Before & After: This Once-Generic Room Is Unrecognizable After a Makeover

Name: Catherine Leavitt of Friday & Co. Design, husband Mike, and kids
Location: Alpharetta, Georgia

We work mostly in the northern Atlanta suburbs where much of the development happened in the early-mid ’90s. The homes have large and generic rooms. Our focus is on bringing more character and depth to these spaces! 

We wanted to transform a dated yellow room into an inviting and sophisticated home office. We wanted to add some architectural elements to give depth to the space while still keeping the style contemporary with nods to traditional design.

We added a mid-century modern light fixture, added millwork to the walls, and painted the room “Indigo Batik” from Sherwin-Williams. We also styled the room with some large-scale paintings—a Chinese family portrait and some Middle Eastern historical landscapes. We also replaced standard doors for French doors (purchased from Home Depot).  

• $750 (that doesn’t include the labor, which we did ourselves)

• Rug — Purchased on a trip to Marrakesh years ago in a market rug stores. Estimated cost $150
• Desk — Overstock 
• Dycus 6-Light Sputnik Modern Linear Chandelier — Wayfair
• Task light — IKEA
• Upholstered Chair — Pier One Owen Chair
• Chair in corner — Poly & Bark Weave Chair 
• Paint — Indigo Batik from Sherwin-Williams

This submission’s responses were edited for length and clarity.