Photos by Julius Ferrer at First And Last Productions LLC
This month I will be taking you room by room through my home tour with HGTV. This week I’ll be focusing on the entryway, which is now my office. The hallway was never my ideal space for an office, but when I realized during quarantine I needed to fit 3 desks in one apartment, I had to get creative. I put together a list of 5 things that completely transformed my entryway, and I think you should check them out too.
Peel & Stick Wallpaper
No one in my family wanted me to paint the hallway, it’s been a favorite for awhile so I let that battle go. However I needed the space to feel different so I would actually want to work there everyday. I started with the peel and stick wallpaper from Chasing Paper called Shaping Up. I wanted a graphic pattern and it needed to play nice with my existing walls in shades of green. Once my husband installed it, I knew it was the right choice. My eyes naturally look up, and this one wall feels like it’s own space.
Computer Set-up
One of the things that I wanted to update was my keyboard. The one on my laptop wasn’t cutting it all. My husband had recommended getting a mechanical keyboard and I was definitely “meh” until I went to the website. The amount of options that Mechanicalkeyboards.com has for both Macs and PCs is NUTS . I wanted to pick a keyboard that was going to make me want to come to work in the hallway every morning. This keyboard made all the difference when I know its time to check my emails.
Plant Babies
A term I thought I would NEVER use, but there is a first time for everything, right? I originally had planned to go with faux plants because if you listened to my interview with the Plant Doctor Hilton Carter you would know I’m not great with real plants (didn’t hear it, well here is the link). I also knew that one of the things I wanted to change about our space after going into quarantine was to bring more plant life in. Once I got bit by the patio plant bug, I naturally decided to bring in real plants all over the place.
I decided to partner with Bloomscape because they have their plant game down! I have worked with many plant vendors over the years as a visual merchandiser and designer, and let me tell you it’s a lot of work. Each plant vendor is very different in how they deliver and inform you on how to maintain plants. Bloomscape made me feel at ease because not only did my plants get delivered in excellent care, each plant comes with letters on how to take care of them, and shares what type of plant they are. In my office space, I went with the ZZ plant and the Ponytail Palm (from the easy peasy collection). I have not named either plants yet because I think it could be bad luck with my black thumb history. The ZZ plant is perfect in this space because it can live in a space with low light, and no windows. With the help of my hubby I do rotate this plant around the house from time to time for direct sunlight, but it has not been impacted by being in the hallway corner. The ponytail palm is happy as can be, I water it once a week, and make sure it also gets direct sunlight throughout the week.
Desk Organization
When it came to finding the right organization for my desk, I definitely hit a creative wall. I didn’t want file folders that blocked out the wallpaper because it was such a tiny space, and I needed pieces that could be pretty versatile and easy to move when I’m recording a podcast.
These LUND storage containers from The Container Store do the trick. Since they’re a acrylic they don’t interfere with the other decorative accessories or the wallpaper on the shelves. Plus, the wooden lids match the wood finish of my desk perfectly.
Something Cozy Underfoot
Photos by Julius Ferrer at First And Last Productions LLC
The item I was most excited about was my rug. Most people would say you’re crazy to put a cream runner in the entryway of your home (especially living in New England). But hear me out, I redesigned the other half of my entryway(which I will reveal in good time), so shoes come off and get stored right away. SO far this design idea has worked.
I wanted this rug because of its feminine feel. It has gold sequins woven into the fibers, shaggy boho chic diamond patterns, and then there are long tassels at each end of the rug. I don’t know if you can tell or not but I LOVE this rug. So for me the runner was the icing on the cake to make my entryway office super feminine and chic.
To shop the look click the links below:
