Office Nook Ideas: Turning Our Messy Mudroom Into My Dream Workspace
We're dreaming up another space today, and I'll be honest: I haven't even finished designing it yet, the decision fatigue on this one has been real. The space is a cutout area at the back of my house that I'm calling my office nook, but really it's a mud room, a drop zone, a little bit of everything. Right now it holds my stroller, my purse, and (when they're not being stolen by my daughter or my dog) our shoes.
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Here are all my office nook ideas so far, starting with what's actually staying versus what's on my dream list.
What's Actually Mine (and Staying)
There's a desk and a bookshelf in there now, but none of that furniture is mine and will be gone soon. The only things that are truly mine and staying put are my tech: my MacBook Pro, my Magic Keyboard, my Magic Trackpad (I tried the version with the built-in number pad first, but it ran too long for the space, the separate trackpad works so much better here.)
Also my Samsung M8 monitor (it's technically a smart monitor with a built-in webcam, basically a small TV), and my little phone holder. Everything else in this post is what I'm dreaming up around them.
The Desk and Chair
I really like the navy Aman desk from Ballard Design for this space. It has drawers on both sides and little shelves, which matters a lot here: I need a place for papers and office odds and ends. And I want to hide my printer on one of the lower shelves facing inward so it basically disappears. I looked at a beautiful spindly desk from Serena & Lily too, but it didn't have nearly enough storage for what this space needs to do.
For the chair, I want a rolling chair but with the look of a slipcovered dining chair. I found this one from Moe's Home Collection on Perigold: slipcovered, on rollers, in a dark brown performance chenille. I tried a lighter chair in my Canva mockup (above!) first and it just disappeared into the wall. The brown grounds the space instead, even paired with a navy rug and a navy desk (I promise the shades are different enough that it works).
Rug, Curtains, and Lighting
For the floor, I'm considering an indoor/outdoor rug from Ernesta in a dark navy. This area gets a stroller rolled through it daily, so a darker shade hides the inevitable dirt, and indoor/outdoor fabric means I'm not worried about tracking anything in.
For the windows, I found the most gorgeous fabric from Pepper Home called Margot Fern. It's even prettier up close, and I'm picturing two full-length panels to really pull the whole space together.
And for lighting: I hate overhead light, so I'm dreaming about a Pooky Lighting floor lamp in antiqued brass with an ivory and green block-print shade (they even have a print called Savannah, appropriate since that's my hometown, but I liked this green one better). It'll go in the corner and hopefully make the whole space feel warm instead of like an office.
Storage That Actually Hides the Chaos
This space has to hide a lot: cords, papers, shoes, keys. On the desk, I'm considering a tortoise acrylic napkin holder from Beatriz Ball for cute tabletop storage, and a scalloped rattan basket from Serena & Lily for anything else that needs a home.
On the opposite wall (currently just some hooks by the laundry room), I'm dreaming about a three-drawer chest from Ballard Design. It's a drop zone for keys on top, and drawers underneath mean shoes, bags, and dog leashes can all get hidden away instead of left out for a baby and a dog who both love to steal them.
Art and the Feng Shui Aside
For the empty wall by the desk, I found a coastal landscape print I love, something to bring in a little color. I'd love to eventually commission a local artist instead, but this is a great placeholder in the meantime.
One honest confession: I love feng shui, and this layout breaks basically every rule of it. I'm a big fan of Cliff Tan's content on this (his whole thing about not sitting with your back to a door or window, since you never know when the monkeys are coming for you), but with a baby and a dog running through this room, I need to keep my eyes on things. So, this space is staying decidedly not-feng-shui, and I've made peace with that.
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xo, Kate
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