Home Office in the Bedroom

Here’s how we created a home office in the bedroom

Like so many of you, we have had to adjust to working from home since March. Jimmy has a desk upstairs in our bedroom and before the quarantine, he normally worked from home once a week. On average, he spends about 10 hours a day up at his desk. I decided it was time to give his little office area some love and attention since he spends so much of his day there. Here’s how we created his home office in the bedroom.

This post is sponsored by Handy Products but all thoughts, opinions, and cute husband are my own. 

Here’s the BEFORE photo of Jimmy’s work area.

Jimmy works on a wall on the left side of our bedroom. Since our bedroom is on the larger scale and it is upstairs, this space has been ideal for his home office. There were the occasional loud noises from the kids but since our main bedroom is tucked away upstairs, it has the most privacy out of any other room. 

I know! There is a lot going on here and this area really needed a major refresh. Thanks to my friends at Handy Products for giving me the motivation to do this very needed project. 

Jimmy has been using this old desk for years as it was brought over from his parent’s home. It’s probably over 40 years old! 

You can see this desk has gone through the ringer! Besides missing one of the pulls, it had a ton of scratches.

I am so excited to work with Handy Products for a couple of projects. I have bought and used their products for years and when they asked to collaborate, I ecstatically said yes. Their products make paint jobs so much easier. I love the clever ideas they use to help you make your DIY projects successful. 

The first step was sanding the desk. It had a glossy sheen and I knew it needed to be removed. This step is important when you’re working with shiny or a glossy finish on a piece of furniture. I took my electric sander and went to work! 

After sanding, I took some tack cloths and wiped down all the debris. 

I used the Handy Paint Pail for the legs since I was using a brush. I love how the pail uses clear liners so that you never have to actually clean the red bucket. That’s not even the best function! It has a comfortable handle so that you have a firm grip on the bucket AND it has a magnet on the edge of the bucket. This allows you to magnetically attach the paint brush on the side instead of making it sit inside the paint at the bottom. GENIUS! They even sell Handy Paint Covers to go over trays, pails, brushes, and buckets so that you can use them when you’re ready again.

I also used the Handy Paint Tray and tray liner. The ergonomic handle makes it super easy to move around. It is also made of a Copolymer plastic material that offers chemical resistance. The tray has an area where you can insert the Handy Products roller so that it sits up on the tray and not in the paint. They have really thought of it all! I used the roller for the top of the table and it made for a nice clean finish without showing any paint strokes. 

At first, I had the original idea to make the desk two-toned and started painting the legs in a creamy white and black for the tabletop. After finishing it, I wasn’t happy with how it looked. It reminded me of a penguin. I decided to go all black instead and went with Carbon by Behr in a satin sheen. 

Once it was painted black, I was in love. I decided to add a little champagne gold paint accent to match the new acrylic hardware. I painted a skinny trim around the desk a soft metallic gold along with the feet. I just taped around the feet to give it a gold-dipped effect. 

After I finished painting, I added a few coats of clear lacquer by Watco. This step protects it from scratches and it makes it easier to wipe down in the future. Since the desk will be used every day, the laquer step is important. Try to do this step outside as the fumes are very strong and it needs to be done in a well-ventilated area. 

My favorite part is styling and I couldn’t wait to get it ready for Jimmy. We decided to move the desk in front of the windows and it has made a huge difference. I love how it came out and was so excited to show him. 

Here’s the AFTER!!

Jimmy said he loves looking outside to our back yard and enjoys getting all the natural light from this side of the room. For someone who is on conference calls the majority of the day, a change of scenery made a huge difference. Any modeling agencies hiring? Looks like someone is a natural! Work it!

The paint went on beautifully and I’m really digging all the gold accents. Painting it black helps the desk to blend in better with the navy backdrop. The modern update is much more our style. 

Jimmy said he needed a place for his drinks and somewhere to add pencils. I used a tray to hold a plant, a bowl for snacks, and a gold container for all his pens. The tray allows him to place a drink without it damaging any of the wood if it gets wet. 

We are so glad we decided to play musical furniture and move some things around. When a space isn’t working for you, try moving around the furniture. You may just end up loving the new layout more because it looks and functions better. 

Here he is in action! I still need to work on combining all of the wires but I added a basket next to the desk where all the cords sit in there. That way, we have one large power strip cord plugged into the wall instead of dealing with multiple cords. 

Jimmy is thrilled and that makes me happy. Thanks to my friends at Handy Products for helping to make this project another success! I hope this inspires you to take an old piece of furniture and give it new life again. If you are tight on space, try creating a small work station in your bedroom or another room in your home. 

If you have any questions about this DIY project, please ask away below in the comments section. I can’t wait to share my next project with Handy Products in our bedroom next month!

xoxo,

 

 

 

Let all that you do be done in Love. 1 Corinthians 16:14

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