You may have heard that my friend Melissa of The Inspired Room has a beautiful, new coffee table book that was just released. It’s relatable, inspiring and real-life all wrapped up into one pretty book. (See more here.)
To celebrate, she asked several blogger friends to share their own inspired rooms. To be quite honest, I’m not feeling over-the-top inspired by anything going on in the “new” house just yet. So, I’m sharing a space in our last home that really ended up being my favorite room so far.
All office photos by Caroline Lima Photography.
Not only was my office a wonderful (light-filled!) place to work, but it taught me about what’s really most inspiring to me personally when decorating a space:
A mix of old and new. I’m not sure I would ever be totally at ease with a room full of brand new everything. There’s something to be said for the history and character of older pieces.
Books. I love a space that’s filled with colorful books (old and new). To me, they instantly make a home feel collected and cozy.
Wisely spent (and saved) money. I can always feel good when I know I’ve used my budget well. For this room, we invested in built-in bookcases (which gave us a lot of bang for our buck!) and found the other statement pieces—a farmhouse table and lantern pendant—from Craigslist and a thrift store.
Flexible pieces. By flexible, I mean furniture that can be moved around and used in lots of different spots around the house. I think a classic farmhouse table and a good reading chair were both good investments for my style. (We’re still using both of them in a different house now, after all.) And, I loved being able to quickly change the office into a dining room by storing extra chairs in our attic.
For more inspiration, you can purchase The Inspired Room book here.
Emily, I was wondering if you spent a lot of time thinking about the size of the shelves. I love your bookcase but am also enamored with the more square look for each shelf. Any words of wisdom?
Thanks.
I had a pretty clear vision for what I wanted, although I did have the carpenter help me design them with specific measurements. I don’t feel like the square shelves would’ve given me the library feel that I wanted. I think it all depends on the overall look you’re going for. . .
I’ve always loved your old dining room. It’s the room that made you a household name.
Well…maybe just my house.
I’ve really enjoyed seeing everyone’s “inspired rooms”. You’ve put together the perfect formula for a beautiful space. I really like the curated feel it has. Can’t wait to get my hands on Melissa’s book!
I too love this space of yours! so cozy and welcoming! I think i could get a lot done in such a pretty space!
Can you tell me the paint color on the walls? I found the bookcase color in previous posts but no the color on the walls. thanks! xo Deanna
Thanks, Deanna. It’s Worldly Gray by SW:
https://emilyaclark.com/2013/04/creating-flow-and-our-paint-colors.html
I didn’t expect that you are friend of Melissa, I always follow her posts and everytime I read it, I always get inspired and motivated. I’ve always said I’d never want a house with a bookshelf, but if it looked like this? Well,I suppose I’d be okay with it.
Emily, thank you so much for your kindness in being a part of my book launch. It meant so much to me to have your support in this adventure! Your room is always one of my favorites! Thank you so much for sharing this post and for your wonderful video on Instagram, too. So impressed :)!!! xoxo
absolutely love it! Have a space surrounded by book and key statement pieces seems quite perfect to me! Love it all