We were supposed to move into our new Biscuit offices at the beginning of December last year so that I would have a few months to transition the business and get things running smoothly before Harry arrived at the end of January, and I could take a little time off. But, best laid plans and all that, the offices weren’t ready until March which pretty much eliminated any hope I had of a “maternity leave”. Things was stressful, and Pete offered to take some of those things off of my plate and manage the business side during the transition so I could focus on the creative side/physical space- and, you know, breastfeeding/not losing my mind.

I set Pete up an office so he would have his own space when he worked from the store, which was a little sad and spare. Minimalist chic? We ended up enjoying sharing an office, working from the same space streamlined our family logistics, and it was especially nice to have him around when super helpful freight shippers would leave big furniture orders in the middle of our sidewalk.  I offered to properly fluff up his office, and got to work making his environment more hospitable, the results of which you may have seen in this instagram pic:

But it’s not really a satisfying makeover until you can appreciate the full before & after and so I present:

The Scary Before.

We started the makeover by moving his desk chair from our home office, finding him a proper desk, and some comfortable chair for visitors…

And ta-da!!!

Pete’s office doesn’t have any windows, and the white cinderblocks are, erm, a little institutional? So we pulled some pictures and art from around our house to warm it up, and filled in with some finds at our neighborhood flea markets, but the real game changer was hanging that giant nautical scene behind his desk. 

I am not super detail-oriented, and while I appreciate a good gallery wall, the idea of executing one makes me feel mostly just tired.

I will say a little planning goes a long way to preserving sanity- but once we had the basic framework we decided to just keep it loose. Perfection was not the goal, but I am happy with how it came out. I think the key to an interesting gallery wall more than anything is a mix of mediums, photography, oil paintings, watercolor, sketches, and some textural/sculptural pieces.

The chairs we found are super comfortable, and they swivel which is always enjoyable.

People tend to avoid color in man spaces, and favor tough surfaces like wood, metal, and leather but you need a little softness and pops of color to keep things warm.
This was a quick fix, we found all of the furniture, lighting, art and accessories one day and hung the gallery wall/put it all together the next, but it is one of the biggest transformations in terms of feel I think I have ever done. Which is easier to do when the “before” is so bleak, but it really is such a pleasant place to work from now.

I put some selections for any of you looking to create a similar look on your own, and when I was sourcing items I was so impressed by the options West Elm is putting out these days, you could do an awesome version of this room straight from the store- so I included how I would do the look for less as well!

1. Burl & Lucite Console 2. Eames Executive Chair 3. Black Lacquer Campaign Desk 4. Velvet Armchairs

 Large Scenic Piece, Work Hard & Be Nice To People, Juju Headdress, Abstract Watercolor, Equestrian Oil Painting, National Park Map, Shield Mirror

West Elm: Console, Desk, Desk Chair, Armchairs