My New Home Office

Welcome to my new home office!

As my loyal followers and friends know, I just moved into a new apartment in Downtown Richmond. It’s not one of those fancy new warehouse-like spots. It’s a 70’s style (70’s era appliances) loft tucked away above a restaurant. If you didn’t know it was here, you wouldn’t suspect it was here at all. Sometimes I feel like I’m entering The Matrix when I get off the elevator.

Anyways, one of my favorite features of the apartment is the second bedroom, which is an open-air loft. Here, I have created a princess tower for myself featuring a walk-in closet and home office. I am freelancing and working from home at least 50% of the time now. So, creating a happy, creative space for myself was a major goal of mine.

Now, nothing is perfect just yet, but I thought I would share where I bought and how I made some of my pretty little details in case you’re in need of inspiration

That desk is from Target. It was a splurge, but I couldn’t find anything at the thrift stores that made me happy. This is exactly what I was looking for. It’s amazing that it was the perfect size, too. I had sort of measured, but it was all theory! I guess geometry wasn’t such a bad subject for me, after all. The desk is white like a blank canvas to calm my busy mind and also offer a great background for blog photos.

The carpet is actually a bath mat. So much cheaper AND softer than a fancy runner. This was $10 from Ross. Here is one just like it from Target.

My best friend made this “Like a Boss” canvas for me. She also made the striped homage to my old apartment pictured below. These are so simple! You can get anything you need at a Walmart, Target, Michaels or A.C. Moore. Buy a blank canvas like this. Order acrylic paint (The best for quick craft projects) and a thin brush for writing and fat brush for thick graphic lines. Buy a bag of varied brush sizes for versatility and affordability. This one is only $5.

I painted that Ball Mason Jar myself. I actually painted a few more to go throughout my house for pencils and pens (two writers and a 7-year-old need tools in every room!) I also painted the chair. I used a gold spray pant that had primer included.  This makes life super easy. I didn’t have to prep the surfaces at all. I just had to spray it on. Three coats and you’re done. The trick with spray paint is to hold it at least a foot away so it doesn’t goop up together and make ugly drip marks. Buy my spray paint here.

I put feathers in for flair. I had some hanging around from a random kid-friendly craft project. I can’t always have fresh flowers around, so the feathers are fun and still remind me of nature. It also hides my pens a bit. It has kind of an ink and quill on acid vibe…

The candle was a fun splurge I also scored at Ross. It smells so soft and sweet like fresh flowers and reading the word “Passionate” strangely keeps me focused. The candle is a nice addition that makes my desk a warm place even when I get inspired after dark to get some work done. Shop Scentsational Candles here.

This pillow is my favorite. It was $7 at Ross. I have been crushing on all of these decorative pillows at Target. Maybe I’ll switch out my pillows every season to fill my pillow lust…Just kidding. But really, that’s a genius idea.

Here is a peep at the rest of the room. My big walk-in closet is created by two very sturdy closet racks. I only buy Whitmor. They are not pretty, but after having more than one rack collapse under the weight of my fur coats and jump suits, I only go for strength. I could spray paint them gold if I wanted, but I wouldn’t want to risk ruining my clothes in any way. Walmart sells them at the cheapest rate.

What do you think!? What are some of your home office hacks and necessities?