Last week, I shared a peek into my office and my new gallery wall with Framebridge. What you may not realize is that my office is actually located in our staircase landing. Unfortunately, this house only has two bedrooms, and in our last place, I decided to set up my office in the nursery. Ultimately, this arrangement didn’t end up working out for us, so it was bonus that this home had the layout to make the staircase landing into a functioning office. It just meant I had to get creative with the decorating.
IKEA PS Cabinet // Jennifer Ament “Magic Hands” Print framed by Framed & Matted // Joyce Lee Pool Photograph framed by Framed & Matted // Swan by Wooden Collective from Fawn Shoppe // VW Bus Toy from The Land of Nod
Working with a staircase landing area has its setbacks. There isn’t a lot of space and I had to be selective when it came to choosing my storage pieces. Because it’s a high-traffic and open area, I wanted to make sure it was pretty and didn’t feel like you were stepping into my messy work space. I chose this locker cabinet from IKEA to store a lot of my paperwork. Inside, it’s filled with little boxes, crates and folders to keep things organized. It’s not a ton of storage, but it holds the essentials. I store my larger office pieces in the hall closet (which is in this room but not pictured) along with our bathroom toiletries, towels and blankets. It’s a tight squeeze, but it works.
I also fell in love with this IKEA piece because it’s short and doesn’t compete with my white IKEA shelves that fit perfectly into a tricky corner in the space.
VW Bus Toy (similar) // Jane & Serge A Family Album // The Stars // Northern Delights
Ziggy Stardust Kokeshi Doll // Glitter Girl Peg Doll // Vintage Mug
Vintage Wicker Magazine Holder // White Desk (similar) // Modernica Chair // IKEA Throw // West Elm Desk Lamp // WIOUX Custom Wall Weaving // Framebridge Gallery Wall
When it came to the decor, I chose airy, white pieces that would keep the space feeling bright. It gives you the illusion that the room is much larger than it really is. I have an affinity for soft pastel pieces and allowed my love for them to go wild in this room. I think that they work with the white and neutral furniture; it’s feminine without being too over-the-top girly.
One other tricky thing about this house is that it’s a rental and we don’t have complete control over things. For one, I wish the whole house had beautiful hardwood floors. Instead, we have bland rental carpet in some of the rooms. To keep it from being an eyesore in the room, I was able to convince our landlord to allow us to paint parts of the house white. Before, this room was a peachy cream and it felt way too yellow for my taste. The white walls (I used Colorhouse Paint in Bisque .01) helped the room feel fresh and new. Because of the white walls, I hardly notice the carpet anymore. A little paint can make a huge difference.
CB2 Filing Cabinet // CB2 Pink Vase // Anthropologie Copper Basket // Artifact Uprising Square Block + Prints // See San Francisco Book // Etcetera Book // Sage Living Book // Gypset Living Book
This filing cabinet from CB2 holds all of my stationery needs and important paperwork. I love that its minty color makes it look like a cool piece of furniture.
I like for my office to really reflect me and what I’m inspired by. I’m drawn to pretty pastel hues, the ocean, quirky pop culture details and pictures of people I love. It makes working a lot more enjoyable to be surrounded by these things.
Even before you have an office, start stocking up on pieces that you adore. I had so many things that never had a place until this room started to come together, but I am so glad I had them once it was done. They make it feel more personal. Some of my favorite places to shop for office decor are Anthropologie, Etsy and Amazon.
Also, look for decor that can help you do your work. It is an office, after all. I like pretty baskets that I can throw things into like business cards, stamps and notes. I also found a vintage “Do It Now” mail holder that I use for bills and checks. Poppin is amazing for stylish office accessories: I have its white trays, metallic note pads and white- and mint-colored pens.
IKEA Shelving Unit // Target Woven Basket // Kate Spade Pink Bowl Vase // Framebridge Instagram Frame
This white IKEA shelving unit was the very first thing I bought for my office. It fits perfectly in this little alcove. It’s not ideal for storing actual office mess, but again, I wanted furniture that would make the space feel beautiful, so anything that couldn’t be displayed out in the open gets stuffed in the closet. If you don’t have any other storage options nearby, there are plenty of great IKEA storage pieces that can be hacked to look gorgeous and a lot more expensive than they are.
Pink Basket // Domino Book // The New Bohemians Book // Bohemian Modern Book // Start Me Up! Book // Tory Burch Book
Vintage Picture Holder // Blue Pitcher // Wary Meyers Candle
Sara Abbott Art from One Kings Lane
I found these cool art pieces from One Kings Lane for the staircase. That’s another thing that I think you can do to make this kind of layout work. Find ways to make the staircase and the landing feel fluid and work together. All these little steps help to make the house feel cohesive.
More items seen in this office:
Andy Warhol Sunset Print
West Elm Silver Side Table
The Year Of Cozy Book
Nigella Express Book
Habitat Book
Artifact Uprising Layflat Photo Album
Such a good use of space! Color scheme of my dreams, and the white walls make all the difference.