When we first bought our home, it came with an unfinished “walk-out attic”, and we knew immediately that we wanted to spruce it up to make use of the space, so I pegged it for my DIY home office.  It’s not technically considered a bedroom, but it’s a great little spot to work, craft alongside my kiddos, curl up to read a book, and invite a guest to stay for a while.  It took us a lot of hard work but not a ton of funds to create a space I love to work in, and I thought I’d share some inspiration for you, too!  Here’s a little peek into my happy place: my DIY home office and craft space & sometimes-guest-room, with some tips for you to use in your own office/guest room.

Use what you’ve got.

Our walk-out attic space had no finished floor, and we had a VERY small budget.  From the get-go, I envisioned a painted sub-floor inspired by one I’d pinned to my “For the Office” Pinterest board.  I had a couple of snags in the process (which included the extra labor I created for my detail-oriented husband and my equally-hard-working second-born, with my unfortunate mistake in choice of wood-filler), but in the end, we ended up with exactly what I’d envisioned.  I begged them to stick with me because I hoped some day I’d get it far enough along for my own DIY home office reveal… & the day has come!  Here’s a great tutorial for a painted plywood sub-floor from The Spruce, and here’s another painted-floor example and one more painted floor tutorial just in case you want to be thorough.  (Ahem, don’t take your example from me and create more work with less preparation.)

My parents downsized at about the same time we bought our home, and blessed us with a load of furniture.  I sweet-talked my mom into lending me her Ikea desk and shelving unit. (We already had two of these workhorses in a darker color, but I knew this would play well with my dreamy color scheme and remind me of her when I work; it does!) I found this white cube organizer desk on Amazon and I think it would make a gorgeous office desk, as well.  

I added a $20 clearance shelf/bin unit like this no-tools storage shelf and some pretty, but simple, folding cubes for storage (oh, and these ones are so pretty at a great price!). For a little larger investment, I think this rustic grey-toned cube organizer with metal feet and a mid-century industrial feel would be gorgeous! These bins are where I keep gifts for last-minute giving and stash some of my food photography linens.

Use pieces with history and character to make your DIY home office your own!

Bringing in vintage pieces adds character and helps to tell a story in your space.  I think working in a space with a little bit of history is welcoming and may inspire more creativity.  🙂  My daughter’s childhood armoire (a chalk-painted hand-me-down her great-grandma) made a perfect spot for me to store art supplies and office necessities.  I also have a vintage nightstand I bought years ago at a yard sale for five dollars that I still love years later, along with lamps that have worked their way through various stages of our home decor, and a vintage-looking map that I mounted to a garbage-picked window with washi tape.  That map reminds me to pray for others whose work takes them to other parts of the world (including our daughter, who’s now studying and serving as a student-midwife and missionary!).

Make your office space comfortable.

Work-spaces shouldn’t be all work.  I loved Joanna Gaines’ office/library interpretation of this theme in creating an office conference room/library filled with cozy seating and shelves of inspiring books!  If you have a little extra space, don’t just stick a chair at a desk; create cozy seating to take a break and read or study.  Because sometimes I want to curl up and read and sometimes I want to invite one of my kiddos to join me, I added a folding butterfly chair we had, (here’s a similar one) and lamp beside a cabinet with some favorite books. If you don’t have extra space, consider tucking a little DIY office nook in the corner of your bedroom or dining room so you have a welcoming workspace no matter where you live.

Play to all the senses.  My office gets gorgeous afternoon light, but for evenings I have lamps in several places to create pockets of cozy light.  I always have a favorite candle burning or essential oil diffusing, because good smells inspire me, calm me, or give me a boost of energy.  Even when the “bed” isn’t made but is used as a sofa, there are soft pillows and baskets of throws and a soft faux-fur rug to warm up the space and make it more inviting.

Make your DIY home office do double-duty.

When we first moved here every bedroom was in use by our kiddos, so we wanted a dedicated space for guests to stay.  We added a little, inexpensive convertible sofa-futon near the lamp and . I eyed that futon for weeks online, waited for free shipping, a “percentage off” coupon, and a week with a little extra cash, and pounced.  (I love creating welcoming spaces for our guests; here’s an idea for how to create a welcoming guest basket for your guests!) 

The canvas of my parents is storytelling artwork for any guests, and it reminds me every day that God, indeed, makes good on His promise to “redeem the lost years.”  Their marriage has seen hard work and faithful commitment over the years, and it sets an example for me to keep going when things are hard.

Want to know a potentially embarrassing, but really cool story?  A house nearby was sitting empty for some time.  One day, the owner sent a crew to clean it out, and without waiting a second, I met them at the front door with my brood of kiddos and an offer to cart out anything they didn’t want to have to throw in the dumpster.  That cool little wicker ottoman, along with a china hutch, an awesome reclaimed wood entry table, and an air hockey table, all were rescued and made it to our house that day!  Yep, my kiddos knelt in a dark basement with the light of my cell phone, and together dis-assembled the giant thing and carted it back to our basement.  It’s provided quite a bit of loud fun… and proved that “picking” can run in the family!

I spray-painted an old Ikea tabletop (later realizing that, hello, I probably would’ve spent less buying a new one!), which created a perfect work-space for sewing, watercolors and math homework, and filing.  I placed it behind my desk so I can spin my chair around and take notes when ideas and tasks flitter through my busy brain.  A large clearance-aisle picture frame holds scrapbook paper and creates a pop of color over my inspiration board, where I post dear photos, to-do’s, and scripture to point my heart and brain to truths that matter.  And always, there have to be candles.

Worn-out, well-loved books are the best.  Books that have been loved by wise ladies before me (sometimes borrowed for a season), highlighted with tiny notes and dates in the margins, well, those are even better.

My favorite part of this space is the light that streams in while I work.  We used a warm grey on the walls (Benjamin Moore Cumulus Cloud), which reads fairly neutral, and helps create a great space where I can shoot product photos, food photos, and portraits.  It turns out it also makes a great little landing-spot for friends who come to visit.  

I bought the little carved nightstand at a garage sale a dozen years ago and it’s probably been painted three times since I’ve owned it.  My husband tried to make me leave it in the driveway that day, but I grabbed it and ran before he could catch me.  I’m still glad I did.  (And someday I might get around to caulking that trim.  I couldn’t just hope you wouldn’t notice…)  Don’t you just love that little “brave wings” quote?  I downloaded it from Danielle Burkle’s sweet blog – go grab yours, too!

Update and reorganize.

I promise this spot gets messy – in fact as I type, there are scattered photo props, a pillow for the pup, and a couple baskets of random-items-that-need-home.  But even then, it is a little treasure – a place to think, to read, to create. Still, I find that the more I take time to rearrange, get rid of the “extra” that tends to accumulate, and streamline, the more relaxed and productive I feel in my little DIY home office and guest room.

Do you have a space that inspires you to create, to get stuff done, or to get away from the daily household duties?  It can be an office or a closet, or even an inspirational spot in your kitchen.  I’d love for you to share!

Inspiring a welcoming workspace,

Angela

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