Planning a budget-friendly home office redesign and shifting my aesthetic from farmhouse to an updated traditional style.
Earlier this year I published my 2020 House Goals and Resolutions, where an office redesign ranked near the bottom of the list. However, when my husband politely started pointing out a few inconveniences with the current setup, the office quickly moved up in priority. A happy partner makes the whole project worthwhile.
CURRENT OFFICE DESIGN
It’s hard to believe it’s been nearly six years since we bought this house, remodeled the interior and began decorating every room. Back when I first decorated the office I was deep into farmhouse style, incorporating as many rustic, vintage touches as possible. Lately, though, I’ve felt ready to evolve the room toward a more updated traditional look—cleaner lines, warm wood tones and a slightly more tailored feel.
To keep the makeover budget friendly, I’m prioritizing pieces I already own and reimagining them in new ways. I did invest in a couple of new furniture items, but careful shopping and reselling older pieces covered much of the cost: the original desk and a vintage mailbox sorter both found new owners, which helped fund replacements.
Below you’ll see the design board that inspired this updated traditional direction, followed by a rundown of what’s been changed so far and the remaining tasks to finish the room.
Before bringing in anything new, I cleared the room of art, draperies and accessories so I could really see the bones of the space. Stripping things back like this makes visualizing the new scheme so much easier. Right now the room looks a bit disjointed—that’s normal at this stage. Once the remaining elements come together, the color palette and layered textures will feel cohesive.
THE DESK AREA
The original desk was a large, ornate piece with heavy legs that filled the room. I loved it—especially after painting the legs—but after about fifteen years it no longer fit the updated traditional direction I have in mind. It also left less leg room, which made it awkward for my tall husband.
We replaced it with a smaller desk in a honey-toned wood that has cleaner lines and more functional leg room under the center drawer. I’m still adjusting to the reduced scale, but it already feels more proportionate to the room and better suited to daily use.
THE BOOKCASES
The bookcases became a standout feature when we previously repainted them and added a DIY sliding barn door. With the office style shift, the barn door hardware has been removed and repurposed elsewhere, and I’m planning a more tailored look for the shelving.
I intend to add DIY cabinet doors to the lower sections for cleaner storage. I’m still undecided about treatments for the backs of the bookcases; I’ll let the rest of the room come together before making a final call on paint or paneling behind the shelves.
THE WINDOW AREA
Originally I had a pair of compact gray chairs near the window that worked well when the room featured a much larger desk. Now that the desk is smaller, this corner can comfortably accommodate the wing-back chairs I’ve wanted since the project began.
Swapping these chairs will soften the room’s profile and add the classic silhouette that supports the updated traditional look. I plan to layer in simple draperies, a lamp with a cleaner shape and, possibly, an area rug to ground the seating area.
THE PROCESS AND APPROACH
My goal for this office redesign has been to balance thrift and elegance. That means prioritizing functional updates—like switching to a more comfortable desk—while layering in classic finishes that elevate the space without a major budget outlay. Selling older items, repurposing what still works and doing a few DIY projects allows me to create a fresh, timeless room without overspending.
THE TO-DO LIST
replace desk with something smaller and with better leg roomreplace the gray arm chairs with wing back chairs- replace the vintage mail sorter with artwork and consider adding wall sconces
- add a pair of DIY cabinet doors to each bookcase base
- decide whether to paint or add a finish to the back of the bookcases
- replace the chandelier with a fixture that suits updated traditional style
- swap the eyeball recessed cans for standard recessed lighting
- give the lateral file a refreshed finish
- update hardware on the lateral file and the chest with shuttered doors
- replace the draperies with a simpler, more tailored treatment
- replace the lamp with one that complements the new aesthetic
- possibly add an area rug to define the seating area
- final styling and decorate to complete the room
Progress is already underway, and I’ll keep reworking and editing pieces until the space feels cohesive. The plan is to layer classic shapes, warm woods and tailored textiles to achieve an updated traditional office that’s functional, comfortable and budget conscious.