Didn't I paint something recently?

This is going to be embarrassing.

BEFORE:

Poor lighting. Weird window. A folded-up treadmill masquerading as a Giant Twelve-Ton Black Thing. And yes, that is a DEAD PLANT on the top of the bookshelf. NICE.

 

View from the desk. That's the space under the stairs (Phillip installed that clothes rack to store winter coats, ingenious, but also not that helpful? Don't tell him I said that.) Anyway, the space under the stairs doesn't look too stuffed, does it? That's because everything that SHOULD be under the stairs is in a pile in the middle of the room. I hate that filing cabinet. I also hate the shoe rack next to it. And on top of the filing cabinet is an enormous printer and a picture frame I gave Phillip (so he could have pictures of his kids at work) two Valentine's Days ago. It's been there probably as long as the dead plant. 

 

Man at Work. Also, this was after we'd been picking things up and filling bags for Goodwill. The day before you couldn't SEE the floor. 

So! 

We moved everything out (or gave it away). This was not all that great for people coming OVER to my house, as they had to navigate an obstacle course just to get to the stairs (and we make people take their shoes off, because we are mean) and they had to avoid things like Teetering Towers of Programming Manuals and Dusty Heaps Of Cables and DEAD PLANTS!

Then we painted. Martha Stewart's Gray Pearl. I like it. It also doesn't look like we painted, until you notice the white trim (or the poor edging job. Have I mentioned I hate painting? Possibly because I SUCK AT IT?) 

Then I started trolling Craigslist for The Perfect Filing Cabinet Replacement. I've yet to find it. But also, I want to move, and I don't want to find The Perfect Filing Cabinet Replacement just to put it back on Craigslist in six months. It's not like the furniture we already have is falling apart. It's just ugly. But whatever. It's not MY office. 

I also spend an embarrassingly long time in Jo Ann Fabric trying to locate The Perfect Curtain Fabric. I wanted to hang a curtain via tension rod to hide the space under the stairs. I ended up buying the floral fabric that caught my eye the moment I walked into the store, only because, and I swear this is true, everything else was horrible. I almost bought little kid material in a Going To School theme, because if I couldn't make a PRETTY curtain maybe I could make a CLEVER curtain. I knew Phillip would hate it. He does. But ask me if I care enough to try and find another piece of material. GO AHEAD. 

Then we went to Ikea and nixed every possible wall shelf, although we did come home with a plant. We ended up buying silver brackets to replace the black brackets on the shelves we already had. Then I dragged a chair into the kitchen so I could reach the three jam jars that have been sitting in the cabinet above the fridge for YEARS. They are now storing multiple USB drives, a couple of mini flashlights and a handful of twist ties- all the things that NEED A PLACE and previously drove me crazy because THEY DIDN'T HAVE A PLACE. 

I also framed a glued-together-puzzle that's been propped up in my closet for, uh, YEARS. Again with the years. My parents gave me this puzzle for Christmas my senior year of high school. I went to London over New Year's and when I came home my puzzle was FINISHED. Perhaps I was a tiny bit IRKED. But I love this puzzle - it's a drawing of... ants? playing pianos? in a square like St. Mark's in Venice? I TOOK A PICTURE. I love it and I never knew what to do with it. Now it is in the office. 

I also did my very best to print out two family photos, but our printer is on the fritz and I didn't get those pictures up for the Big Reveal. I hope you will give me a pass, especially once you see that there is no longer a DEAD PLANT. 

And so. AFTER:

The plant! Is alive! 

 

The shelves used to be a little off center. I like them much better this way. Possibly because I am unabashedly anal-retentive. And that picture frame on the floor will be hung shelf-level once I print the right picture. 

 

The curtain. Sigh. I'm afraid of what you think. But I really like it. The background color is about the same gray as the walls, it's not FLOWERY flowery because it's more DRAWINGS of flowers than ACTUAL flowers, and this room needed a little color. But I can see how you'd get "Tablecloth" or "Grandma's Muumuu". Still looks better than a view of poorly stacked boxes. And the printer cable is messily strung along the floor. Only so much I can do re: cable-happy husband, people. Also: I organized the shoes. We'll see how long that lasts.

 

My puzzle hanging above the treadmill. We used to have a shelf there so I could watch Hulu while I ran, but I've since decided that I much prefer listening to music. I still like having something to look at, though. 

See? Ants! Playing pianos! In the square! 

 

I still hate this bookshelf. And nearly everything on it. For example! The odd blob in the middle of the second shelf is a jade ox. And that is why it lives in the office. Also! Are you reading this, Janet? That Scruples box right there is TOTALLY YOURS. Sorry! The little knight on a horse on top of the bookshelf is Phillip's souvenir from one of my many trips to Europe without him. I found it in a German toy store. I had some kind of "knight in shining armor!" metaphor in mind when I gave it to him, which he thought was stupid and cheesy, which it WAS, but that does not mean he's allowed to get rid of his green wooden knight on the wooden horse. EVER. Oh, and I want to buy a super colorful big ole calendar to put on that wall. Because then I can look at My Life while running - nothing to take your mind off physical strain like Planning!

 

The Dwight Schrute bobblehead says, "They did their best" but gives the camera one raised eyebrow. 

Comments

[Lindsay]

I say well done. The curtain especially. If you really hate the shoe thing and you have a storage closet near your entrance way you could try one of those hanging racks that hangs on the back of the door and is out of sight.

[C @ Kid Things]

The color is a nice and subtle. And considering that I can't even sew enough to make a curtain, I think it all looks really good.

[Carrie]

I like it!

[HereWeGoAJen]

I am quite impressed! I think the curtain adds some pizazz to the room. You did a really nice job on the whole thing.

[Swistle]

1. I like the curtain!

2. I like the ant puzzle!

3. I like the wall color!

4. We have that EXACT SAME BOOKSHELF, except we have TWO of them and we chose the now completely out of style light wood. I like yours better.

[Elizabeth]

Gah! I love it! It looks so much better than it did before. And I think the curtain is perfection - it's my favorite part of the whole room! That or the puzzle. Or the not dead plant.

[Christiana]

I like the curtain, though I get the whole "manly man - no flowers" thing since my husband is usually the same. I actually have some fabric that I LOVE that I'm trying to find a place for. It's sort of tannish with a little bit of a sheen and it has what looks like handwritten old school handwriting (likely in french or some other euro-language, since I don't speak French, I can't tell). I got it at JoAnn's but it was several years ago, so I doubt it's there now. But that style might look good, if he really hates the flowers. (Again, I like them. I think it works)

[Nessa]

I like it! You can totally tell it was paitned and it looks good.

I even like the table cloth curtain. It hids everything, right? then it is a success!

[barbetti]

It looks great! And I'm totally such a creepy, voyeuristic blogger....I love seeing photos of other people's homes! I love that ant picture, too funny!

[Sarah in Ottawa]

I think it looks super cute. Good work, Maggie! I really like the curtain fabric.

So - where do you stash the pack 'n' play when other random blogger come to visit and need a spot for their babies to nap?

[Manda]

I think it looks FANTASTIC! I wish I had an office. SIGH.

[ashley]

You have a lot of tennis shoes.

Haha.

Also, I think it looks GREAT! Thanks for sharing. :)

[jackie]

Wow, it looks great! You're very brave to put such personal pictures up :)

[Sheila]

What do you actually hate about the bookshelf? You could always paint it and glue some pretty paper on the back wall of it-- then it would give something to the room visually.