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gkids09 01:05 PM 06-13-2011
I HATE to keep asking decorating/organization questions, but I really need help. I have a TINY office at my daycare. I do not live in my daycare; it is a separate house, and the entire house is used for daycare purposes only.
Anyway, my office was my great grandfather's office when he was alive and lived here and had his accounting business here. The desk seriously takes up 3/4 of the room. It's about the size of a walk-in closet, and the desk is about the size of a car. ha! No seriously, that's what it feels like...I would hate to get rid of the desk, just because besides being ginormous, it is also from the 1950s, and is basically a part of my family. KWIM?
So what I want to know is, what are some ways to make a TINY office look not so tiny?? The room has 3 windows, all side-by-side, and that helps, but there's gotta be something that can make it LOOK better. I am thinking curtains, but would they actually make it look smaller?? UGH idk!!!!!
Thanks in advance!!
Anyway, my office was my great grandfather's office when he was alive and lived here and had his accounting business here. The desk seriously takes up 3/4 of the room. It's about the size of a walk-in closet, and the desk is about the size of a car. ha! No seriously, that's what it feels like...I would hate to get rid of the desk, just because besides being ginormous, it is also from the 1950s, and is basically a part of my family. KWIM?
So what I want to know is, what are some ways to make a TINY office look not so tiny?? The room has 3 windows, all side-by-side, and that helps, but there's gotta be something that can make it LOOK better. I am thinking curtains, but would they actually make it look smaller?? UGH idk!!!!!
Thanks in advance!!
AfterSchoolMom 01:13 PM 06-13-2011
Hang curtains made from a light fabric, but hang them at ceiling height instead of window height, and make sure they go all the way to the floor (or an inch or so above it). This gives the impression of a taller ceiling.
Hang a mirror on the wall adjacent to or opposite of the windows, and that will reflect more light and make the space feel more open.
What color are your walls and ceiling? Light colors are best. Also, if you have bookshelves in the room, consider painting them the same color as the walls to make them recess into the space.
Finally, make sure that the room is as free of clutter as possible, and if you can, keep things off of the floor.
Hope this helps.
Hang a mirror on the wall adjacent to or opposite of the windows, and that will reflect more light and make the space feel more open.
What color are your walls and ceiling? Light colors are best. Also, if you have bookshelves in the room, consider painting them the same color as the walls to make them recess into the space.
Finally, make sure that the room is as free of clutter as possible, and if you can, keep things off of the floor.
Hope this helps.
gkids09 01:16 PM 06-13-2011
The entire room is paneling...
The ceiling is white "popcorn" ceiling, but there are two shelves built in. I definitely have a lot of cleaning out to do, because it still has stuff in it that was my grandmothers 20 years ago. lol
I will definitely look into the curtains. I think just a little bit of color may help, and the mirror too, hopefully!! I wish I could take some pictures, but I am seriously EMBARRASSED of the way it looks!!!
The ceiling is white "popcorn" ceiling, but there are two shelves built in. I definitely have a lot of cleaning out to do, because it still has stuff in it that was my grandmothers 20 years ago. lol I will definitely look into the curtains. I think just a little bit of color may help, and the mirror too, hopefully!! I wish I could take some pictures, but I am seriously EMBARRASSED of the way it looks!!!
AfterSchoolMom 01:18 PM 06-13-2011
There's nothing wrong with painting paneling, if you want to make the effort - just prime it first. You'd be surprised at the enormous difference that would make! We had a house once with paneled walls and we primed and painted them white - it was like the rooms grew 75 percent bigger!
MarinaVanessa 01:21 PM 06-13-2011
What color is the desk? If the desk is stained or painted a dark color you could always strip it and refinish it or sand it and repaint it to a lighter color. Updating it by changing the knobs and drawer pulls also helps if you can do it. Maybe painting it white? I had a desk that was hand-made but it was an ugly brown color and looked really outdated. Our decor is modern black with satin nickel accents so I painted the desk black and changed the knobs to match what we already had and it made a world of difference.
Also in small rooms having minimal furniture is better. Is the desk the only thing in there? If you have other things like a tall filing cabinet you can downsize to two shorter filing cabinets or move them from the room alltogether. As for window treatments you could put something light and airy up also in a light color. Not keeping a lot of clutter on the surfaces of the desk, shelves etc alo helps. Get rid of knick knacks completely or keep it to a bare minimum (maybe only keep things given to you by children or having to do with children and keeping these to a bare minimum).
The key to a small room is using light and soothing colors as distractions. We have a tiny half bath in my DC so we changed the cabinets from a medium wood tone to plain white and added a large white mirror. My hunny wanted to sponge the walls a deep green so I had him at a white chair-rail all around the bathroom which distracts your focus lol. It all totally changed the feeling of the size of the room. Can you hang a large mirror in there (or two on oppisite walls) to give the illusion of a bigger room? Without actually seeing it it's hard to give specific tips but I at least helped a bit.
Also in small rooms having minimal furniture is better. Is the desk the only thing in there? If you have other things like a tall filing cabinet you can downsize to two shorter filing cabinets or move them from the room alltogether. As for window treatments you could put something light and airy up also in a light color. Not keeping a lot of clutter on the surfaces of the desk, shelves etc alo helps. Get rid of knick knacks completely or keep it to a bare minimum (maybe only keep things given to you by children or having to do with children and keeping these to a bare minimum).
The key to a small room is using light and soothing colors as distractions. We have a tiny half bath in my DC so we changed the cabinets from a medium wood tone to plain white and added a large white mirror. My hunny wanted to sponge the walls a deep green so I had him at a white chair-rail all around the bathroom which distracts your focus lol. It all totally changed the feeling of the size of the room. Can you hang a large mirror in there (or two on oppisite walls) to give the illusion of a bigger room? Without actually seeing it it's hard to give specific tips but I at least helped a bit.
gkids09 01:21 PM 06-13-2011
Would you suggest painting it white, or painting it another light color? I definitely have thought about it!! I just will have to take the time to come one weekend and DO it. ha!
I also made one of my paneling walls in another room more colorful by adding scrapbook paper and then the kids' pictures on it, and I LOVE it. I think I may paint the paneling in the office and do the shelf wall with scrapbook paper to add a bit of color there too?? What do you think??
I also made one of my paneling walls in another room more colorful by adding scrapbook paper and then the kids' pictures on it, and I LOVE it. I think I may paint the paneling in the office and do the shelf wall with scrapbook paper to add a bit of color there too?? What do you think??
MarinaVanessa 01:28 PM 06-13-2011
Originally Posted by AfterSchoolMom:
There's nothing wrong with painting paneling, if you want to make the effort - just prime it first. You'd be surprised at the enormous difference that would make! We had a house once with paneled walls and we primed and painted them white - it was like the rooms grew 75 percent bigger!
I totally agree. My moms house is smaller in square footage than our condo and her dining room area was tiny and had that ugly dark FAKE paneling. Talk about an eyesore. She didn't want to pull it out because she was afraid that doing that would cause more problems so I just painted it a pretty (very pale) soft green. She bought very light see-through pale lilac curtains that reached almost to the floor and that made it look like the windows were bigger. I took everything out of the dining room except for the dining room table, 1 painting and a small table that she put a plant on and just has to keep it tidy and it feels refreshing walking into there now.There's nothing wrong with painting paneling, if you want to make the effort - just prime it first. You'd be surprised at the enormous difference that would make! We had a house once with paneled walls and we primed and painted them white - it was like the rooms grew 75 percent bigger!
MarinaVanessa 01:33 PM 06-13-2011
Originally Posted by gkids09:
Would you suggest painting it white, or painting it another light color?
I would paint it any other furniture, shelves etc. white. Then do the walls a different light color. Like an airy blue or soft green. Something fresh.Would you suggest painting it white, or painting it another light color?
Originally Posted by gkids09:
I think I may paint the paneling in the office and do the shelf wall with scrapbook paper to add a bit of color there too?? What do you think??
That sounds great! As long as it doesn't look cluttered I think that's an awesome idea.I think I may paint the paneling in the office and do the shelf wall with scrapbook paper to add a bit of color there too?? What do you think??
gkids09 03:30 PM 06-13-2011
Originally Posted by MarinaVanessa:
What color is the desk? If the desk is stained or painted a dark color you could always strip it and refinish it or sand it and repaint it to a lighter color. Updating it by changing the knobs and drawer pulls also helps if you can do it. Maybe painting it white? I had a desk that was hand-made but it was an ugly brown color and looked really outdated. Our decor is modern black with satin nickel accents so I painted the desk black and changed the knobs to match what we already had and it made a world of difference.
Also in small rooms having minimal furniture is better. Is the desk the only thing in there? If you have other things like a tall filing cabinet you can downsize to two shorter filing cabinets or move them from the room alltogether. As for window treatments you could put something light and airy up also in a light color. Not keeping a lot of clutter on the surfaces of the desk, shelves etc alo helps. Get rid of knick knacks completely or keep it to a bare minimum (maybe only keep things given to you by children or having to do with children and keeping these to a bare minimum).
The key to a small room is using light and soothing colors as distractions. We have a tiny half bath in my DC so we changed the cabinets from a medium wood tone to plain white and added a large white mirror. My hunny wanted to sponge the walls a deep green so I had him at a white chair-rail all around the bathroom which distracts your focus lol. It all totally changed the feeling of the size of the room. Can you hang a large mirror in there (or two on oppisite walls) to give the illusion of a bigger room? Without actually seeing it it's hard to give specific tips but I at least helped a bit.
The desk is stained a dark brown. It is SERIOUSLY huge...I am staying after hours now to clean out the office and sort of start over..dh is a farmer and won't be home til late anyway! lol What color is the desk? If the desk is stained or painted a dark color you could always strip it and refinish it or sand it and repaint it to a lighter color. Updating it by changing the knobs and drawer pulls also helps if you can do it. Maybe painting it white? I had a desk that was hand-made but it was an ugly brown color and looked really outdated. Our decor is modern black with satin nickel accents so I painted the desk black and changed the knobs to match what we already had and it made a world of difference.
Also in small rooms having minimal furniture is better. Is the desk the only thing in there? If you have other things like a tall filing cabinet you can downsize to two shorter filing cabinets or move them from the room alltogether. As for window treatments you could put something light and airy up also in a light color. Not keeping a lot of clutter on the surfaces of the desk, shelves etc alo helps. Get rid of knick knacks completely or keep it to a bare minimum (maybe only keep things given to you by children or having to do with children and keeping these to a bare minimum).
The key to a small room is using light and soothing colors as distractions. We have a tiny half bath in my DC so we changed the cabinets from a medium wood tone to plain white and added a large white mirror. My hunny wanted to sponge the walls a deep green so I had him at a white chair-rail all around the bathroom which distracts your focus lol. It all totally changed the feeling of the size of the room. Can you hang a large mirror in there (or two on oppisite walls) to give the illusion of a bigger room? Without actually seeing it it's hard to give specific tips but I at least helped a bit.
I don't think it is going to be easy, if even possible, to MOVE the desk to be able to refinish or paint it (I think they literally built it AFTER they put the parts of it in the room), but I think new knobs might help update it a bit.
The clutter part is what gets me...I have so much STUFF. It's mine, my grandmother's, and I even found some of my great-grandparents' stuff in there too!!
It's going to take A LOT of time and A LOT of patience to go through everything. I have a tall filing cabinet AND a wooden cabinet that are full. That's why I have clutter: the cabinets are full and I don't have room for MY stuff!
I think I would be able to do one mirror, but probably not two because of the way the room is set up. I really feel like it is very unprofessional for people who come in to get their kids enrolled! If my office is total chaos, what will my daycare be like, ya know?? That's the only chaotic place in the house, but it's still basically the first impression parents get!
Originally Posted by MarinaVanessa:
I would paint it any other furniture, shelves etc. white. Then do the walls a different light color. Like an airy blue or soft green. Something fresh.
That sounds great! As long as it doesn't look cluttered I think that's an awesome idea.
I think I may have some paint left over from when I painted my house 6 months ago. I have a very light green, and an almost beachy blue.. Maybe that would work! I also have a light yellow and a creamy color, but I think the green or blue would be best. I would paint it any other furniture, shelves etc. white. Then do the walls a different light color. Like an airy blue or soft green. Something fresh.
That sounds great! As long as it doesn't look cluttered I think that's an awesome idea.
I have got to get this place organized now. Wish me luck!!
Abigail 06:54 PM 06-13-2011
Here is a question for you. Do you "like" the desk being a part of your business in that room? I personally wouldn't paint/prime the desk because it is so old. Many people enjoy antiques and I'm sure it's in decent shape since it's still in working condition. It's now YOUR business and YOU need to decide how things will be best for the daycare. Do you have an attic or garage to place a filing cabinet for all your grandma's papers to keep for so-many years?
What color is the floor? Do you have any rugs or is it carpet? I would first start out by painting all the walls a shade of white. This will help dramatically with the room. I would make this office room more inviting for adults so stay away from the same colors and designs as what is in the daycare space so you have an adult place of business to meet potential clients. Have some flowers and a small candy dish and business cards on the desk. Hang up family photos in the room along with a mirror and actual artwork that you enjoy looking at. (Not the children's, but really art that you personally enjoy). I agree with adding one long sheer curtains that start about 3 inches below the ceiling and hang a foot or two below the window just to give the room a taller feel to it. Start with that and you'll really like it!
What color is the floor? Do you have any rugs or is it carpet? I would first start out by painting all the walls a shade of white. This will help dramatically with the room. I would make this office room more inviting for adults so stay away from the same colors and designs as what is in the daycare space so you have an adult place of business to meet potential clients. Have some flowers and a small candy dish and business cards on the desk. Hang up family photos in the room along with a mirror and actual artwork that you enjoy looking at. (Not the children's, but really art that you personally enjoy). I agree with adding one long sheer curtains that start about 3 inches below the ceiling and hang a foot or two below the window just to give the room a taller feel to it. Start with that and you'll really like it!
countrymom 06:02 AM 06-14-2011
i agree with others
dont paint the desk
change the hardware
paint the walls, I love green
hang ceiling to floor curtain, sheer would be nice
add flowers, pictures of kids drawings
add a welcome sign on the door too
dont paint the desk
change the hardware
paint the walls, I love green
hang ceiling to floor curtain, sheer would be nice
add flowers, pictures of kids drawings
add a welcome sign on the door too
SandeeAR 06:45 AM 06-14-2011
When you prime, I would suggest "Kiltz". It will help keep the "knot holes" from bleeding thru. Also paint the ceiling with the Kiltz. It will make the ceiling whiter than regular white paint and will brighten the room.
When painting a popcorn ceiling, just roll it slowly. Paint the entire ceiling, rolling on direction. When that dries, roll the ceiling in the opposite direction.
I agree with the curtains from ceiling to floor and the mirror!
When painting a popcorn ceiling, just roll it slowly. Paint the entire ceiling, rolling on direction. When that dries, roll the ceiling in the opposite direction.
I agree with the curtains from ceiling to floor and the mirror!
AfterSchoolMom 07:09 AM 06-14-2011
I agree with getting the Kilz for primer, but get the Kilz 2 because it has FAR less of an odor. The regular Kilz will make your eyes water. 