office Archives - Emily A. Clark

An Attic Converted to a Design Studio/Office

Sep182019

Converting part of our attic space to an office is on our dream list of to-do projects, so when I saw designer Brooke Chamblee post a shot of her converted attic on Instagram a few weeks ago, I immediately emailed to ask for more pictures. She was gracious to share before and after shots of the finished design studio and more details. . . (All images by Laura Rowe Photography @casualrevivalhome.)

The previous homeowners had already run the electrical and covered the walls in tongue and groove. Brooke had painters tape the window off and then spray everything in Benjamin Moore’s White Dove. All walls, cabinets, ceiling, and trim were sprayed at the same time, making it easier and cheaper to have painted.

Since there’s only one window, I asked her if lighting had been a problem. She installed a statement chandelier and changed the existing three can lights to LED, which made the biggest difference. One other thing to consider in a converted attic space: heating and cooling. Since her workspace is across from the remainder of their usable attic, she did mention that it gets plenty warm in the Summer and cool in the Winter. (If I could have an upstairs getaway like this, I’d be happy to bring in the fan or a coat, depending on the season. 😊)

I like how she didn’t try too hard to coordinate all of the storage. Mixed textures on the baskets and functional plastic bins for fabric samples make the space clean and workable. Natural wall-to-wall carpeting ties it all together.

See more of Brooke’s interior design work here.

Do You Still Use (or Have) a Home Office?

Feb192019

If you’re an avid House Hunters watcher, you know the three “musts” for any prospective homeowner (according to HGTV, at least) are granite countertops, a double vanity and a home office. If you think about it, we’ve essentially built an entire room in newer houses around a large piece of technology. Home offices started out with big desks to hold big computers and bigger monitors. But as technology has been streamlined, I wonder if the home office will be as well.

lighting // cowhide rug // jute rug // table // shades

vase (similar) // chairs & china cabinet (vintage)

In our last home, we converted the formal dining room into a home office devoted to my design business (that I ended soon after. . . ). In this house, we got rid of the dining room all together when we renovated the kitchen and gave up the formal living room for an office space. But it turns out, I rarely use this room to work. I end up taking my laptop and sitting in the kitchen or on the couch. Instead, this space has become overflow dining when we have guests, a homework and project room, a music room, a baby doll nursery, a hiding place. . . You name it. Pretty much anything besides an office for me.

So I wonder, do you think the home office is becoming extinct? If you work from home full-time, do you sit in a designated room all day? (I’m too antsy, and I like the TV on while I work. . . No wonder I can’t stay focused.)

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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