STUDIO MAKEOVER
It has been nearly a year since I moved into my current flat. I haven't done much decorating but I do tend to be on the minimalist side so it hasn't been a complete eyesore. I ordered a sectional that's not really a sectional. It was a custom order and I inadvertently made it too small, so now any coffee table seems odd in front of it. I have tried many options since, two Lack tables (two too big), a petite glass and stainless steel table that just barely fits. My next try will perhaps be round but for now I have tired of coffee table-gate.
I decided since the sofa and table are there and not hideous, I would tackle the room I spend the most time in first--my dining room now studio. I had ordered a very inexpensive, okay cheap, version of this desk when I moved in. I broke a whole side leg within two weeks of its arrival and the shady company I procured it from would not return my calls. I assumed when I bought the desk it was a high gloss lacquer (the tiny photo and text were in a foreign language) but came as a matte white which became a dirt and fingerprint magnet. I decided this week to finally give it away. Now, desk-less and free of compulsive cleaning I am able to get to work on the space. My budget is not huge, meager would be more accurate. I chose two versions above, the white room is almost all from Ikea and I figured I could check Craigslist first to see if I could get any of the pieces second hand (thus getting better pricing). The black room is completely out of my budget but I thought maybe, I could recreate the look of the library shelves with kitchen cabinets and molding? The large shelving piece is $1,500 which I admit is a great price for the size and it would fit perfectly against my wall but alas that is $1,500 more than I have to spend. The small desk is from Cost Plus and very reasonable.
Don't worry that there's an absence of color, I will bring that in with all my color coded books, yes, every book is organized by color and if I have my way one day I will make custom covers and my own personal Dewey Decimal system. I digress, so you now have an idea of what I am looking for any ideas for me of how to accomplish this and not going straight to the poor house?
P.S. The swatch of carpet is what I have in that room now, I am not a fan of carpeting but as far as carpet goes it's not that bad. It resembles sisal and I do like that.
That's a tough call! I love both looks. The all white looks more like you, but the black is fun and different.
Hmmm...tough choice. The white is bright and fresh, and would be fun to add pops of color to, but the black is classic, and would be much easier to keep clean. If the area you live in is more dreary in the winter I would choose the white.Plus you can't beat IKEA prices!
I'm a little partial to the black bookcase (it's stunning), but if your budget is meager (I can so relate to that!), then I'd go with the white room. Plus, I really dug that dark gray wall - would that be included, too, or just the decals?
Jules I know the white is more me but that library piece is AH-MAZING, no? I think it's something that could easily be moved into our house one day.
Oh thank you all for the feedback! Pure Design I live in a sunny area so I think I could do either. That white desk is very long at 72" but it's not very deep (which may be good so I won't want to pile papers on it). Brandi, I want to paint one wall with chalkboard paint just the top the room has great molding details so I can paint the top and not the bottom and it may not look so harsh.
xx,
Miss B.
I love them both! I like the drama of a black/chalkboard wall (and paint is cheap), but wow that library bookcase is amazing.
Thank you Miss Nicole, I know it must be tres boring for you, lol. I know that library piece is so insanely gorgeous, I want to see it in person and I hope it's awful so I can stop dreaming about it:)
Black.Black.Black.
My first thought would be to search for 2nd hand (Re-Store)pieces that you can marry together. Paint does wonders to tie 2 pieces together.
Second thought, call around to local (custom-made) cabinet shops to see if they have any 'oops' pieces.
Third, check out local listings on craigs list for businesses that are closing and selling display pieces.
Best of luck, the search is always 1/2 the fun!
BTW, DON'T look at the library piece as I't will be fabulous and you won't be satisfied with anything else!
Thank you Nicole I absolutely will take your tips to heart and will start calling around this weekend!
Love the combinations you have here, my suggestion is to drop by thrift stores/Goodwills and see if there are any pieces that can be awesome-fied with some paint and time!
PS. If I could make all of my books match in size/color scheme, it would make my day. I'm not sure if that makes me a bit odd, but I'll go with it, ha!