Dressing Up My Work Space on a Budget
Since the pandemic 2 years ago, my new normal, as hundreds of thousands of others, has been to work from home. If you’re like me, you want to make your office area your own. You want a place to be professional, attend zoom meetings, but also create a relaxed, stress-free environment; creating this area, and as cheaply as possible, is icing on the cake.
My laptop was provided by the company and my dad gave me an extra monitor and keyboard so I’d have 2 screens to work from. My husband, a computer store owner, provided extra cords and a wireless mouse. I was already ahead, thanks to family!
Next, I wanted a small, cheap desk, as I didn’t have a huge area. I checked Facebook Marketplace and found a desk for $30 but was able to get the purchase price down to $20. Next, I went to HomeGoods and found these beautiful glass drawer knobs for $10. I chose the glass knobs because they reminded me of the glass doorknobs from my grandparent’s old home; I loved that old house that always brought me peace and comfort.
The most expensive item I purchased was my Scentsy wax warmer light globe and wax melts. I purchased a $3 encouragement sign for my desk and framed the front of a Mother’s Day card that one of my daughter’s had gotten me; it was a beautiful card and completely matched my color scheme. I purchased a small can of chalk paint to paint the desk.
The antique chair was my grandmother’s that I purchased from my parents for $25. I measured the seat and bought material from JoAnn’s. I wish I had taken a picture of the dark wood of the chair before I started the first coat of paint. Using the same white chalk paint I used on the desk, I painted about 3 layers on the chair and used dark blue chalk paint and a small brush on all the grooves to emphasize the lines of the chair. The old chair was built really strong so I only needed to reupholster the seat. I think it turned out beautifully.
Lastly, I set up my little buddy, Baxter, in his little area beside me. He follows me everywhere so he needed his own space as well. And because I love my little sidekick so much, I of course had to make something for my wall that showed that. I saw this canvas at Hobby Lobby and it resembled Baxter; it was just too cute and I incorporated the canvas, the colors and made a wreath that looked like my baby. Eventually, I may add an area rug that my daughter left behind when she left for grad school; it would actually match! And it’s free! Sometimes I walk around the house and redecorate so more things may come in later to decorate the office more…who knows?