office Archives - Emily A. Clark

Creating a Cozy Teenage Workspace

Sep282017

This post is sponsored by BEHR® and POPSUGAR.

I can hardly believe I just typed the word “teenage.” Wasn’t I just blogging about sending him off to kindergarten? Whether I like it or not, teenage-dom is coming for us fast (in just a few days!), and I promised my oldest son we’d finally pull his room together. Our/his first priority was to create a workspace in the little niche by his closet. He’s gotten really into making and editing videos and I’m happy to support this hobby. (How good would an in-house videographer be for my blog?!)

We were both up for a change and agreed on darker walls. Paint is almost always the easiest and most economical way to make a dramatic design difference. I used BEHR PREMIUM PLUS ULTRA® Interior Paint & Primer in One for this project and chose a new color from their 2018 color trends palette. BEHR recently named “In the Moment” (a tranquil blueish green) as their first ever “Color of the Year”, but I opted for something a little bolder for his room.

My almost-teenager and I decided on a deep green color called Equilibrium. The color is earthy and cozy and is dramatic without being too “in your face.” (This paint goes on extremely well; I could’ve probably gotten away with one coat. And, I’m happy to report there was no strong paint smell. He was able to sleep in his room the same night.)

The official “before and after.”

So that the room didn’t feel too dark, I kept the trim white, brought in (my) white parsons desk, and reused the colorful flags in white frames from his old room.

When using a darker paint color, I also like to pull in a natural wood element or two and brass accents.

I also used the same paint color and some painter’s tape to quickly dress up a plain bulletin board.

Whether we’ll ever see him again is yet to be seen, but we’re both happy with the space. :)

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What color trend would you like to try?

One of my readers will win a $100 Home Depot gift card. Just pop over to this quick form and let me know which color trend you like best. (You can find all of the trends here.)

NO PURCHASE NECESSARY. A PURCHASE WILL NOT INCREASE YOUR CHANCES OF WINNING. OPEN TO LEGAL RESIDENTS OF THE 50 UNITED STATES. All entrants must be the age of majority in their respective state as of the date of entry and over 18 years of age. BEHR® Color Trends Sweepstakes- Emily A Clark (“the Sweepstakes”) opens at 12:01 a.m. PST September 14, 2017 and closes at 11:59 p.m. PST on November 4, 2017. Void where prohibited by law. Participation constitutes entrant’s full unconditional agreement and acceptance of the Official Rules, Terms of Service, Privacy Policy. Sweepstakes is sponsored by POPSUGAR Inc. (owner and operator of popsugar.com) having an address of 111 Sutter Street, 16th Floor, San Francisco, CA 94104. One grand prize valued at $100.

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More Furniture Rearranging (Adding Bulk)

May232017

A while back, I promised more simple decorating posts, so here you go. I moved some more furniture—and I thought you might want to see how adding a piece with “bulk” can make a big difference.

Now. . .

This is the corner of my office where we keep the printer, paper and kids’ art stuff. I like both looks but I think the black chest (my dad found it for $30 at a yard sale!) looks and functions better. And, I love being able to tuck the printer underneath.

This may not be a breakthrough design idea, but there’s nothing that thrills me more than figuring out how to use a piece I already own in a better way. It’s like solving a puzzle. These ideas usually hit me out of the blue and my husband, always thrilled by my brilliant ideas that almost always occur during a ballgame, gladly jumps up to start moving things around. (The same at your house, I’m sure.) My goal in sharing this is that you might think about pieces in your own home in a different way.

This has also become one of my favorite little corners at night. . .

By the way, I moved the gray console into our breakfast area in the kitchen. I’ve also had it in the powder room and as a console under our TV. It works everywhere. My favorite kind of piece!

PS—Voting has begun for the FrogTape Paintover Challenge. Help me win $5000 for St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital by casting your vote (once daily!). It also enters you for a chance to win a $1000 gift card. (You can see my porch reveal here, in case you missed it.)

Give & Take: Kim’s Desk Area

Oct262016

A lot of us have work spaces in our homes that are part of our main living areas, which means work supplies, clutter, papers, etc., can also be seen. Kim’s desk is in a small corner of her living room, and she asked for help making it both look and function better.

Not much. I think containing the clutter, however, is key in any workspace. Kim mentioned that the top shelf is removable, so I would take it away to give her more surface space. I’d also take away the basket under the desk (I think it’s the wrong texture for the space) and replace with a small side table.

I would replace the removable desk shelf with three smaller, stacked marble/brass shelves and a small memo board to get more items off of the desk top. I would also add a small, square piece of art (16×16” in my example) to draw the eye up. Some modern, metallic accessories would also help to break up all of the wood of the traditional desk and chair. (And, I’d keep that pretty desk lamp!)

hummingbird art // memo board // marble shelf // succulent // frame

catch-all tray // pencil cup // gold waste can // side table // file holder

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