clear chair is not enough to pop white accessories and white walls, IMO.

Both spaces are fine, but is the second a great improvement to me? Not sure. Not in love with either personally. The cord thing is SO TRUE! Come on stylists, be real, that's what AT is meant to be about, real people, real homes, ugly cords and all, one room at a time. Love you AT.

sorry but the after looks rather too trendy and the floor makes me sad. The only change that really was needed was adding some colour and furniture. I think the modern furniture would have looked so good with the arches and the dark floors. Also the green colour is very one dimensional. I have feeling in 2-3 years it will not be that colour.

If she still lives there, how does Granny like the disappearance of all her family photographs?

I like the update, personally. The floor looks like it was just sanded, so it could go back to being dark at any time. Based on where the lamp was, I'm guessing the phone/electric outlet are behind the yellow bag. It would be very easy to control the wires behind the desk, the iMac only has one, as does the phone. I have a very tech-heavy home and almost no wires in sight.

Unlike a lot of readers here, I hate the before and love the after. One person's "stark and boring" is anothers clean and fresh. I dislike the arches with a passion and love that the homeowner chose to just take the arches out and keep the rest of the built ins rather than tearing out the whole piece. This looks as if the reno has just been completed, hence the lack of books on the shelves. Maybe she is just making room for new books.

As a photographer who specializes in interiors, I think cords can distract from the design that is being highlighted in a photograph. So, I too take them out. However, now-a-days, there aren't always too many to take out because so many things can be hooked up wirelessly, such as the keyboard and printer (I can actually see the cord on the mouse in the photo). So, for people to get hung up on that is a little odd to me. The design of the room should be what we are commenting on, I I think this homeowner did a beautiful job!

People should also realize that different people have different levels of use for their home offices. The gorgeous Phillip Stark Ghost chair may be more than comfortable for the amount of time she spends in there. If I didn't spend 10 hours a day in my ugly, oversized comfy office chair, I would much prefer a cute, modern, sleak chair such as this!

Have to say that the phrase "pop of color" is soooo overdone!!!! Can we please come up with something else? And bookshelves without books...that too is a trend I would like to see less of. I, too, live in an old house and enjoy the "oldness" and love just adapting it here and there without making it new. If I wanted new, I would live in a cookie cutter box without curves. A room needs curves!

My guess would be that Granny doesn't live there anymore. I also think that the cords are taped to the back of the table, run down the leg, and plug in behind the yellow bag. Nothing mysterious about that. Personally I like the room much better now, maybe when I'm older I'll prefer the before. The floor doesn't bother me. Oak floors are stained lots of colours and it's not a sacriledge to choose a different shade.

I can see either room being enjoyable depending on your personal style, but just a tiny niggling point here. That arch trim is NOT gingerbread. Gingerbread trim is much more ornate. Once it was mentioned though, I could see some real gingerbread trim being used in the openings instead of the plain arch and that made me visualize a very stylized "fairy tale modern" version of the office which would have been heaps of fun for me to put together. Hmmmmm, where in my house can I do that . . . .

I agree that this is a design checklist of trends. I prefer an office with books and a desk I can spread out on and work. Perhaps I am just old.

This transformation is absolutely stunning! Wish it were my house. And yes, I am old enough to be a granny!

@SORORITYSHEEP, AT has always deleted critical posts and it drives me nuts. I would think a site about design would have a higher threshold for constructive criticism, but they seem to file it all away as an attack.

Once my comment about a band's studio was deleted because I said I found both the studio and their last album sloppy. I'm sure they decided I was being personal, but this was a professional band for Pete's sake! Critics offer their opinion all over the internet and beyond. But me saying that I'm not a fan of their professional output is suddenly personal? Please.

Since the redesign, I've seen people make great suggestions on ways to improve the community here (such as being able to reply to specific comments). I think it would be great to be able to vote comments as helpful or unhelpful, with unhelpful comments getting collapsed. Let us decide what constitutes an attack and what is thoughtful but negative feedback.

Oh noes! What happened to that beautiful, antique sideboard? If you don't want it, give it to me!! My boyfriend's mother has one just like it and it looks like a million bucks in her Sedona home.

@BONJOURMIETTE, yes, while I sincerely love that little collection of vintage cameras, I also have to wonder when the day will come that twee collections of vintage items (like globes or typewriters) look as dated (dare I say grannyish?) as orange shag carpet.

I think the after isn't nearly as much of a slave to trends as others that I've seen on AT, but I must admit to hating the ghost chair. They just seem so cold and uninviting. Otherwise, it seems like a nice, bright place to get some work done.

In defense of the lack of books: if I worked at home, having appropriate places to keep my paperwork organized would be more important to me than books. I'd still have design reference books on some shelves, but other shelves would be dedicated to office organization.

Yikes. You took out everything in the room that made it look warm and inviting and turned the room into something sterile and trendy.

And yeah, where is that computer going to get plugged in? I don't even see an outlet on that wall.

I am not a "granny", but I am in my sixties, and the office transformation is spectacular. It's fresh, colorful and youthful. Exactly the opposite of the tired, bland look of the office as it was before the re-do.

I like the redo. Why do people care that it is staged? So are most photos. This isn't candid camera design.

I am surprised by the line "I wanted to stick with all white office supplies so that they would transition into any office space as I tend to move frequently." How is bleaching your floors, painting, removing architectural details not more of an issue for someone who moves frequently? And why wouldn't you stay in this house?

Exactly, Aychihuahua. The before didn't look remotely "warm". It just looked tired and dated and dull. A set of design cliches from an earlier time (which I hated when they were contemporary a couple of decades ago, and which haven't improved any with age).

I'm completely puzzled by people who miss the "character" of the original room. What character? The before was totally generic, even more than the trendy after.

Oh, and I love the complaint about the makeover's feng shui. Puh-leeze.

Some people just live to nitpick. And remarkably, they're usually the ones with the absolute worst taste.

I feel compelled to comment on the deleting of dissenting comments (not just on this post, but throughout AT) - let me preface by saying I love AT MORE than a fat kid loves cake and you guys only get better and better....and also I hope this doesn't get deleted. I feel like the type of people in this community are more intelligent, analytical (which can sometimes lead to critical...which is ok in moderation) and we are not easily placated by a number of "great job!" posts.

I entered my living room in the Room for Color contest and my favorite comments on my post were the critical ones. It helped me to see my space through another perspective. I enjoy reading those posts, and I feel more compelled to respond to those comments (whether it is to debate or agree with the comment).

I do feel like our greater than average collective intelligence craves this kind of discussion and should speak to our ability to self-moderate on some level, and I bet the folks submitting their projects seek this kind of discussion of their work. I understand the need to delete certain posts that are disrespectful, and that this is not a democratic environment, but AT please listen to your members when we say that we feel many of our posts and posts of other members are not meeting that criteria. I don't know if the inclusion of a like/dislike button might be helpful.

@LITTLEMISSSUNSHINE

+1 !

'more than a fat kid loves cake'

Wow.

I love it but, WHERE DID THE BOOKS GO?

I like the 'after' room even though it looks like a showroom. I would have kept the arches, but removed the trim on the shelf doors, and I would have painted the walls dark (maybe brown), though. I suppose that I just appreciate the contrast of white shelves with dark walls. Would have left the floor alone, but perhaps there were imperfections hidden by the rug and changing it became necessary?

Nothing wrong with the re-do, though, especially if the person who re-did it totally loves it and it is functional for them.

Don't like the boxes on the shelves, though! Why can't stuff that needs to be closed up just go behind the doors?

oh no....you made it so generic. Wish you'd kept some elements of the old room.

Yes, it is somewhat trendy, but I love it. My books are now in digital format, except for a precious few, and my cords are mitigated by a router. Minimalism gives me room to create and the freedom from dust that my sinuses thank me for every day.

So generic and zero warmth - YAWN. I'm sorry but I agree with the dissenters on this one. I'ts OK - looks like Pottery Barn with a ghost chair and west elm table. Needs some warmth and personality. Not that I loved the "before" just that there should have been a compromise somewhere.

I agree It is definately in need of some personality. Most definately love the minimalist white as I have gone for the same in my aprtment. Found these great chairs from this website www.majeurschesterfield.co.uk to give it the personality it needed. They do beautiful Antique and vintage chesterfield sofa's and chairs at affordable prices. They were amazing at finding me the chesterfield in the new Margret Thatcher film as well as taking care of the delivery. Also before I forget they are based in London....MAGNIFICENT!

Dear sytlists and photographers, you do a great job, fantastic job, mainly, but cords are real and if you prefer to edit the real or hide the real (with big yellow bags perhaps?) and expect everyone to be happy, forget it. We know what you're doing, why you're doing it, we out here get it. Really. But some of us are hoping to find more than the standard gloss of a home decor mag here.We've all done that, and some of us reject those mags and found AT instead. Some posts look like lies to me, because I can't imagine real people functioning in some of the so-called living spaces. Surely the stylists who produce such layouts realise this. And before someone comments "AT is free, you have no right to complain", sorry, yes, I do have every right, it's called a comments box, it's free speech and all that. AND I'm being constructive albeit less friendly than usual. I am a little peeved at JCBD and the photographer stance I must admit.
SO,@JCBD, if you ever read this... People should also realise that different people have different levels of use for their Apartment Therapy. Maybe I should get a life, somehing to think about. Feel free to go for my jugular NOW.

Wow, tough crowd! I think it looks great- very fresh and clean and is no longer visually...musty?

I would like to see a row of books in place of the cameras and maybe a few useful things tossed into the basket...maybe a cup of bright yellow pencils with a pad of paper at the desk....but other than that, I really do like it.

Nice work. :)

should have:
kept the original hardwood
ditched the ghost chair
kept the original 'arch' moldings to hide the recessed lighting
scaled down the vase of flowers
organized the shelves realistically (i.e. camera collection at the top, boxes of office supplies at the bottom at a reachable level)

I can see good and bad in both rooms...but either way, I'm not impressed with a cookie cutter room that most of us cannot afford.

Its nice but now it just looks really cheap... it was better before.

Wow, the most amazing thing here is not the room transformation, but the striking difference of opinion. One says "most of us can't afford" and the next says "it just looks really cheap." You've gotta admit, this room really brings out the crazy!

Interesting comment thread! I appreciate the range of opinions and reactions available on AT. Regarding comments being overly negative, I think that the AT community sometimes gets on a roll, but diversity of opinion is what makes this site so interesting. Although AT polices the posts for tone, I find the tone is also moderated by having the person whose work/room/home is being featured participate in the discussion as well. It seems to reduce the urge for what can seem like "piling on". Absence of input by the contributor, along with a sense that dissenting opinions are being censored just fuels that urge.

I'm a modernist and of an age to be a "granny." People pay me perfectly good money to help them bring a contemporary design ethos to their homes. Could we drop the condescending, meaningless references like "granny" and just talk design?

You certainly achieved the look you wanted for your office space. A complete 180. Now for the sideboard in the BEFORE pics...I would find it hard not to keep these piece somewhere in my home. I hope you did. It is just lovely.

It cracks me up that people take the time to leave comments about MISSING CORDS! Egads!

"real life" is dirty laundry and unmade beds and dishes one the sink, but do I want to see that reflected in house tours? No thanks, give me a little staging please!

OMG. My comment about witnessing the deletion of comments was deleted. Is this a joke?!

is anyone else tired of seeing that ghost chair? there were two of them in a recent house tour as well. while it's a beautiful chair, i don't think it works in this space. i feel like it's there just to be there.

I think it's lovely. Changing up a space is always refreshing, and helps renew interest and vigor in an area, especially important in an office! So modern and clean, and without the cluttered visuals, of varying colors, it should help keep the mind calm and clutter-free as well!

I like grandmas style better....

The chair doesn't look very comfortable to me and for that reason doesn't make sense. I love green, but my preference is also more towards softer blue greens. I preferred the existing floors as well. I like contrast and would have left the arches. I also loved the side board in the before too and would have left that, although it was/is used for storage. White often seems too stark to me and lacks warmth--I guess some people really go for that look. Using the term "granny" sounds condescending.

Nice, but it's not a "makeover" when every single thing is thrown out and replaced. This just looks like the old tenant moved out and a new one moved in.

I actually appreciate both before and after (equally, as it happens, but for different reasons) though neither is my personal style.

I don't understand how people in this day and age can't understand the concept of wireless or hiding wires down the back (or interior) of a desk leg. Let alone unplugging cords for aesthetic reasons.

And I think a makeover does actually involve a pretty drastic re-design of the space. People are so picky, but it's all about the design rather than semantics, where I'm concerned. I think it's a good makeover, but I can also appreciate how people might have been fine with the before, too.

I think I like the before better. Whatever the change was to the floors makes me want to cry a bit.

Interesting, the dialogue over the bleached oak floors. My clients in So. Cal can't get enough of them and I couldn't sell someone on red oak (like grandma's) if I tried. These look really fresh and beautiful.

Very nice. Love the light floors!

You did a great job! And the floors look MUCH better. (The dark ones looked very "Addams family"!)

What I love about apartment therapy is that shows new ways to do things, and what can be done with a space to change it if you want to. The person who lives here obviously loves their new space, and I thank them for sharing. People shouldn't be so judgemental! I you don't like it, do something different with your space! Your negative comments do nothing to help anyone. To all those willing to share your personal spaces, thank you!

Very fresh! I love the green with the white & I love the easy update on the shelving. I do, however, prefer the original floors. I think the dark wood flooring would look so much better.

Wow. Surprised by the nature of the comments here. I don't understand why people are so invested in another person's space. That said, I like what you did here. The room looks fresh and clean. I wouldn't have changed the floors, but it's not my house. If you like it, then that's all that matters.

@TequilaRed- Cords ARE important! Part of the reason I like looking at sites like AT is to envision what MY SPACE could look like! _My spaces_ have power outlets, cords, radiators, unsightly air conditioners in windows, oddly juts in walls, gaps in crown molding, patched places under the paint. I live with a cord jungle only 2 feet from the very keyboard I'm typing on. Do I see it? No, but I might like a way to manage it. I have inadequate storage and too much stuff; I'm not getting rid of it to fit a designer's vision. I need tissue boxes at arm's reach and a waste basket close by. Extension cords, too. Half of the time, these photos are so sanitized that I can't imagine adapting the vision to my life. And the other half of the time, I can't see why the "before" room needed updating or face lift! But leave the cords showing so I know what to do with them!

I don't think you really know what gingerbread is. And why remove some of the shelves?

I love this space, but I might "warm" it up that tiny bit by painting the inside squares of the bookshelf's bottom doors a very pale blush pink, or a very pale yellow, or even a pale grey. And another very pale color on one of the walls (maybe the very small one to the left of the bookshelf).

I don't have a problem with getting rid of books. I love books avidly, but I don't really care if it's hard-copy or digital - it's the worlds inside that I love. And I love the clean lines of minimalism. There are very few books that I would still insist on having in hard copy.

I love what the designer did with the space: the personal touches, the sense of a life that has accumulated items that are useful or sentimental or both, the feeling that the room can be lived in and enjoyed in an atmosphere of elegance with relaxation, the human curves, the broad variety of colors that still harmonize like autumn leaves from many different trees. The room is rich and full of the heritage of someone who has loved her life. Granny is indeed a talented designer.

Not sure what the Ikea showroom photos are doing here.

that chair is ridiculous. and loss of the arches and dark floor make me want to cry.... </3

Somehow the before makes me think of a mothball scented room. Seriously folks does your home have a better office?If so post it please?