A Renter-Friendly Wall and IKEA BILLY Created a Moody Office Out of Thin Air
”The office didn’t exist before,” Alana Resnick says. When she and her boyfriend, Miles Ronbeck, found their Upper East Side apartment, it had a very long living space. And while they originally were looking for an apartment with two bedrooms (to convert one into a dedicated office), they fell in love with the natural light and the ample square footage.
As the founder of Uptown Archive Studio, Alana recently started offering virtual design services outside of her 9-5 job at an influencer marketing tech company. So it’s no surprise that she knew they would have to get creative with the office space’s design — and that she and Miles would mostly DIY the transformation themselves.
They Created a Closed-Off Office for Work/Life Separation
Because the living room was a very large space, the couple carved out a room for their WFH setup. “When we first moved in, we were both hybrid and valued work/life separation,” Alana explains. So a completely separate, closed-off office space was very important in their new home.
A Renter-Friendly Wall Made a Completely Separate Space Possible (and Paint Helped, Too)
“We knew we wanted a flex wall to divide the space and make a true semi-private working area,” Alana shares. While they wanted to tackle it themselves, they were worried about it being structurally sound. To be safe, they hired a team to build it (the only step they didn’t do themselves).
Even though they brought a crew in, Alana notes the wall is still a renter-friendly feature and can be removed. “Although who would want to?” she writes.
Once the wall was complete, the couple painted it using Benjamin Moore’s “Tarrytown Green.” “The green paint took a while to pick, but we are so happy with the shade and the warmth it brings,” Alana says. Their goal was to “create a cozy, moody, Ralph Lauren-inspired library office with space to display all our vintage art and trinkets,” Alana adds. That rich, vintage, “gentleman’s lounge” aesthetic helped Alana and Miles choose that specific shade of green.
The Couple Used IKEA BILLY Bookcases to Fake Built-Ins on a Budget
Against the new wall, Alana and Miles added IKEA BILLY bookcases (with extension units) on both sides of the desk with IKEA wall shelves above. Then they painted the bookcases and shelves the same color as the walls to fake a built-in look.
Before adding the finishing touches and decor accents, Alana furnished the space with a faux leather desk chair and a hand-me-down leather armchair (similar to this one from Pottery Barn). “I didn’t expect to be able to fit the leather chair in here, and I’m so glad we could,” she says. “It turns it into a true lounge space that we can actually ‘hang out’ in.”
The thrifted art, Miles’ childhood posters, and Alana’s collected trinkets all represent who the couple is in one way or another. “It remains truly cohesive and collected,” Alana adds.
The Office Reflects Both of Their Personalities
“We spent so much time analyzing where best to put the wall, how to navigate around a light fixture, and painting the rich green,” Alana explains. “The space is truly an homage to things and places we both love.”
The only thing Alana changed was removing a map from above the desk and adding a DIY pinboard with fabric swatches and images to serve as inspiration for her design side hustle.
While the original space was more for Miles, since he valued a separate work/life space more than Alana did, that’s all changed for her. Now that she has a new, fully remote job, the space is just as much hers as it is Miles’.
Together, they created their dream apartment where Alana could truly trust her creative instincts. “It is the first time I’ve truly felt like I created a home that reflects every version of me,” Alana says. “Creative, nostalgic, entrepreneurial, and deeply sentimental.”
Check out Alana and Miles’ full apartment tour to see the other side of the flex wall. Inspired? Submit your own project here.
Shop This Before & After
- Paint
- Products
- IKEA BILLY / OXBERG Bookcase with Doors
- IKEA BILLY Height Extension Unit
- IKEA BERGSHULT / RAMSHULT Wall Shelf
- Harlow Leather Chair from Pottery Barn
- Gingham Curtains in “Dark Olive” from West Elm
- Anagrace Leather Office Chair in “Camel Pebbled Faux Leather” from All Modern
- Quingo Cordless Brass Wall Fixture with “Indigo Marigold Linen” Shade by Morris & Co
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