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mhinglis

50th birthday surprise!

12 years ago
I want to surprise my husband for his 50th birthday (which is Monday!) by sprucing up his office by painting it and straightening it up some. As you can see by the pics it needs some sprucing! He's in sales so it's an actual working office. Now, I know you're thinking that I'm probably doing this for me lol, but a couple of weeks ago he bought the leather chair you see in the pic and he cleaned it out (no really, he did, you should've seen it before!) and I think he'd really like a more serene organized work space. I would love some suggestions on wall color and I'd also like to paint the back walls of the built-ins. I'd also love suggestions on how to decorate the shelves once I remove all of the stuff that's been stored there over the years. I don't want to mess with his desk since I'm sure he has his own system, but I'd like to fix up around it. He just left for a two day trip so I'm going to try to do this while he's gone. Would love any and all suggestions!

Comments (8)

  • 12 years ago
    Pick a color for the backs of the shelves - maybe the orangey red from the jersey or green like the lampshade. If you'd rather not paint, you can cut luan to fit the backs and wallpaper or wrap with fabric to get the same look. Style the bookcase shelves with 1/3 books, 1/3 decor (larger items) and 1/3 open space. Turn his desk so his back is to the window and he looks at the jersey. Under the jersey add a 2-drawer lateral file cabinet or an attractive credenza so you can eliminate the plastic bins and baskets and have real storage.
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  • 12 years ago
    I hear you nasmijati, and I've thought about that. I don't want to invade his space and make it mine, I just know he's so busy and he's been trying to straighten up in little ways and I want to help him with that.

    Thanks decoenthusiaste! I appreciate the suggestions. When talking about the bookcases, did you mean each shelf should be split into thirds or each section of bookcase?
  • 12 years ago
    Put weightier stuff at the bottom, lighter at the top. If you want to have a complete row of books, they should be on bottom. Otherwise, stack 3-5 books beside a decor piece (2/3) and leave 1/3 open. This is shelf by shelf design. Then back away and evaluate the overall design, moving pieces as needed. Books can stand, lie or lean. They can be used to raise a short piece of decor by stacking under it. The ones below can guide you in what not to do. #1 is a bit too crowded with no reall open space on the shelves. #2 is too predictable and rigid, not personal enough and without creativity. #3 is a bit too busy and #4 is close but has too many framed pictures. However the 1/3 open space idea is working better here. Let's see if you can avoid these issues and be the styling queen!
    Pacific Heights Pop - Office area by Kimball Starr Interior Design · More Info

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  • 12 years ago
    I just did my husbands office last year. I used a mid tone color (Eddie Bauer porch). He loves it. Pick a color your husband likes. I would consider using a mid or darker tone for the walls. With your large window and light bookcases you could go dark. I like the idea of doing the back of the bookcases in a darker color. Paint and tidying up the bookcases will make a big difference.
  • 12 years ago
    Lol-- thank you decoenthusiaste--I wish I was the styling queen!! The pics are a big help. I've started cleaning off the shelves and am going to see if I can finish that tonight. Hoping I'll have time to paint at least the back of the shelves before he gets home. Thank you as well linlac, the Porch color is really nice--masculine, but not too dark. It would go well with the rest of the house too. I'll post pics when I'm done!
  • 12 years ago
    Anxious to see it!
  • 12 years ago
    Just wanted to show the progress. Hubby was very happy and surprised. The shelves are still a little cluttered but I think they look a lot better. I didn't do a lot with the bottom shelves because he keeps mostly work papers there. He was so pleased and he's really motivated to clean out his file cabinet so he can move the extra paperwork into it and have a neat bookcase and work space. We're both looking forward to painting. Thanks again for the great pointers--they were super helpful.