Pepper Design Blog

Office Makeover: Desks Under $300

I’m back on the hunt for the future work space! Earlier this week I posted a round up of ideal bookcases under $300 to fit the new office. Now it’s on to the desk… There are so many great options out there that I’ve found it easiest to narrow the selection down based on the ideal size, color and design.

A bit more on the criteria…

Size: The standard desk is about 44-48″ wide and 18-22″ deep, but my ideal desk would be either wider or deeper than this so that I can stretch out multiple projects and still feel organized.

Color & Design: I’d like the material/color of the desk to be different from the bookcases (so that we don’t get too matchy matchy over here) while still complimenting each other. And you know, if one is more French-inspired (with the ‘x’, for example) it would be nice if the other was a different design, say more modern or more rustic.

I took this dilemma to Craigslist hoping for an awesome makeover project that would be perfect for the space. Alas, no results to be found. So, here’s my favorite resource round up for desks under $300!

That first one is near an exact copy of the inspiration board desk I used for San Diego Magazine’s Office Organization article. I mentioned how much I lovvvveedd the Layla & Grayce option but loathed the $2,000+ price. And now there’s a $200 option!

This  round up includes options from JC Penny’s, Home Decorators Collection, Ikea, West Elm & World Market. I’d throw in a few from Overstock as well (always a great resource) but I couldn’t find any that I loved that beat the prices of these stores, the above range being from $99-$299.

Some these are a bit smaller than I’d prefer, but I’m going to pair them up with the bookcase round up from Tuesday and see if I can’t find a good set nonetheless. There may be more options for extra storage to make up for the lack of desk space…

Back to the drawing board I go.

For more Office Makeover posts, check out: bookcases under $300, inspirational rooms, room layout options, demo part 1 & demo part 2.

Office Makeover: Bookcases Under $300

While the future guestroom/office still looks like this (as soon as Olivia arrived we halted construction for a bit):

We’ve made tentative plans to resume renovation for the last week of March! Oh how I’ve been counting down the days. I’m working full time again and my dining room table loathes me and my bazillion piles of work. It’s an organizational nightmare – especially when we need the dining room to feed family and friends.

Since Kevin is a full time architecture student, much of the physical construction work revolves around his school schedule. When he has a break between quarters projects are finished in the blink of an eye, and then I get a good several months to mull over decorating ideas until the next big undertaking begins.

But now that we’re in countdown mode to finishing the office/guest bedroom AND beginning our brand new guest bathroom, there’s much happy dancing going on over here! And shopping. Because suddenly we are very much in need of a desk, bookshelf storage and a bed.

First up, bookshelves.

I love the look of French Baker’s Rack-style bookshelves. The variation in materials (especially the natural wood and metal contrast) compliments so many design styles and although it can be dangerous, open shelving is my favorite (forces you to be organized!).

These sets from Restoration Hardware are out of my league, but here are several options that fit the price and look:

I found most of my favorites at Home Decorators and World Market, two stores that consistently deliver quality products (usually taking cue from the trendier designer stores) at an affordable price. In fact, each of them had their own variation of this design:

Copy cats. World Market coming in just $30 under.

I love the bare Parsons look (such as the white bookcase above or the grey below) or the X detail of the French-inspired bookshelves (flanking the sides of the shelves or back).

If you’re on the hunt as well, Ballard Designs had several fantastic bookcases, but they all broke my $300 a piece budget.

Most of the above bookshelves came in between $99-$250! Great, right? Add to that a Googled coupon code for free shipping or 10% off and two bookshelves for either side of the new desk might be affordable after all. And there’s always Craigslist – I’ve searched for the last two weeks without finding the perfect fit but it usually is a great tool.

After finishing my desk hunt, I’ll start pairing options up and hopefully have something ordered this week.

The Search is On: A Rug for the Bedroom

We’re in Canada this week as my hubby, his brothers & dad bike from Calgary to Vancouver. What a trip! I’m tagging along for the first week in the sag wagon exploring the landscape, national parks and mountain towns while they work oh so hard. Here we are at Lake Louise (can you see that little belly? It came out of no where) in Banff National Park.

But back to the master bedroom decor… I was pretty sold on the bogart flat weave brown and white rug from Garnet Hill for the bedroom but have been searching for alternatives that might be kinder to the overall budget.

That’s when I came across a similar woven rug on Overstock for a mere $136, saving me a whopping $142 bones. Plus it was only $2.95 to ship.

So that makes two inspiration board items down – a handmade fabric headboard for our queen sized bed and a delicious brown rug for the floor.

Here’s a quick look at my overall search, and just in case you’re in the market for a brown patterned rug any time soon, a list of sources just below.

Prices are listed for 5×8 rugs, left to right:
Three rugs by Calypso ($275-$650)
Zebra print by Ballard Design ($250)
West Elm Andalusia ($229)
Urban Outfitters ($68)
Ikea Gedser ($249)
SellerBy.com & Burke Decor ($270)
DwellStudio by Target Perch Rug ($139)

And a big thanks to Beth who commented recently on Suzanne Kasler’s new line of sunburst mirrors over at Ballard Designs and the great selection available at HomeGoods – these stores both make great additions to the sunburst line up.