Pam's retro office remodel
Sun, 5 Aug 2012Remember this post from last week of an office with wallpaper samples on the wall? Well, Pam of RetroRenovation.com thought our readers might like to see what she did with her office as it has the same "patchwork" going on on the walls. Her new office is SO FUN, and she has in fact inspired me to do something with all of the vintage wrapping paper I have stashed away that I bought on Etsy a couple years ago. I'm thinking of cutting it into pieces and gluing it to the island in my dressing room. :) ANYHOO, she sent along some photos and info on her office remodel. Check it out:
I needed to renovate my office principally to add more insulation -- it's in the basement. I am a fulltime blogger now -- and the time had come to make this space truly comfy cozy and my own. I also wanted to add crafting space -- I love to collage. And, I had a hoard of vintage wallpaper -- from the 1920s through the 1970s -- I'd collected over the years -- often, in onesy-twosey rolls that were not enough to paper a room. Also, I am just more color crazy than EVER and wanted to create a space that appealed to me just me I don't care what anyone else thinks! Put these all together and you get my crazy patchwork quilt office. I used nearly 300 12" x 12" squares -- I cut each and every one. My friend Denise (pictured me in the American Gothic photo) helped me put it up. She is a decorative painter and has a great eye. While it might look "insane" at first glance, there really is a rhyme and reason to the papers chosen. (cough cough I have more). The principal field is sort of acid yellow and acid green patterned with off white or soft white... and there are also softer yellows, greens and oranges, also in patterns with soft white. From there, we added complements... "pops"... of purple, rusty red, and that very strong, more solid lime green. The crafting space is Ikea Trofast children's storage with Herman Miller! Countertops found at the Re-Store. I had recessed storage built into the wall above my crafting area. The trim also comes from the Re-Store. I kept the wood as-is: Not Perfect is the New Perfect. The foofy white trim around the shuttered window (orange shutters were my mother-in-law's) I painted glossy white. Ceiling trim (also from Re-Store) is a grass green. I added a pretty mirrored medicine cabinet. Because I could. Track lights around edge. Vintage wagon wheel light in center. Oh, and I sent you a shot of my vintage Sunbeam Appliance Center, which I installed for fun but also for a little bit of light on the countertop.
Reader Comments (5)
wow there's a lot going on here but it seems to make its creator (great dress, BTW) very happy which is the point of decorating, isn't it?!
spectacular use for a collection of vintage wallpaper, great idea
Beautifully done collage room, the simple shelving and neutral floor keeps everything under control. Definitely a room designed to spark off creative powers!
This is just amazing. I couldn't in a million years spend time in that room, but I so admire the effort and creativity that has gone into it. Wonderful.
I never thought of doing a collage room...that's such a smart idea!
Hi Kim, Thank you so much for featuring my office remodel! OMG, this was such a fun project. I really want to... wallpaper the world! Ironically, this didn't satisfy my desire for crazy color and pattern -- it made me want more more more. buwahahahaha, my evil plan is to spread it everywhere. xoxo pam