apartment therapy changing the world, one room at a time

Just getting rid of the beige carpet was a big improvement...

A little too white in my opinion - I think the chairs would have been a good way to bring in some color and individuality to the shared office.

The second 'white' post of the day, which firmly confirms that a white environment is boring, ugly, and sterile. I like the punches of royal blue in the 'before' and keeping some of it would have really livened up the space.

wow looks great, i love the floors too huuuge improvement.

I wish I could keep my desk space that clean and uncluttered.

The glare from the windows would do me in. I wouldn't have the desks face the windows, turn them in somehow. I does look nice tho.

on a second look im impressed with how well the same folding tables work in the after. It took me awhile to realize they didn't change those out.

Nice improvement. The blinds are sleek and those floors should not be covered.

Big improvement! 95% of it is in that beautiful flooring. Is it bamboo? My office chair started to wear and dull my bamboo floors, so I added a small circular rug beneath the chair.

Nice, clean, bright...but it still feels a little empty? prove is you could not find anything else to show than a pic. of your laptop. But im sure that being in Colombia you can find other interesting elements to give some life to your room.

Coming from someone who's painted every room in his place, I think this is a great job. It went from drab and dated to modern and serene. I wouldn't have though that folding tables could look anything other than cheap but these actually work in the space. The floors are awesome. Well done!

All of that expense...and he couldn't replace the tables and get a nice desk? It would have been a drop in the bucket. I agree it looks better in the second picture...but it still looks cheap and ruins the whole thing for me.

It's a nice, sleek look, forget the sniveling naysayers here. Good work, Andrew.

It looks beautiful, though I don't really love the all-white look in general. Looks like a place for a robot to live.

But the practical issue is the backlit computers. Anyone who has ever used a computer screen in front of a window (or anything bright) will tell you it is a recipe for instant headache. The curtains need to be thicker at least in parts of the windows.

nice job! I was surprised how good the old tables looked in the after photos.

It looks great! It's true that it's a bit minimalistic for my own liking. But it's a workspace and a workspace should inspire the person attempting to work. Definitely no room for distractions here!

I think the before had more life in it.

Looks very good; the floors are beautiful. You have warmed my minimalist heart.

I am not a minimalist in any way, but I think the after is really lovely. I wouldn't add more color, I think it would be too distracting. Though if I were going to, I'd paint the walls a light color or add more plants.

Looks great. Bring back the rug. The pattern and color would look great against the new flooring and add just the right amount of color.

I like the repetition of horizontal lines that the new window treatments bring, and the dark wood floors are lovely. I'd replace the desks with something nicer in the future, but they are fine for the moment.

Taking away the TV showing a bikini girl was probably a good move, productivity-wise :)

I was about to advise the addition of color, but then one of my coworkers walked past my computer, said something I didn't understand in Japanese, and when I looked confused said, "Office. Wabi sabi. Very good." I hope that means I'm not in trouble for looking at AT during work hours...

Critics need to also consider individual preferences in working environments. Some people are more productive when there's noise in the background and plenty of visual stimulation. Others are more productive with a calm, harmonious environment. This office looked sterile and industrial at first glance, then I thought, "I'd probably get a lot of work done there." Also, I'm guessing that the budget was blown on the floors and chairs; why not keep the tables if they match the current color scheme?

nothinlikeadame -- My desk faces the double windows in our living room. The glare actually isn't all that bad except right after the sun comes up. I just slightly turn the blinds upwards and poof it's gone.

I do have to agree with farmhousemoderne - those floors are going to take wear without some kind of rug under the chairs or even a vinyl mat. The rug in the before picture would have added some nice color while still stay light.

I would agree with Snooty Bird - but I barely noticed they were folding tables afterwards. If it was my space, I would have done a nice desk or two...two chairs makes me wonder if he shares this space with someone.

You kept the torchiere!

I'm also somewhat bothered when people design their offices around their Macs. I can't think of any other brand that so compels people to kill off personality in favour of a coroporate identity's minimalism.

*corporate