Pottery Barn Bedford Home Office Update: Welcome to the 108th Metamorphosis Monday!

"Life is what happens when we're busy making other plans." Isn't that how the saying goes? This certainly wasn't how I planned it when I noodled out the creation of a home office. If you look at the list on my sidebar, "Strip off wallpaper" was much, much higher on the list than "Move furniture into office" and "Move computer, printer, etc...to office."

But life threw me a curve in the way of extremely ornery wallpaper and a neck/shoulders that are rebelling LOUDLY at the idea of me sitting one more minute at the make-shift desk in my bedroom dressing area. Advil has become my best friend lately and I've been having an electric sensation going down my arm from my neck to my thumb whenever I sit at the built-in dressing table where I've been writing and working. So, even though the wall paper backing isn't down and the walls are not painted, I decided it was time to make the move before I ended up with permanent nerve damage from working at a desk that's about 4 inches too short. But don't worry, all the desk "parts" are on pads that slide easily as needed. So it won't be that difficult to move to work on the walls.

I'm taking you through this process exactly as I've been going through it myself. I have so many plans for this space but they will have to reveal themselves gradually as they occur. So, here's where we are today...




So far, I really love working here. It's a light-filled, happy space. :) I'm enjoying watching the squirrels running up and down the trees and the birds flying down to the feeders near the porch. On pretty days like today, I can throw up the windows and enjoy the fresh air.




This past week was spent moving computers, monitors, speakers, a printer and buying new VGA and DVI cables since the old ones were too short. I had no idea how expensive cables could be! It was also spent unpackaging the Chelsea chair and the Open Bedford unit which is the unit with the baskets. The chair and the open unit both arrived earlier than predicted, so that was a nice surprise. This past week, I bought a corner desktop hutch, put files into the file drawers and had the desk tops measured for glass. The glass tops are supposed to be delivered on either Monday or Tuesday. I'm being super careful right now to NOT scratch or mark the desk surface.

I chose to put the CPU unit on the left with the printer on top.




Just look at that wall damaged from removing wallpaper. :( On second thought, don't look at it. Today we are celebrating that I'm no longer sitting at a desk that kills my neck. We are going to pretend like the walls are smooth and beautiful and covered in the loveliest shade of paint. Are you with me on this? ;)

I decided at the last minute (3 days ago) to purchase the Bedfored "corner hutch" because I wanted some place convenient to store the paper for the printer and I wanted the monitors to be up on eye level to avoid any further neck strain. That's the printer you see to the left, so this layout works really well. I'm sharing a few of the details about this layout in case you are considering this furniture for your own home office.




One of my favorite parts of the office so far is watching the light dance across the top of the desk. It really is the little things that delight, you know. :)




I have no idea right now what I'll be keeping in those baskets. I just loved how they looked in the PB pictures and wanted to incorporate them somehow into this office. I put little fuzzy chair pads on the bottom so they wouldn't scratch the furniture as I pull them in and out.




If you are online a lot like I am, I highly recommend two monitors. I love having my photos up on one screen while I'm creating a blog post on the other. It's also convenient for some other work I do online during the day. Once you have double monitors, you think of a million ways to use them. I don't think I could ever go back to a single monitor now. Windows 7 is programmed to automatically recognize when you have two monitors so it's super easy to add another monitor if you have Windows 7.

The other thing I really like about the corner hutch is it provides a convenient place to charge my smart phone and the camera battery...two things that need charging fairly often. I have the outlet on the corner hutch plugged into a surge protector, as well as the computer, printer, monitors, speakers, etc... You can never be too safe with stuff like that.




So, that's the "State of the Office" address for this week. ;) The pretty stuff is coming, y'all. I promise. It is going to get prettier so hang in there with me. If you haven't seen the "Before" for this room, click HERE and HERE.


If you haven't yet entered the giveaway for the beautiful Mikasa French Countryside Ruby Goblets, you can do that HERE.



Looking forward to seeing your Before and Afters!



Metamorphosis Monday:
If you are participating in Metamorphosis Monday: Please be sure to add your permalink below, and not your general blog address. To get your permalink, click on your post name, then just copy and paste the address that shows up in the address bar at the top, into the "url" box for the picture linky. You'll also need to put your e-mail address in, but don't worry, it will not be visible to anyone.

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Please DO NOT type in all caps...it spreads the links waaaay out. Thanks! :-)

Let's try something fun today! Please visit the person who linked before you and after you...that way everyone will get some visits. Hope you'll visit more, of course. :-)


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