Planning a Cozy Office Nook

From the moment we moved into the new house, I knew that decorating my office would be pretty low on the priority list. I wanted to get the boys settled into their room. I wanted to make sure that the living room was taken care of and somewhat presentable in case we had company. I wanted to get the kitchen squared away so that it would function well for our family. And though I did want to have a pretty office as well, I knew it would be a big project, and since it would really only benefit me, it was moved to the bottom of the list.

my office on the day we moved in

And it stayed at the bottom of the list for a while.

But then I just couldn’t take it anymore. My office was quickly becoming a cluttered mess that was not at all optimal for quality creative work. It was a catch-all space with no real rhyme or reason to it. Because of this, I would avoid working in there, opting to sit on our bed instead. (Hello, sore back, lol!)

But then I had an idea.

Maybe it wasn’t realistic to do a complete office overhaul right now, but I could create a pretty little spot for myself in the nook area in the meantime. So that is exactly what I set out to do.

The nook was definitely not looking beautiful at the beginning:

Donnie’s old desk… our printer… the box that holds our big computer monitor… and a makeshift “bookshelf” I created with baskets. Not so cute, but it had potential! I love the angles and lines of this space, so I knew it could be awesome with a little TLC!

I cleared it out…

And made a plan…

Planning a Cozy Office Nook

A huge thanks to Joss & Main and SelectBlinds for providing products for this project! My favorable opinion of beautiful decor pieces is 100% my own. This post contains affiliate links. For more information, see my disclosures here.

rug | upholstered chair | mirror | side table

pillow | lamp | footstool | paint color | Roman shade

desk | desk chair | white frame

chalkboard | wreath | pitcher | shelf

I knew I wanted this space to be my little work nook, so I chose a gorgeous white desk with a small chair and also a cozy upholstered chair + footstool to give myself some options! (The stool and upholstered chair look like they’re different colors in the image, but in real life, they are almost identical. 😉 )

The pillow shown above kind of determined the color palette for the space… aquas and greens and browns and grays… and of course lots of white! I was going for a cozy, soothing feel, and I think this color scheme will bring just that.

I wanted to add interest to the walls with a mix of items: frames, of course, but also some shelves (my favorite!), a pretty mirror, and a chalkboard + wreath.

And then there’s the paint color. If you’ve been around the blog for very long, you know that I usually paint the walls one of two shades– gray or white. For this small space, though, I wanted to add a pop of color! So after trying out a bunch of samples, I decided to go with Sherwin Williams Rainwashed, color matched to Behr Marquee paint. And I’m kind of in love.

Want to see a sneak peek?

Ooh so pretty! You can also spot the cordless Roman shade from SelectBlinds in this shot as well. I went with a light filtering shade in the color “Vanilla Bean,” and I think it will be the perfect fit with the rest of the space! (SelectBlinds always offers Just a Girl and Her Blog readers an extra 5% off any sale they’re having– be sure to use the code ABBY at checkout!)

So that’s the plan for the space! Since this is just a quick makeover, I’ll be back with the finished space this Thursday, so be sure to come back and see how it turned out! (Until then, you can get a small peek on Instagram! 😉 )

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Update: My home office is complete! You can see the rest of the posts in my office series (including the big reveal!) here: 

A Cozy Office Nook

Creating an Organized Office with the IKEA PAX System

IKEA PAX Office Organization: A Tour

Planning a Cozy and Organized Home Office

How to Stencil a Wall

How to Create Home Office Storage with the IKEA BESTA System

15 Beautiful and Affordable White Writing Desks

A Beautiful and Organized Home Office Reveal

Thank you so much for following along, sweet friends! Have a wonderful week!

A huge thanks to Joss & Main and SelectBlinds for providing products for this project! My favorable opinion of beautiful decor pieces is 100% my own. This post contains affiliate links. For more information, see my disclosures here.