Spring Cleaning!!!

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April 19, 2013 by Diana

Lately, I’ve gotten a bit of energy with the beginning of Spring and have been really into making small updates around the house and getting things organized. I have been wanting to “finish” my office for a while now…I have a big desk, some bookshelves, some ribbon boards, and a few decorations.  Still, it felt lacking.

When I received the April issue of HGTV magazine in the mail, I was inspired by the colorful arrangement they had on the cover! I just loved the teal blue, bright green, and pink together! I contemplated painting my bookshelf this shade of blue and trying to duplicate their look with the rug, lamp, vase, etc., but I soon realized that this could go horribly, horribly wrong! I didn’t want to commit to spending countless hours stripping, sanding, priming, and painting if there was any chance I wouldn’t be 100% happy with the results!  Considering, the only time I’d have to work on it would be during Braden’s nap, it would probably take me a week!!! I had to come up with a different plan.

There is this hot pink Louis armchair that I have been smitten with since the moment I saw it in RSH catalog. I keep checking back to see if it is on sale. Sadly, it never seems to be and I can’t afford or justify spending $500 on a chair, but this served as my second piece of color inspiration for revamping my office!

The other day I took Braden to the TJ Maxx up the street to look for a Spring/Summer wardrobe for him that didn’t include highwater pants and skin-tight onesies! 😉  While we were there, I saw a few interesting items that I thought might bring a little color and cheer into my office. A green garden stool ($30??!? on clearance – yes, please!) and some hot pink pillows caught my eye and I kind of took it from there! With my cart loaded, I was excited to get these items home and start redecorating!!!

As you can see, the state of my office was less than inspiring! Ew-what a mess! (I swear that it is clean and organized some of the time!) I’ve been in such a rush to create as much as I can during my 2 hour window while Braden is napping, that I feel too tired to put everything away when he wakes up!  Why am I explaining? The room was just so gross, but I was determined to take a before and after photo, since I always forget to do that when redecorating! The small bookshelf on the right is the one I wanted to add a little color to.  The one on the left is a project for another day! 😉

The bright pink pillows are just the splash of color I wanted in my office. I found this cute little bench and created a cozy nook for reading and knitting! I have wanted a place to sit and relax in here for a while! The bench was the most expensive thing I bought.  Yet, $79 for an upholstered bench with nailhead trim is not bad at all! I threw in a cheery rug and could NOT pass up that $30 garden stool!  I love my new nook!!!

Instead of painting the shelf, I opted for shelf paper instead.  I found a double pack for $5.99 and papered the back of the shelf to add a little color.  It only used half of one roll! Total project cost = $1.50!!! Braden picked out the bird for me and after I watched him kiss it, I just couldn’t put it back! I added the silver “mercury glass” lamp and the faux orchid to finish it off and try to duplicate the HGTV bookshelf look.

(It still needs a little cleaning, but I finished all this in my allotted 2 hours while Braden slept.  Please forgive the “Sesame Street” tiny shoebox and smattering of miscellaneous junk around the room and on the desk! Someday it WILL be spotless! I’m determined! :))

All redecorated for less than $150, thank you very much! I can’t wait to wake up early and go work in my office tomorrow! The cheery pops of color are just the inspiration I need to craft all my whimsical creations in there! You can do it, too!