The Best! DIY Home Office Make-Over

OMG, I'm in love with this office make-over by the fabulous Kate Riley Eshoo of Centsational Girl! This is one talented and creative woman who puts me and my DIY skills to shame. Honestly, when I see people set out to accomplish something in their home and actually DO IT, it makes me more determined than ever to get moving on the many (many, many) ideas I have in my head to transform my apartment on the cheap! (I guess time is the one factor that stands in the way of me turning my ideas into a reality). Anyway, take a look at how Kate transformed her drab home office into a chic, feminine and ultra stylish retreat to work and / or relax! Oh, and the best part is that she did ALL of it for under $1,000! I know, right?!  But yes, she put in a lot of time and effort (5 months) to refurbish thrift store finds, etc. and even hung the wallpaper herself...girl's got spunk!

OFFICE BEFORE...

OFFICE AFTER!

"It’s hard to tell in photographs, but this room is rather narrow.  It is less than 10 feet wide and only 12 feet deep.  The back of the space was a wall of white closet doors.  The challenge was to maximize both form and function.  So it was out with the dark wood, and in with the fresh white cabinetry and furniture."   

OFFICE DESK & WINDOW BEFORE...

AFTER

Kate transformed a table into a new writers desk that she handpainted and then added a glass top. The desk chair was rescued for $3 from a thrift shop and given new life with paint fabric and nailhead trim!

"Fixing up and installing this pair of gigantic bookcases took a ton of work, and were the final hurdle to completing the space.  I picked them up from an outlet that was closing its doors for $20 dollars each.  They were butter yellow, but not anymore !  They have tempered glass shelves and built in lighting so they were a complete steal – but I still had to refurbish and repaint them.  They help to maximize every inch of space from floor to ceiling, at least where they stand.   They also make the room appear a whole lot bigger than it is."

Drapery panels snagged from Overstock for super cheap! A brass scale she found at an antique shop - LOVE this! In the photo above this one: Creative ways to hold pens and business cards in nifty containers.

BEFORE...

AFTER

"The Drexel Heritage sofa was a thrift store find – I took the skirt off by hand (a million staples…) and had it professionally cleaned.  The circular rug is from Tar-jay and really completes the space with its dark contrast and blue swirl design.  The thrift store ottoman I also recovered myself."

"I also repainted and recovered this thrift store chair earlier this year and then finished it with some hand painted silver detail.  I made the pillow out of suit material and finished it off with a dark brown suit button."  IMAGE CREDITS: CENTSATIONAL GIRL

Are you impressed or what?!!?! To view the entire post with all of Kate's amazing DIY tips and tricks, click here. Have you transformed a room recently on a budget? Please share your ideas / tips! You can also email me photos to be considered for an upcoming DIY series I'm working on!  (P.S. Mom, if you're reading this, I'm inspired to give your "craft room" a make-over now more than ever - let's do it already!).