Office Reveal

When I first moved into the palace (yes, that’s what we call it) in Chicago, I was little worried about not having a separate room outside my bedroom for an office. Because I work from home, I knew getting an office outside my bedroom was definitely something I needed to do for productivity (and sanity) reasons – aka trying to avoid working/sleeping/living within a 250 square foot radius.

Any of you living in a big city know that square footage can be a challenge, so making the most out of small spaces is important – especially when you share a space with multiple roommates. I thought outside the box on this one and transformed our little stairway ‘nook’ leading the upstairs into my office space. This is where I spend my days planning my content, answering e-mails, in phone meetings, finding inspiration, writing blog posts, photographing flat lays, styling outfits, shipping, receiving, and everything else that goes into my daily routine of creating contention my blog.

My favorite part of the office being in this spot in our house is the French style casement window above my desk. The natural light during the day is awesome because when you live in a brownstone, the front of the house is the only part where light comes in! I get to spy on see all my neighbors and get some sunlight – which is going to be especially important for hibernation season that’s quickly approaching here in the windy city. I did my best to link everything in the office to the exact item or something very similar and outfit detail are also at the end of this post. If I miss anything please don’t hesitate to ask any questions in the comment section below!

The Desk:

My favorite piece of furniture I own (maybe other than my bed). It’s feminine but understated, has drawers covered in shagreen detail, champagne coated geometric legs and hardware.. basically everything I’ve ever wanted in a desk. I fell in love with this Bernhardt desk that we sold while I was working as a showroom stylist for Alice Lane Home in Salt Lake City. I used to dream about having it in my own office one day so this is such a special piece to me! Purchase this desk here from Neiman Marcus.

The Hot Pink Overdyed Rug:

For an unexpected pop of color, I used this hot pink/fuchsia overdyed rug to add some personality to the room. I love how it makes the office pop when you’re looking at from the living room! Find it at Target here (mine is the 5’6′ x 8’3″).  I layered this sheepskin throw over the pink rug to add dimension.

Key statement pieces from Horchow:

“When God was designing heaven, he first flipped through the Horchow catalog. And bought one of everything.” This article pretty much nailed it when describing my love for Horchow’s furniture + decor items – the Neiman Marcus’s home interiors collection. When I’m putting a space together I like to mix upscale items with bargain pieces. There are several key pieces spread throughout my office I chose from Horchow to pull the room together:

Metal Banded Desk Lamp with Acryclic Base

Ivory Velvet X-Bench with Nailheads

Queen Anne Style Mirror above bench

Brindle Hairhide Rug

Similar Champagne Greek Key Wall Mirror

Sheepskin Bench with Acryclic Legs

The Gold Spotted Wallpaper:

SO MANY COMPLIMENTS ON THIS. From target – removable, so it’s good for renters. So easy to apply. My brother came over and helped me cut it and put it on the walls – it took less than 30 minutes! Find it here at Target – this 7′ x 9′ wall took 3 rolls (a lot I know, ugh).

Gold Edge Wall Calendars:

For all you crazy planners/list makers/calendar-obsessed people out there, these are for you! I found these a while ago at Target but they’ve sold out there. I just found them on amazon in gold and silver here.

Coffee Table Books:

One of my favorite parts of the room, these complete any space. (The 60″ crown moulding shelf is from Home Depot, here.)

Glamour Givenchy Triptych Art in Grayscale:

Sometimes when you love something it’s worth the splurge, and this glamorous vintage art was definitely that something. I’ve had my eye on this Soicher Marin piece forever I just didn’t know where I wanted to put it. It landed a spot as my left-hand-man, right next to me as I work at my desk! Available at One Kings Lane in black or white framing:

The Desk + Shelf Accessories:

Beth from South Loop Loft and I had such a fun time adding the finishing touches to the room. Most of the shelf + desk trinkets are one of a kind from South Loop Loft, find them here:

The Desk Chair:

Beth found this chair at an old estate sale (her job is so cool!), but the seat was covered in a pretty dated looking ivory brocade fabric. We recovered the seat with a plush dark fuchsia velvet to pull out the darker tones in the rug. Very little mermaid-ish, I love it! This chair is something fun + similar at South Loop.

Outfit Details:

Drape Back Dress from Banana Republic (size 00 Petite in Icy Pink) | Gold Tassel Slider Bracelet | Glitter Pumps

Thank you so much for stopping by to check it out, I had so much fun putting this little space together. I love how personal it feels – it’s definitely my happy place. Pretty soon I’ll be doing a home tour of our entire place (think MTV cribs style, haha) whenever I finish all the projects I’m working on for the place. My brother is a genius videographer, so I’m excited to put something fun together with him to you show you guys around! Thanks for stopping by, I’d love to hear your thoughts on the office, xo liv.

Sedbona Photography

A special thank you to the following partners for collaborating with me on my office: Horchow, Unlimited Furniture, Rugs USA, Southloop Loft, Target.