My French-Inspired Home Office Makeover Reveal!
Today I’m sharing my home office makeover reveal! Come see how I turned my daughter’s room into a chic, French-inspired home office!
Well, this is it! After six weeks of planning, ordering, running around, set-backs, and a last minute flurry of activity, I’m finally revealing my French-inspired Home Office Makeover! This was my very first One Room Challenge, and I have to say – I’m hooked!
Because, though it was stressful at times, it’s also incredibly satisfying to be actually and completely done with decorating a room! Normally my rooms start off with a bang, and then I get busy and they get left in the dust, half-finished (I’m talking to you master bedroom!)
Or, I run out of money, or I can’t find something to finish the room and I move on, or other house expenses/repairs take priority…. there are a dozen reasons why most of my house stands at a sort of half mast of decorating!
So to say I’m excited about how the home office makeover turned out is a bit of an understatement. I’m beyond thrilled with it, and I can’t wait to share it with you! So here we go…..
(A complete source list is included at the end of the post!)
THIS POST MAY INCLUDE AFFILIATE LINKS. CLICK HERE FOR MY FULL DISCLOSURE POLICY.
Every time I walk by this room from the hallway or come in here to get something, I catch myself smiling. And working in here has been so nice!
I am actually writing from this space right now, and it just feels so good to be in a space that reflects me. It’s not an afterthought, or a space that is utilized for several different purposes. For the first time, we really have a proper office!
Should we see where we started?
From this….
To this!
And this…
To this…
The biggest change was ripping out the old, falling apart bead board and installing the new wainscoting. I absolutely love the character it adds to the room, and it definitely makes it feel more like an office space to me. We had that professionally spray painted white, and we also painted the upper walls a soft greige color.
If you want more info on the wainscoting installation, you can find all the details in this post.
I’ve added the French chair and side table to the long wall as a place holder for now. Eventually, I’ll be getting more of an overstuffed chair for this area (possibly even one that pulls out to a twin sleeper as an extra bed for company). But this gives you an idea of what it would look like with something on that wall.
Also, that is the wall that is waiting for the large architectural piece that is on backorder (more about that fiasco in this post). I will definitely update this when that arrives and is hung!
The photos that we took in France came out great, too. I love having mementos from a trip that was so special to us to look at every day! And I’m super happy with these Target frames! (more about that find in this post).
The one piece we kept from my daughter’s room is the vintage bookcase. I love having something vintage in the room (especially since nearly everything else is new). It’s chippy look is perfect – and of course, having a place to do a little styling is always nice! 😉
I kept it pretty simple as I didn’t want it to look too busy. I’ve filled it with mostly vintage items, along with some sentimental things to make it more personal.
I’m so happy with the Pottery Barn desks, and my husband loves them, too! They are huge, which is great. Though I did have to adjust my plan of having them in the middle of the room due to their size!
The whole room just feels so peaceful and serene. And the fact that I finally get to work in an office that is pretty makes my heart so happy! My previous “offices” were split between the hot/cold garage, the family room couch, or the dining room table!
I should be a much better blogger from here, don’t you think?! 😉
Looking across the other way is the closet side of the room. I’m hoping to get something for that wall space next to the window. Possibly a small painting or a mirror, but I ran out of time. I didn’t want to hang something just to fill the space so I’m still looking for that.
The lantern is a favorite of mine – I have it in the breakfast room as well!
I’ve tried to keep the desk pretty clean as well, with just a few necessary items and a couple of ‘pretties’ on top. I had to convince my husband that every single thing does not need to be kept on the desktop, haha!
The rest of our office supplies are all in the closet which is actually an ample amount of space. I’ve made my husband promise to keep this office neat, or I’ve threatened to throw him out! We’ll see if he can stick to it 😉
This is my view as I work now, with the window to my right. It is so nice to look at things that I love and that mean something to me. I can also green trees and blue skies out the window.
And of course, the hubby sits right across from me quite often as well so there’s that! 😉
If you’re just arriving with this post, you can catch up with all the previous weeks below:
Week 1 | Week 2 | Week 3 | Week 4 | Week 5
I also want to thank all of you for following along with my home office makeover. I’ve gotten so many nice comments, emails, and DMs here and on Instagram and it’s been such fun to have all of you with me. The suggestions and support have meant so much!
Lastly, I want to give a huge thank you to my handy husband! He spent many hours installing the wainscoting, as well as helping me with all kinds of projects. From painting the walls, to hanging artwork, to carrying any and all heavy objects – I would never have been able to finish this project without his help!
I hope you’ve enjoyed the transformation of this home office makeover. If you want to find any of the sources of the products I’ve used, I’ve linked them below. Also, where there isn’t the exact same item, I’ve found some similar items for you as well!
Shop Home Office
Sheila
xo
Detailed Home Office Makeover Source List
PAINT: Wainscoting is Benjamin Moore Cloud White | Walls are Benjamin Moore Revere Pewter (mixed at 50%)
FURNITURE: Desks | Chairs are from Pier One (discontinued), similar here and here | Bookcase is vintage (similar here, and here) | French chair is thrifted (similar here, here, and here) | Side table is from Arhaus
ARTWORK: personal photos in these frames
DESK ACCESSORIES: Lamps (discontinued), very similar here, and here | Vase | Stapler, similar set here | Silver tray is vintage (similar here) | magnifying glass, vintage | small silver bowl is vintage, they are easily found on Etsy | silver frame (old) | pencil cup is a vintage Hull planter | vintage ink bottle (available on Etsy)
ITEMS IN BOOKCASE: stone statue (old) | vintage trophies | birds are old | demijohn is a French antique (find them here and here) | Antique French confit pot (available here), get the look for less here and here | antique basket (similar look here or here)
WINDOW TREATMENT: custom woven wood blinds
LANTERN: Ballard Designs
If you enjoyed this post, check out more makeovers as well as French-inspired decorating ideas below:
French Farmhouse Master Bedroom Makeover Reveal
50+ Fabulous French Farmhouse Finds at Amazon
How to Find French Antique Accessories – for Less!
5 Essential Textures that Every Room Needs
Lovely room! What do you mean by the paint is mixed 50% ?
Hi Nancy and thank you so much! The paint is mixed at 50% strength – meaning half of the amount of pigment. This creates the same tone, but at a lesser saturation (lighter version). Any good paint store can do this!
Hope that helps!
Sheila
I absolutely love you layout and everything else about it. My husband and I also share our office and we’ve been wanting to spruce it up and de-clutter it. You have definitely inspired us and we’re wanting to “copy” most of what you did. Do you mind telling where you ordered your blinds? Those are perfect for what I want. Any advise would be greatly appreciated.
Your office is absolutely lovely! Thank you for the inspiration!
Thank you so much Adrienne – such a sweet compliment! Our blinds were custom and I’m so sorry, but I have no idea what brand or style/color they were. I can tell you all the downstairs ones are from Blinds Galore and I love them. They most likely have something similar but unfortunately, I can’t tell you exactly what this one was!
BRAVO!!! Your space looks absolutely awesome, Sheila. Well done, ma’am.
It will be interesting to see if your “happy” level stays high working from that amazing space.
I have to share my office with my hubs – a man who only is happy if he has tools, and boxes and papers and candy
and a menagerie of “crap” on his side of the desk. After 20 years, it’s just one of those battles I no longer fight. Plus not only have I given in……I realize that if we didn’t share an office we’d never see one another. So, it is a stash-all no longer pretty office. And I am willing to say it is ok – and live vicariously through gorgeous home offices such as your new one. ♥
What we do for love and peace, eh????? LOL.
Aww you’re so sweet! Thank you Michele. And yes, I am still happy working in here (I’m in here right now in fact!) but it is not always neat on either of our sides I have to admit! We all give up some for that peace for sure, but that’s what makes a happy marriage right?
Sheila
Such a beautiful space!!
Would you mind sharing the room dimensions? I’d love to use your office as my inspiration for my own office, but my own room is only 10×10. I have an antique partners desk, which is quite large. I wanted to orient it perpendicular to the window as you have done.
Thank you!!
Tracey
Hi Tracey and thanks so much! This room is 11 x 13, so not that much bigger than yours! And we have two desks so I think with one desk you would have more than enough room!
Thanks for stopping by and good luck!
Sheila
Thank you for the reply!
I love this room – especially the back to back desks. I’m in the process of designing my office space update right now, so it’s perfect timing for this inspiration! Thanks so much! 💗
Thanks so much Barbara! We sure waited long enough to have one;)
Good lucky with yours – can’t wait to see what you do!
Sheila
xo
SHEILA!!! Everything is so gorgeous!! You did a beautiful job designing and decorating your office and it’s so bright too!! I can only imagine how much your loving it!! Those desks are just amazing- love the scale of them!! Xo Heather
Thank you Heather! It is SO nice to have a space of my own – and I must say it makes me happy just walking by it:)
and the desks are so good! Thank you so much for stopping by- I so appreciate you coming over and taking the time to comment!
Sheila
xo
Wow, what a beautiful office. I love the double desk and the French country vibe. The soft colors are perfect for a shared office space.
Thank you so much Linda! I’m so glad you like it – we are loving the double desks:)
Sheila
Wowwa!!! It’s all absolutely stunning Sheila!
Thanks so much Martha!
Sheila
Sheila,
What a truly inspirational makeover! Your attention to detail resulted in a room that is perfect…functional and beautiful, and yet one in which hubby is comfortable as well! I love how you incorporated the travel photos. How special!! I also love how you accessorized the bookcase…actually I love EVERYTHING! I do have one question…where did you get the shade? It works so well in the room!
Debbie
Hi Debbie and thank you! What a sweet comment – so humbling and I so appreciate all of your kind words!
The shade is custom (ordered through a local drapery company) and I’m sorry, but I don’t know the company name. I looked through their books and ordered through them and I looked at the paperwork and it doesn’t note any brand. So sorry I couldn’t get you more info!
Thank you so much for stopping by!!
Sheila
I have been excited to see the end result and it did not disappoint! Everything came together so well and is so balanced and beautiful! Nice job…I really enjoyed your post and watching the progress.
Thanks so much – that’s such a nice compliment! I appreciate you following along so much. It’s been really fun to have all of you along!
Happy Friday!
Sheila
Sheila! I so enjoyed this post! Absolutely stunning office! You’re deff inspiring me to complete my office makeover! Love love love all of your French touches and this glorious color pallate.
Thank you Tiff! I’m loving the color too, and am so excited to finally have an office- yay!
Thanks so much for stopping over here, I so appreciate the support:)
Sheila
xo
Sheila, your office looks amazing! I love the double desks! So functional and so pretty. You nailed it! Congratulations on finishing up your orc and on having a beautiful office to work in!
Aww thanks Jennifer!! Hope you’re doing well:)
Sheila
xo
Sheila it turned out beautifully!!! Love the French chair and table! Great job!!!
Aww, thanks Holli! I’m headed over to check out your she-shed tonight! Congrats on your ORC!!
Sheila
xo
Well YAY for you!! It looks amazing…and as I’m sitting in my very messy office right now, I’m thinking I need a one room makeover right away!! You did such a beautiful job creating a serene place to work, it must feel just great! Congratulations!! Well done my friend!!
It feels so good! Thanks so much Karen!!
Sheila
xo
Love it Sheila! It turned out beautifully! The chair and round table are a lovely touch. I appreciate all the gorgeous details, especially your photos from your trip to France!
Thanks so much Joan! Hopefully this space will make me more productive -that’s the idea anyway, haha! Thanks for popping over sweet friend!
Sheila
xo
Sheila my jaw is on the floor!!!!!! The desks are gorgeous and I love the chairs! Even the sitting chair on the other side of the room! Every detail and us accessory is well thought and reflects your style. I love the wainscoting on the wall treatments so much! Really truly… This is perfection! So proud of you, my friend! It’s relaxing and soothing, yet functional and elegant! It’s perfect! I know how hard you have worked! And it shows! Brava!!!!!
Aww Summer, thank you! It was a labor of love and it feels so good to have a space that is truly “me”! And it means even more when supportive friends love it, too!
Sheila
xo
Sheila, your room is gorgeous!! Like I said, it is SO your style and I love how peaceful and elegant it looks.
Cheers!
Shelley
Thanks so much Shelley! That’s the sweetest compliment! And peaceful is always good, right?! Can’t wait to see your final DR reveal my friend!
Sheila
xo
Sheila, you have done an outstanding job here… I have to admit that you had me at the wainscoting already but the addition of the more french style items like that corner chair and table and the lantern – it took it to perfection.
Thanks Alicia! I’m with you – once I did the wainscoting it made all the difference! Thanks so much for your comment and for coming over:)
Sheila
xo
Sheila—-
What a beautifully transformed space! Love the clean, edited vibe—not always easy to achieve in a warm space punctuated with vintage and antiques! Love the wainscoting, the lantern, the mix of neutrals! Absolutely lovely!
Thank you Carol – that is seriously the sweetest compliment! It is hard to balance vintage with a clean aesthetic and that is exactly what I was going for!
Thank you so much for coming over and for taking the time to comment – it means so much:)
Sheila
xo
Sheila you did an outstanding job!!! What a beautiful extension of your home. I love all the natural wood tones mixed with the soft white and gray! Job well done my friend.
Thanks so much Laura! I love that we both have new offices to work from now:)
Sheila
xo
Sheila, I love the way it came out! It’s the quintessential balance of beautiful and functional and captures your casual chic style perfectly!! The greige color is just right and I so love the french chair and little table that you called a place holder… 🙂 Of course the desks and styled bookcase are lovely too. Great job!!
Lory
Aww, thank you Lory! I love hearing that, because as you know, it’s easy to get carried away with the pretty and ignore the practical, haha! Hopefully I can find a chair that will be as pretty as this one – that may be a challenge!
Thanks so much for your support my friend!
Sheila
xo
Sheila, this space came out so beautifully! I love the back to back desks, neutral soft color palette and all your pretty styling! How special to use photos from your trip, love that gorgeous light too! I would love an office just like this!!
Thanks so much Lisa! The ORC is quite a whirlwind, but it does feel so good to be done doesn’t it?!
Loved your family room refresh, too!
Sheila
xo
Bravo!!…this office that you created for both you and your hubby is perfection! The office definitely appeals to and feels comfortable to you both in that you are surrounded by the things that you love and the furnishings are beautiful and gender neutral. I think if I shared an office with my hubby (he has an entire room as he mainly works from home) he would be very pleased with a room such as this. Love that you added the wainscoting….your hubby did a great job! You created and decorated a truly beautiful and functional room!
Thank you Shirley! I’m so happy to have hit that “gender neutral” line – as you know I would have gone more feminine/French had I been able to! I appreciate your sweet comment and all your support – it means so much!
Sheila
xo