Most of us would jump at the chance to work from home and such was the case for my wife and I — two engineers with a cat for comic relief. To work efficiently however, our sad put-it-all-in-the-corner computer space was going to need a major upgrade. See how we converted this room into a home office outfitted with all the space and functionality necessary to get things done.
When we woke up in the morning and walked down the hallway to our office we wanted the space to be happy and encouraging. The color yellow, of smiley-face fame, became the inspiration our home office remodel revolved around. Yellow didn't exactly jive with the mud green colored walls our space had before so we brightened things up with some white. Grays and blacks entered into the mix in the form of desktops and electronics to ground the space and tie it all together.
The critical feature in the makeover was the IKEA Vika Veine desk that folds up to reveal my wife's workspace and also serves as a bit of privacy wall between us. Good work deserves good chairs and back support, so we splurged on some Herman Miller pieces that had just the right mix of modern simplicity and functional engineering. The space is so inviting and warm now that even our cat can't resist making the corner of the desk her own personal sun bathing spot.
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(Images: Chris Perez)
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Comments (29)
Honestly, the only difference I see is that it is now organized and cleaned up. But it sounds like you both are loving it and that's what is most important. Oh ya, the kitty loves it too!!
Nice.
It looks great; such a pleasant work space. And an adorable cat.
Love the office. Hate the grammar.
@Judiau, what do you mean? Sounds fine to I.
The chairs are lovely, and any office that makes room for the happy cat is a winner in my book.
There's a larger story here--while this office set up is sweet, it's also set up with the desks facing each other, and the two occupants of the office are husband and wife. If it were me, this would require a superhuman effort to stay focused.
@Judiau-
You're right.
Looks nice and light, I need a way bigger desk because I handle a lot of paperwork.
The grammar issue: this is a website for interior design not spelling, also there are many people here ( like myself) that have English as their second language, let's just enjoy.
Looks good! Just the right amount of Yellow as an accent -- it can be overpowering if overdone.
I suspect the office isn't used FULL time by both spouses, so the need to focus probably only happens occasionally, and the "privacy wall" effect probably helps... (That said, having been with my partner a LONG time, the distraction lessens with time.)
Reminds me of my shared studio space. My bf and I have similar Ikea desks to those pictured above butted up to each other in a similar fashion. Cheapo desks, but they're exactly what we needed on a budget. When we are working, we're pretty engrossed in what we're doing, and rarely distract each other. Even though we're facing each other, the multiple monitors pretty well act as a divider.
Although my husband and I met each other at work, working with together from our home offices--in different rooms--nearly ended our marriage. Kudos to a couple who can make it work.
I'm impressed with the Vika Viene desk. I saw it in person recently and couldn't quite get my mind around how it would work. Very nice set up.
I don't get the comment about English as a second language of some readers (including me!) being a reason for bad grammar of the writer. It's just plain bad. Hard to read with awkward sentences and commas missing.
Great space, though. The setup works well, both have their privacy. I hate working if someone can see my screen while I'm doing stuff.
great fun to find my words on your AFTER office wall. the poem LIVE WITH INTENTION
has traveled the globe over the last twenty years and I'm glad it found purchase in the soil
of your office makeover. with intention! the author of the piece - mary anne radmacher
I sometimes wish there were a like/dislike button on here. I'd dislike all the negative comments, and like those from commentators who call out all the negative comments.
Bad grammar? Are you kidding me? It's an art piece! Unless one is showcasing their thesis on the French Revolution, I see no reason why you one would bring up bad grammar for an interior design post. Psh.
Love the transformation :)
It's inspired me to change my inefficient work space.
Okay, could someone please spell out for me where the grammatical error is? English IS my first language, and yet I don't see an actual error-just a slight usage issue. Give the engineers a break!
Do not understand how you can hate grammar? It is either correct or not and is not something you love or hate.Get a life.
@m'elizabeth
I assume the post has already been edited.
lovely space. written by a reader and NOT by AT staff/ professional writers-- so perhaps we can stop whining and relax our grammar standards a bit? eh?
Holy crap, that "artwork" is annoying!
If I wanted to work somewhere where I was nagged about self-improvement all day, I'd set up my office in my parents' house.
@bandwagon-
OK, THAT'S funny!!
I absolutely love it. Can I ask where you got that nifty laptop stand (looks like it raises your laptop screen way up to comfy-looking eye level)?
Love the graphic typography artwork. It makes the space sing! Love it!
The after pictures seem to show two different setups. The first pictures shows a white cabinet under the table while the second two don't. i was curious about the cabinet and where it was from and which "after" photo is the real outcome.
This is a great set up. But in the photos it looks like this is a good-size room. Why are the desks squeezed together like this? Is this an example of cubicle-think at home? Take advantage of that wonderful space and spread out! Take those great elements and give yourselves some space to stretch out and breathe.
For those who were asking, "...such was the case for my wife and I" should read "...for my wife and me." Whatever.
Cool makeover! I'd love it if my husband and I could share an office, though I suspect it would absolutely torpedo my productivity.
Yay! So happy! I would love working here! Except the open desk on the other side would drive me batty (because I'm OCD and it seems messy/chaotic to me.) But I love the colors and the fact that you share the desk! :)
And I don't think it would be too hard to work that way. Clearly these people have never been college students sharing a table in a crowded library. ;)
Urgh. This site's commenters take the cake for going off on utterly irrelevant (and snarkily critical) tangents.
For those wondering, the grammar sneer (who the hell cares?) applies to the opening sentence:
"Most of us would jump at the chance to work from home and such was the case for my wife and I — two engineers with a cat for comic relief."
By rights, it should read "my wife and ME". How to know? If "my wife" weren't in the sentence, would you say "such was the case for I?" Of course not. That's the test if you are ever in doubt: drop out the other names and say the sentence with just the first person object (works for subject/object confusion with "us" and "we" also).
People make this mistake so regularly that I don't even bother correcting it under most circumstances any more (and as an English PhD, believe me, it rankles) except when editing/proofing written work for others.
But really, sniping on a design post when the violation was not that egregious? Might the AT editors give a better once-over to stuff they post? Yeah, sure. But is it worth a mini-firestorm of comments when they slip up? Only on AT. Only on AT.
BTW, to the happy engineers and their adorable cat: a nice job on your functional and cheerful transformation. As somebody above said, anybody who makes room for a happy cat in their workspace gets a thumbs up from me. :)
That said, @blandwagon: hilarious one-liner!
I think it looks great. It obviously works for them and they achieved the look they wanted.
I am a bit put off by the comments. I've always been a believer if you don't have something nice to say don't say anything and move along. I realise you are putting something out there to be be "judged" but I think it is just mean spirited to hurt someone's feelings that you don't even know just for the sake of having your say. Not everyone is an expert and some people do the best with what they've got and can afford. Why not comment on the technique and originality of the project rather than how it appeals to your taste? They are doing it to suit themselves, not anybody else.
Hello, I did not miss the I pad to the left of the typewriter. Also, I don't know if you actually use the typewriter but if I wanted to type a quick note to someone, I would put in a piece of paper & use the typewriter - no my computer. I like have non--electric versions of certain items. It can be good to slow down deliberately sometimes. To some people under 50, a typewriter must seem like a useless piece of kitsch. But it can be decorative or useful. I don't own a typewriter or an I pad. My husband & I share one PC and I'm thinking of getting a notepad or e-reader. But if I saw such a cute typewriter I'd snap it up. I think you did a very good job on making over the office on a small budget.