home office makeover - best laid plans

A trait that is at the top of the list when designing anything is flexibility. Things will always come up that you couldn't have planned for (without a crystal ball) and you've got to be able to bend and revise your plan. And almost always this works out for the best.

Case in point - the lighting for my office.

I had long imagined that I would use a huge black and gold lampshade as my 'chandelier' over my desk. I'd gotten the shade at an estate sale long ago and was waiting for just the right thing to use it for and my office was that thing. I even used it in my design plan.

So once I had the space cleaned out, and the paint was down, I started to play around with my lighting scheme. The space only had one sad little lightbulb hanging and the plan was to center a new light over the desk as well as add some other lights around the space and a few outlets for plugs, lamps (more lighting) etc.

But standing in the space I began to notice two things:
1. I don't have soaring ceilings down here so the light would either have to hang pretty close to the ceiling or it would hang down so low it would obstruct the view and act as one big blocker in the room. Kind of like that girl who's bangs are too long but she still lets them hang in her eyes. Clean it up girl!
2. I was planning enough lighting for a room twice the size of my office. I am all in favor of good mood lighting, but this was getting a bit crazy, even for me.

My perfectly planned lighting scheme was not going to work and I was feeling deflated. Damn it I love that black lamp shade! As I sulked in a G&T I remembered these beauties at a favorite local shop. They (the pair) are old, heavy as hell and beautiful. Very feminine and perfect for my office. They have since come to be known as the 'lady lamps' around this house and I'm madly in love with them.

And even though I said I would work to use only what I already had in this office project, they were my one treat.

And speaking of things I already had, my parents said I could use this old metal desk that sat in the back of my dad's shop for the past 20+ years.

Aside from a good cleaning, the desk was in perfect condition and just the vast workspace I was looking for. I used Amy Howard's Lacquer Spray Paint in Begonia (a full review of my experience coming soon)

and in an afternoon, had one very pink, very lady like desk. Perfect for my lady lamps.

The rug is one I got at a local annual sale. It is the same sale I got this stool, and these chairs (before and after). The rug was an impulse purchase because it was huge and TWO DOLLARS. At the time I had no idea when or where I would ever use it, but come on, TWO DOLLARS. It isn't my first choice but without intending to, the colors work really well with the floor and desk and did I mention it was two dollars? See hubs, eventually all that stuff I keep in our basement pays off.

So plans changed, things got lady like and I made lemonade out of two dollar lemons. That sounds like progress to me. Next up, curtains, fabrics and books, oh my.

Do you shop your own house when starting a new project? Do you buy things without really knowing where they will end up? Did you play a drinking game with my over usage of 'two dollars'? (You should have, I said it a lot)