Our old house had a big open foyer. In reality, it wasn't large enough to put much furniture in but I wanted to take advantage of the extra square footage.
When we first moved in I just put my favorite white dresser in the foyer. Loved it. That dresser looks great anywhere.
After a while we realized that we wanted a place for an office. We had a desk, the computer, printer, storage and other stuff that desperately needed a home. The foyer was the perfect solution. We didn't even have to add on a room!
See that little door to the right of the desk in the first photo? We were able to hide all that yucky office stuff. There was also shelving on the left that you can't see and it held our computer and uglier necessities. Lucky for us this closet had a plug. But for about $50 you too can have an outlet put in a closet.
By the way, notice the difference in the wall colors in the photos? They are all the same color but that goes to show how different a paint can look in photos and on line.
Are you utilizing the spaces in your home to their fullest potential?
Here are some areas to consider:
- corners
- halls
- pantry
- garage
- laundry room
- the stair landing
- closets
- patio
42 comments:
We converted our wet bar into an office space. It was an otherwise unused space...and has doors that we can close when company comes.
I hate wasted space, which is why I've never liked my big, two-story foyer. This is a clever solution. Wish I had more wall space in mine, but it's all open to other rooms, and therefore really useless.
In our last home, I sold the beautiful antique beds I had in my equally beautiful guest room and turned it into a study-slash-playroom for my husband and kids. The guest room only got used several times a year, but we needed a room for the computer and toys every day.
Everyone (who didn't live with me) thought I was insane because it wasn't pretty anymore, but we needed that space! One of our best decisions when we were there because it made the house more livable--priority #1 in my book. :-)
I need to take your advice and find a quite office space for me, right now I am sharing it with my husband and my kids!!! I cannot concentrate!!!!
Got your email, will talk to you later!!!!
Thanks!!!
Chiara
GREAT ideas! It doesn't have to be big, it just has to be usable!
This is one of my greatest challenges since I will not put it in the bedroom - I will not sleep im my office... I have not yet found a place I like it. Offices ideally should not be in plain sight, they really are just not visually appealing at all if the goal is relaxing warmth and homeiness. I have settled on it getting its own room or getting out entirely as "office" and "home" are mutually exclusive for us.
Yep, the Mister has an "office" built into his walk in closet. We would like it to be different, but it works for now.
Suzanne
Beautiful and ingenious! I wish I had enough work to justify spending any money on my office! I have always used a portion of the laundry room for my desk.
Great idea! And beautiful...as usual. Right now my son and I sit on our couch with our laptops ("borrowing" our neighbors free wi-fi). Probably not the best office set up. Thanks for the inspiration!
AMEN sister! I've even contemplated evacuating our master closet for a quiet office space. Who needs clothes? Real estate in this house is far too precious with 8 around! The diabolical plan I have up my sleeve is to kick hubster out of the master closet (we have 2)and knock out a wall and double my laundry room space. With luck that will take care of room to fold our daily Mt. Everest worth of laundry and still have a place to sew patches on scout shirts and do "projects."
Great posts girl... wish I could fly to NC pack up that house with you. I'm sure if you put the call out you'd have 100 movers in a day!
The Nester can make even a closet look beautiful! :)
I'd give my eye teeth for a little closet like that. Our old house has barely any closets. Three to be exact - one in each bedroom. As it is, our "office" is in the corner of our dining room. It's handy, but it does drive me nuts. One day I hope to have a home with at least a big closet to stick it in. :)
What a clever idea. Our computer desk is in the corner of our dining room and it is always an eye soar. We are just starting a large addition out the back of our home. I am looking forward to a new office space. I'll keep it updated on my blog as we progress.
Is that paint color Tobacco Road by any chance? Per your love and recommendation of it, I am seriously considering it for the main living area of my house (our first! We just bought it! I am ecstatic and obsessing about decorating!)...if it is T.R., it's great to see it in different lights. Thanks for all your awesome suggestions!
Caitlin: It's Ripe Wheat--more yellow than TR!
Aw, thanks so much! I am just itching to get into the place and paint it up. I am always inspired by what I find here, and I really appreciate it!
Oh, this is cool. Is it really only about $50 to have an outlet installed? I have three or four spaces that could be great IF there were a handy electrical outlet. Thank you for the tip!
You always keep me thinking! I don't currently have an office space, but hope to soon after the pool table finally goes home to my sister's house (it's hers). That thing takes up SOOO much space! The corner it occupies would be the perfect spot.
I love that spot for an office. I have mine in my dining room/kitchen. Hate it!
what a fabulous solution- I really need to think outside of the box more- thanks for the inspiration.
I love your foyer idea!! The main thing with offices are hide, hide, hide, and keep it inspirational. I love your ideas, girl!
Here is my office:
http://worthwalkingtoward.blogspot.com/2009/01/before-and-after-my-office.html
Great idea, Nester! I just don't have a closet near our computer! You can see all of the yucky cords on the floor! DO you think Hubby would be willing to drill a hole and run a line under the house to the little closet in the hallway to hide my stuff like you did? It doesn't hurt to try!!
Hugs,
Susan
You said for about $50 you could put a plug in!? Is this true? We just moved into a newly constructed house and it was (no offense) designed by a man. I have a few spots that I just get so upset and think "Why didn't they put a plug here?!" I expected it to be a much bigger expense, but if this is true, there may be hope for this house yet.
Thanks,
Brandi
Nester! I love this post! I love the homey-ness (sp!?!) it brought to your entry! :)
As far as the outlet being installed - to those of you who know someone handy I'm sure they could do it for much less. I've had my husband install several in those funny spots all over our house - for just the cost of the outlet and cover! Last week he installed one in my parents powder bath for a little lamp my mom wanted in there!
great post. we use our garage. for about $50 i bought a big rubbermaid type closet from home depot that locks.
your creative ideas are always so refreshing. the world says spend money-get bigger and better-go into debt if you have to-but not the NESTER!
you keep us inspired and we can make our homes functional within our means! you may not realize it-but your blog really is a ministry to many of us stay at home mama's trying to make our houses homes. i just love ya!
Love that closet!!! We converted a coat closet into a desk space with overhead shelving. Since we've added a small addition, it's turned back into a closet and the hallway in the new room will be my work space. I'm kind of clueless about storage back there though....
What a great space to have an office and the space is never used otherwise. How perfect is the closet too. What an inspiration. Hugs, Marty
Great idea! My best friend has a little alcove in her living room that she has turned into a home office. Since the living room hardly ever gets used, this is a great way to use space. I turned my dining room into my office and I love it!
I love getting creative with space. It makes so much sense!
XOXO
jen
We're about to set up a home office in our sitting room off of our bedroom. Not my favorite place, but it will have to do! :) Thanks for sharing these ideas.
I took a coat closet in our living room, painted it, hung a chandelier and made it my little space. I love it.
I'm convinced! I'm turning the powder room into my office. Just think! It already has a place to sit and everything!
Kimba
Love the entryway office!
I turned a piece of our overly large master bedroom closet into an office space. We had to have an electrician add an outlet, but it's a great quiet place (in a house full of kids) to sit and do office work!
http://blacksheeprambles.blogspot.com/2009/05/new-electrical-outlet.html
i love love LOVE the black and white chair and the black desk! such a great idea!
I also have a huge front entryway that serves no purpose and we could really use the room for something. Great idea..I am picking my brain. Hope all is going well with your move.
That was totally an awesome idea!
We are working on making an office in the space under our basement stairs. And by "working on" I mean we cleaned out the space and talk about it A LOT. We'll get there eventually!
Hey there Nester!
I just wanted to let you know...
I finally got those egg prints up with pictures frames.
Here's the link to the post...
http://pinkportugueseroses.blogspot.com/2009/05/guess-what.html
Thanks for everything!
Happy Moving to you!
I keep several office spaces in my house....Having a laptop makes moving around to suit my mood a lot of fun. My bedroom has a "tree-house" view of the farm, so if I am feeling the need to have the oustide/in feeling, I will sit at the little desk in front of my windows while working. I also keep a separate writing desk...which BECKONS me to hand write letters every week.
I have an entire day basement for my office but could use a little desk in the main part of the house... I am going to try to be as creative as you are.
Cynthia
What a great idea! I would love to use our entry-way closet as office space, hmmm the possiblities! By the way, I love the staircase, its beautiful!
Hi, Nester. :O)
I've been following your blog for some time now, but have never commented - I tend to be a lurker.
That having been said, I love, love, LOVE your blog. I'm hugely into interior design and making a home beautiful, with and around kiddos running amuck. :O) In any home or apartment I've ever lived in, the first thing I do is put each room "together" and make it beautiful. And if I can do it for free, all the better. We currently rent a (small) apartment, and it's four of us in a two-bedroom, so our little girls got the master bedroom and we got the tiny "spare" room. And I love it. They let us paint here, so I've had fun with that. It's serene and beautiful and fun. But although we need it desperately, there's not even a small corner or closet that we can turn into an office. Believe me, I've schemed and looked. I'd put a desk on the ceiling if I thought it would work. ;O)
Anyway... I've totally gotten off subject.
What I wanted to comment about was what you said in the post about the color in photos online vs. real life. My husband and I are photographers, and there is a very simple solution to getting the color in digital photos to look much more like "real life." It's called white balance.
Most (not all, some of the free ones won't) photo-editing software have the ability to fix white-balance, so if you have a photo-editing program, you should be able to do it. It only takes a couple minutes to learn to do, and a couple seconds (per photo) to do once you learn it, and will make ALL the difference in the world in the way your photos look online...
We use Adobe Lightroom, and it's very simple to do in there, and you can white balance multiple photos at the same time.
After white-balancing them, your photo might not look *exactly* like it does in "real life," (every computer monitor has a different color calibration, but that's a completely different thing and too complicated to worry about! :O), but it will look MUCH closer to what your eye is seeing, and will make a huge difference if you are trying to show comparison colors in photos you post online.
If you'd like, shoot me an e-mail and let me know what (if any) photo-editing software you have, and I can show you some online tutorials on how to do white-balance. It really is worth your time!
Anyhoo, you keep posting, and I'll keep loving it!
-Kristen
That is a great idea! Love having a door you can close when there is office clutter (even though yours looks tidy enough to show the world!). laurie
With my new responsibilities I am in desperate need for an office. Only I can't seem to find room for one (short of kicking one of our sons out of their room).
The garage seems to be my only solution. I can always open the garage door to peek out side for inspiration. Not looking forward to the heat of the summer and cold in the winter. Maybe I should keep searching. :o)
Post a Comment