What do you do when both a husband and wife retire on the same day to begin second careers as consultants but with a home office that is poorly laid out without much storage? The answer is to call us for a complete update that does not include tearing everything out and starting fresh, but rather looking at what is already in existence and reinventing it into a more functional, more beautiful space.
The original office consisted of plywood cabinetry painted white with wood-look laminate as the counter. The walls were a bright optic pastel green that did not quite touch the ceiling. The homeowners had already redone the majority of their Miracle Beach home with Douglas-fir trim throughout and liked the idea of continuing Douglas-fir into the new office aesthetic.
Faux Fir verses Real Fir
We kept the existing office cabinetry but created new doors and drawer fronts out of Douglas-fir. Then I put on my artist’s cap and repainted the white cabinets with a faux fir striation to mimic the graining of the real wood. Even up close, it’s hard to tell the difference. The old desktop was replaced with a concrete-look laminate with fir edge that extended further along the window wall than previously, creating two separate work stations. The walls were painted a hot southwest red that will not be overpowering once all the shelving is filled with papers, books and mementos.
Multi Functional Office / Guest Room
The Miracle Beach homeowners have lots of guests and even though this is a four bedroom home, they hoped to have room for an additional sleeping area in the office if need be. To accommodate a futon, we designed shelving to cover the wall, staying free and clear of the area the futon would require and also staying one foot shy of the closet bifold door on the adjoining wall. To leave minimal vertical supports on each shelf, each row is built in double thickness which offers more than double the strength. When the shelves are full, only a peek of red will be seen and when the futon is in place, the red will become an accent colour rather than the dominant colour. A room like this with little exposed wall colour is the perfect place to “go bold” and express oneself with saturated tones.
To tie in with the rest of the home, new Douglas-fir trim was used as baseboard, door and window trim. Around the ceiling, we installed white crown moulding. I believe that crown moulding should always be the same colour as the ceiling so it does not draw attention to itself. The ceiling is not where you want your eyes to be drawn.
Additionally, a new window was installed and above it a long shelf to hold the homeowners’ collection of antique bottles, most of which are white or pale beige and will pop nicely against the red backdrop. The final effect is really quite amazing. To see more of our projects click here.
Evelyn M, Associate of Interior Design
250-204-4417
www.EvelynM.com
Evelyn M Interiors/Design House BC
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