i agree, I think that one will weigh down the room. And I think the painted one is a good foil for decorative items as you compose your backdrop vignette.

I love your most recent choices! I like them better than the rest. I can not wait to see how it all turns out.

I am also very sorry to hear about your mom.

Thanks, Amy and Mtn! Mom is doing well... she was in the hospital for a day but is back home now. Her spirits are good but she can't do a lot for herself.

So glad she is home and that she has family around to help.

Mtn, took the words right out of my mouth!

I think that sometimes it is good to be forced to use what is nearby and less $$. I really do love your current selections. I love the bookcase and I love that it is not white. It will add a bit of color and I love a bit of color!

Edit to add... it looks completely like an adult's professional office. I also love those curtaiins. I do not see those any younger kids rooms!

Sorry to hear about your mother’s fall, Funky! How fortunate you and others are near enough to care for her when something like this happens. My mother fell a couple of years ago and we’re still dealing with some of the sequelae. And four years ago (age 85) she was also knocked into by a woman at the grocery store— the lady pushed her cart right into my mother, who fell into a display of dried fruit and landed face down on a concrete floor. Weirdly, the only problem she had with that fall was a bruise on her face that is STILL absorbing. She has totally forgotten what caused it and now insists it is a big age spot 🙄. The more recent, softer fall on carpet was far more damaging and I am now terrified of her falling. She won’t wear the medic alert necklace we bought for her bc it’s ”tacky.”

I like the bookcase and I also actually like the bun feet. You may buy it as a placeholder and find it fits the bill perfectly.

Have you looked at PB Kids? I often look there (and Crate and Kids) for stuff like this.

Here’s one.

https://www.potterybarnkids.com/products/cameron-2-shelf-bookcase/?pkey=call-kids-desks-study-furniture

But I like the gray one you found.

Kswl, I agree with your mom on that necklace. Would you mom wear an Apple watch? They have a fall alert. After my husband fell in the bathroom and died, I became anxious about living alone and falling. I’m not nearly as old as your mom, and I’m nowhere near tottery, but to quell my anxiety, I bought an Apple watch. To the people who said ”but an alert necklace is cheaper”, I responded ”yes, but it is inconsistent with my self-image.”

The watches come in variety of sizes and you can get some really cute bands for them from $5 Amazon bands to Hermes to Tory Burch. I wear a tortoise Machete-look in the winter and a white Michele-ish in the summer.

Oh, Kswl.. I am sorry to hear that your mom is still having issues after her fall... and, yes, we are having the same discussions about the "tacky" medic alert necklace. Mom fell outside in the pool shed. She didn't have her phone with her and she was there on the ground for 2 hr before my BIL found her.

I spent a lot of time looking at offices on Houzz last night ... too much time given very few of the offices appear to be functional for my kind of work. I didn't find any inspiration but I did note that almost every room had tall bookshelves and a floating desk-- neither of which I want.

Amy and Kswl, you are both right-- I may end up liking the bookshelf enough to keep it long term. I am not convinced it is big enough to fill the wall and look intentional-- but it is a short wall so I may be surprised. I do like the color if the photo is true to life.

And at the risk of making anyone who is still following along want to smack me ... in the wee hours of the night, I went back through all the options I'd saved and discovered that I really like this combo with the other desk I'd considered. I love the open, airy look ... but does it seem a touch cold even with the wood?

Great idea BBSTX, though so sorry you are feeling anxious. Of course its understandable. That reminds me, am I misremembering, or were you looking for a new home nearer your daughter?

Love Machete, and if memory serves KSWL bought one for her DD, so grandmother can't really object .. twinsies!

My father also died from a fall in 2020 ... so it is surely top of our minds too. My mother is not a fan of apple watches but she may prefer that to the medic alert jewelry. Her wrists are so tiny though... it's def worth bringing up. Thanks, bbstx.

@mtnrdredux_gw, I was looking to move closer to my daughter. But after a while, I realized that my friends are here; I like my house because it was built to suit me; and if I moved closer to my daughter, I might end up looking to her for all my “entertainment” and that’s not good for either of us. So, I decided that as long as I could easily travel between the two places, I’d just stay put. If travel ever becomes an issue, I’ll revisit moving closer to her.

Good for you, BBSTX, that sounds wise. 🙂

I think there's a market for pretty jewelry that has alert technology. My sister is a jeweler... I'll plant a seed. I just heard a statistic about falls yesterday on a podcast, too, so it's being discussed in the "wellness community."

Bbstx, I appreciate your line of thinking. Thanks for sharing that--it's inspiring to me because I think about this stuff myself. (I'm still young-ish in my 50s, but the time to plan is now.)

Funky, I do hope your mom improves soon, and so grateful she has family nearby.

Back to Funky's office: I think your latest one above, the one you went back to, works if you don't need the function of a bookcase. No, it doesn't look cold to me, because what you have on the mood board is just the basic pieces. You can add texture and warmth with decor.

IME, placeholder furniture just makes me wish I had what I originally wanted.

Oh, there is at least one line of jewelry with alert technology... https://www.invisawear.com/ But if Kswl's mother wouldn't wear this, neither would I. :-)

I like the lool of the new office, but an optic mpuse won’t work on the glass. Something to think about.

And sending good thoughts to your mom!!!

I think I still like the option with your initial choice of desk and the gray bookcase arrangement. Did I possibly miss a photo of the room? I was curious as you said the wall on which the bookcase would live was a shorter wall?

Thank you all for the well wishes for my mom .. and the feedback on my office plans. Mom was doing better yesterday and pretty much the same today thus far. She is regaining some use of her left arm (no breaks in the left-- just bruising and sore tendons). The electric recliner was a big improvement .. it will lift her to standing position which is a big help with limited use of only one arm. She is still nauseous and has no appetite but we'll work on that. It will be a long recovery but she's kept her spirits up which is a huge help.

As for the office ... very good point about placeholder furniture, @Feathers11! In my case, any pieces I am considering as "placeholders" would easily move to another room. I am not looking to buy something that would go into storage in 6 mos. I don't need a bookshelf but I like bookshelves. As a daily reader I appreciate them-- but since I can only read ebooks at this point (I need the ipad's high resolution), the bookshelves are just a reflection of my appreciation for books ... basically decorative... but really, isn't that always the case?

That said, based on my mockup, I think one of the two bookcases works better than the console. Sorry, Amy.. no photos of the room. It is basically storing a bed and some boxes, other items. There's no lighting in there yet... and it is gray and gloomy today. I will try to snap a photo the next time we have sun. Here is a slapdash mockup. The "working area" of the room is 7' x 9'.

The windows (2) are high on the wall.. i forget the measurement but they start about nose height (i am 5'6") .. I will use woven blinds and side panels on the far left and right.

Based on this, I think the gray bookshelves shown in the mockup or the PB bookshelves (6" wider) work best. I think the console table may be too large. It balances the desk but it dominates the wall. What do you think? I am definitely going to add a reading chair but not sure what at the moment.

Thank you all.. as always!!

Funky, I am guessing the door to the room would be to the left of the closet? Where would you place the reading chair? I definitely think the cosole would be fighting with your desk in terms of size and leave you with not much space for your chair. I could be wrong, but looking at your diagram of the room, I would definitely choose something not as wide for the wall opposite your desk. I love your idea for the windows! They will look gorgeous!

yes-- the door and small vestibule are to the left of the closet. I'd float a chair between bookshelves/corner in front of curtains. You are right-- likely no chair with the console. I really like the console but i think it's a far third in the running. Not sure why I didn't do a mockup sooner.

a corner desk would work too... I don't really want to start at ground zero with a desk but it would well given the size of the room and the way I work.

A reading chair isn't necessary-- but since I do so many calls and use wireless headset, I like the idea of moving to a comfy chair when not on video.

I agree the console table would be too big and may create a pinchpoint. Lucky your closet is so generous and can hold all the practical stuff.

Question about the windows -- since they are MCM, maybe go with that theme? I am not sure I am picturing how you plan to dress them now. Also, since they are high I assume they allow less light then a lower, large window? Which way does the room face? I'd hate to dress them for looks and then find the room too dark?

Sorry to read about your mom's fall, Funky. I understand what an impact an elderly parent's fall has on everyone. My 89 year old mom fell a few weeks ago when we were all out of the area. Zoomed back in a blizzard only to discover the paramedics and ambulance left because my mother refused to be taken to the hospital. sigh.

I think that a console, credenza, whatever would work if it was narrower. Looks like the bookcase is 13.5" deep. I've seen many narrow credenzas that would the fill the wall space better but probably not interfere with the entry passage.

I like mcm pieces mixed with other styles -- maybe cliche but I especially love iconic pieces like a womb chair (which I have saved to my office folder). Of course that breaks the budget more than anything else I am considering and if I'd spend that kind of money, I'd likely use it in the LR. I don't really care for MCM bookshelves or storage -- but I do have an mcm dresser I am using for my printer/office supplies now.

As for the windows.. they face west but get pretty good light all day (when sunny). I have many inspiration photos saved but apparently on my old computer. Let me see if I can find some examples. They are not pretty windows so in the three rooms that have them, i will have either custom shutters or the woven blinds with panels.

These arent the best examples but what I could find without too much digging.

My windows are most like the first image.. not pretty like those in the second image. The blind (i will have one across both windows) must be mounted on the outside and I would hang both the blind and the curtain rod higher.

There's no plan in the near future to replace the windows.. I will have moved before that project hits the priority list. I am having some work done in the fall that may include adding trim.

IDK about the long WT with the high windows. Probably the proportions are better the way you intend to hang them. Might just be me, I know nothing about MCM. What about just using the blinds, and wallpapering that wall?

Yeah, I understand your concern. I'll tack up the fabric when the room is further along and let you all weigh in. I could surely go with just the woven blinds ... I am pricing out custom shutters for the bedroom and dressing room -- I love the look but i think they might reduce the light too much to consider for the office.

I have inspiration photos for shutters also but I can't access them quickly. I'll find them .. but today I am focused on lazy self-indulgence (it's my birthday). I'll pull out the other computer in the next day or so (my OneDrive account is misbehaving)

OMG Funky, Happy Birthday!💕🎂🥳

Happy Birthday Funky!!

Thank you! 😘

Long week + Sunday + Birthday = Laaaaaaazy

Happy Birthday Funky!

Sorry about your mom. Falling is my biggest fear.

Now to your lovely office:

To me, even if you don't need storage or display, the large console is just too much real estate with not much adaptability. I think the book case offers you so much more.

Happy Birthday!!!!

Happy birthday, Funky. I love birthdays and will never grow too old not to celebrate them-mine, yours, everyone's! Hope you have a delightful day!

I know you are just taking a break as it is YOUR bday! Just a thought..... given the windows are so high, have you considered putting one of the items you have below the windows so as to kind of fill that area that will be empty under the higher windows?

oh i am not so much taking a break from the room ... as not going to go setup and fire up my old laptop for previously saved images. As soon as I do that, I need to acknowledge I still have a lot to move off onto current drives.

I don't want the desk under the windows -- partially because the backdrop for video calls would be a closet.. and partially because I want to be able to see out the windows. Ugh @amykath, maybe I should make the larger room my office. :( I need to think about this a bit.

Salonva -- yup, I landed at the same place re: the console.

and thank you all for the sweet birthday wishes! Cyn.. I am big on birthdays too. I believe in celebrating them all week! Luckily so .. as we've delayed the brunch/shopping plans a week because of my mom's fall. And I've been celebrating all this past week by buying things I absolutely did not need .. like a bunch of watches. I loved the first one so much, I bought it in three other colors.

Love that watch!

Happy Birthday Funky!

Hope you are having a great day as you so deserve .

(So sorry to read that your Mom fell -glad her spirits are up )

Love how your office is coming!

Happy Birthday, Funky! Hope you're having a great day.

maybe I should make the larger room my office. :( I need to think about this a bit.

Hmm, what do you use that room for now? I do want you to have the best possible work environment! Four years!

Happy Birthday! 🎂

Thank you all! Amy, I need a big watch face so I can read it easily.. I think they're fun for summer!

Yeah, Mtn.. I am mulling it over. The other room is currently a makeshift dressing room (with plans to become a true dressing room) -- a couple of clothes racks and some excess furniture. Both rooms need love so it is definitely a possibility.

I have a lot going on this week so I'll give myself space to consider which room will work best.

Thanks for being patient with me and my indecision.

Love your watch. Hope you have a good week.

Happy birthday my fellow Aries!

I just wanted to pop back and update you on my current thinking.

I have not .. and will not have much time over the next few weeks to shop, plan, prep, clear out/clean etc the room. I did put some thought into my priorities and finances though... also, I thought about what I NEED soonest and what I WANT eventually.

I derived my original budget based on a number of other expenses and priorities .. and nothing has really changed since I set my original budget. I am going to try to stay closer to that budget because I have some large expenses pending/in process ... what I MOST need is the large workspace/desk top. What I want is a very comfortable office that feels like "me". A great video background is important too but in the short term I can blur the background .. and really, I should take some screen shots of our video calls. I work with IT managers, architects, developers. Many blur their backgrounds or use preset backgrounds-- those that don't have very techy backgrounds-- not pretty ones lol. I do meet with execs once or twice a month but i will be presenting and my face will be overshadowed by the powerpoint deck.

So for now..

• I am going with the gray bookshelf plus my current desk. ($300)
• Frame my existing artwork to frame (est. $300)
• Purchase the World Market jute/cotton rug ($100)
• Keep shopping for a good office chair. (hopefully under $1000) Note: I will be heading to Baltimore in 2 weeks with my niece and nephew (for nephew to choose his first David Yurman piece!) so I will be able to stop in Crate & Barrel and check out the one recommended by Spanish)

Total: $1700 -- comfortably under my original $2k budget.

Over time ...

• Work on WT. I will try just woven blinds, drape fabric etc before I commit.
• Keep an eye out for a larger credenza or bookshelf.. I know I like a few at PB so will check out what is available in the outlet.
• Also keep an eye out for a new desk .. FBM, PB Outlet, wherever. I might like a large L shaped desk
• Keep an eye out for a comfy chair .. I do have one that will work until I find something better.
• Have the room painted

I feel good about this plan ... of course I want everything done all at once but I also need to get glasses, a new mattress, a washer/dryer and I have travel plans forming. All of the other things are more important than a "perfect" office vs an evolving office.

THANKS so much for all your ideas and opinions. I will reference this repeatedly as I build out over the coming months.

Sounds like a good plan!

That makes a lot of sense. I like the idea of writing up a plan like that when tackling a room redo.

In one of my DS' classes he was required to use a school logo background on Zoom. That is only fair, especially for students. During COVID my kids were always curating the background to "look their best." My DDs still love to use their toile wallpaper background, which luckily has never fallen down live.

I actually find backgrounds visually distracting-- prob more so for me than others. I use the blur more so than anything... first because the flowers behind me were 1/2 dead. I could have moved them but I discovered that they still looked alive on blur ;)

LOL Funky, your inner project manager is showing. DH jokes that I meal plan is MS Project. (He's not far from wrong, I do it in Excel)

I think your plan is perfect. The incremental approach allows for swags midway if you find something isnt feeling just right. It would be awful to invest in a full fledged plan and then dislike an aspect of it. I know how many hours you spend in your office.

Brava!

LOL exactly ...

And yes.. my role and my work are changing. I will be much more of an oversight manager and less a roll-up-your-sleeves-and-get-things-done team leader. I wouldn't be surprised if my needs change over the next few months as I settle in and let my skilled team go. This way, I am not completely locked in.

It really is helpful to take a fresh look . I find often I'm so close and focused that I dont' see clearly and kind of can't see the forest for the trees.

Smart thinking, especially since what you think you need may not be so.