Over Christmas break, I tried to help my husband perk up his office. It’s like a sad little cell with bare walls and questionable furniture–and none of it bothers him in the least, I might add. I’ve tried explaining to him how a single lamp and a few things hung on the wall will give him internal happiness. He still doesn’t get it, but I went over to help him out anyway. . .
I zoned in on the big, empty wall by his desk first, with the help of Indie Mats. They make framing a breeze because they can actually be hung independently of a frame—no hammer or nails needed. And, they come in lots of fun colors and patterns. For his office, I used two sizes and patterns—the lapis blue detail mat and the larger lapis blue herringbone pattern.
If you decide to hang them as-is, you only need the adhesive square tabs that come with each Indie Mat. (Safe for walls!) We ended up popping ours in the front of some inexpensive black frames, removing the glass.
In other breaking news, we bought a small shelf from IKEA to put on top of his desk, so that he can stand up and work for part of the day. Not beautiful, but functional :)
Now, if we could only do something about those burgundy office chairs…. Like throw them away.
Emma, the fun creator of Indie Mats wants to know #howdoYOUindiemat and is offering my readers a 17% discount off of any order now through December of this year. (She said she came up with 17% because there’s seven people in my family and then added a ten to it. Gotta love that way of thinking. Ha!) Just enter this promo code at checkout: emilyaclark17
For more ideas, be sure to also check out how Gwen and Elizabeth styled their Indie Mats.
You could actually be describing my husband’s office. He loves it, and it needs so much help. He works from home and is in there all day long. I don’t get it. Plus, it’s the first room guests see when entering the house. I at least bought shades for the French doors so they can be pulled down when I want to hide the room.
Wow, those mats make framing look really easy! Totally get what you mean about the office chairs. I had something similar in my office. I hated them so much I swapped them for two of the Lowe leather arm chair from Crate and Barrel. They are reasonably priced and stylish, but also look at home in a “corporate” setting. :-)
Isn’t marsala the new “it” colour for the year? In my mind, marsala is the same as burgundy! But joking aside, it looks great! Lucky guy. I have yet to ever visit my hubby’s new office!
Ha! Yes, we’ll just call them marsala office chairs and go with that :)
Thanks for introducing me to Indie Mats! I like the shelf idea. Clever way to get someone up from sitting in front of the computer all day long…
I tried to help my husband with his office and finally gave up!
My husband works in a research and development facility and for security reasons I cannot go into the building so ignorance is bliss!!
My husband stands to work 4 days a week and loves it. I think he feels better in the evenings and is standing up straighter, too.
Office. gallery. wall. greatness. The Indie Mats add a touch of flair, a nice “layer” in an otherwise blank slate space. I also **had** a not-so-lovely looking but otherwise pricey and highly functional burgundy office chair front-and-center in my home office. Sigh. Good old wall paint mixed with a fabric paint medium did the trick. Even went back later and stenciled a graphic tribal pattern for fun; guess though the furniture might be owned by someone else and you can’t go slinging paint around them ;)
We have a custom made solid oak stand up desk upstairs because my husband wanted one. And now every house we look to move into as the military sends us around must have space to maneuver and house the thing! :)
Um HELLO why have I never thought about the IKEA shelf to create a stand up desk?! I’d love more details. Does he switch his monitor? Or does he just use the laptop while seated?
I think he just uses his laptop when he sits down…
Beautiful! Where are the black frames from?
Michael’s.
It’s funny because EVERY time I go in my husband’s office I’m mentally trying to make it better!
He just bought a standing desk. It’s functional but pretty hideous. Wish we’d have thought of that shelf! I just came home from Ikea with frames for him. Here’s to hoping. The indie mats look great. I might have to scoop a few up.
That’s so cool! Both are desks are from Ikea and we’re about to get our second piece of art for the space! It’s my V-day gift to him.
I really want to do a gallery wall. Maybe this will help get me started! Enjoying your frequent posts! It’s fun to take a quick stroll through FB at work and see that I’ll have a new post of yours to read at the end of my day :-)