I know I originally said I wasn’t going to refer to my new computer area as a ‘home office’ though it’s just the most self-explanatory title, so home office it is.
You may remember I was in a bit of a pickle over finding some appropriate cabinetry. The restrictive proportions of the space teamed with our hulking great computer (and other paraphernalia) plus the need to store ALL of our books was making my search really tricky.
Though as you may or may not know, I’m not a millionaire, so I couldn’t quite stomach the idea of forking out big bikkies on a bespoke build.
Well….we were at a family birthday recently when a builder friend of ours mentioned, without even a word about my home office dilemma – promise – that he was interested in some extra little ‘backyard’ jobs.
Could his timing have been more perfect?
So I brought up my conundrum and after some discussion we decided it was a great win-win solution.
A few weeks on I now have this….
Granted, it is hard to decipher from that photo, and I’m not trying to be elusive, it’s just the best ‘before’ shot I could muster. Basically it’s a simple free standing modular-type cabinet. There will be a long spanning desk sandwiched between two deep lower cabinets and two tall upper bookcases. It’s a pretty conventional solution, kinda like this (minus the mini guitar and green tractor)….
As much as I covet built-in cabinetry, we have eventual plans to remodel some of our internal rooms so I wasn’t ready to go down that long road yet. Having a free-standing unit gives us the flexibility to reposition it if needed plus there is no installation required.
To keep costs down our friend built the cabinet out of pine ply and, of course, I’m finishing it off myself. In the above ‘before’ shot it is waiting in my parent’s driveway for a nice refreshing white paint shower courtesy of one of these bad boys….
I paint with an air compressor and spray gun quite a bit. It’s especially awesome for large or intricate pieces. There are pros and cons to forgoing the brush, though for a big project like this the spray gun is simply faster and less monotonous – which basically means at the end of the day hopefully I’ll still have some hair left (albeit paint-caked)!
I’m sorry that I don’t yet have an ‘after’ shot to share, though it’s coming….
one day….
soon….
hopefully :-)
It’s going to look great! Spray painting is a great choice as the finish is better I think. We spray painted all the shelving in my studio as well as our mantelpiece and the finish is great. No visible brushstrokes!
x
It will be great once complete.
Can’t wait to see it finished!
I really like the style, simple but well designed. I look forward to seeing the finished piece.
Karen
It’s going to be amazing – I love the idea of sitting at the desk and looking out the window. Hopefully you will have the same thing with your design.
Gotta get me a paint sprayer – the next big job is the kitchen cabinets (inside and out).
Can you tell us about your spray gun and compressor? How many gallons is your compressor and which gun do you use? I’m in the market but waffling about which gun to buy and not knowing whether one that attaches to my compressor will do the job well.
Hi Hillary
I’ve had quite a few emails about using a compressor so am going to do a post on it in the future.
I inherited mine, so to be honest, I don’t know a whole heap about it – I just use it! I’ve had a few different guns and have found them all really similar. I don’t recommend buying the cheapest gun you can find. Something around mid-range should be fine.
Kristine
Sounds like it’s going to look beautiful!
It is going to look great. This is just how I want to makeover our office space. As of now we have a huge desk that takes up most of the room. I’m having a hard time finding the cabinets. Wish I had a friend as handy as yours.
Good on you, you make it sounds so easy. You have me inspired me to give it a go when I start renovating. Can’t wait to see the after shots. Hayley x
Congratulations on your transition to WordPress. I’m on WordPress and love it.
waaah, I really like how it is after… What a good idea. I’ll wait to have my own house and some spare room!!! But i keap the idea
what kind air compressor
Hi Homer
I’m not sure off the top of my head sorry. It lives at my parent’s house and we inherited it from my husband’s Dad. It’s quite a good one from what I’ve been told.
Kristine