ROOM FOR IMPROVEMENT
Time for an office overhaul
February 4, 2009
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Denise Holtby
YOURHOME.CA
Last week’s reader poll has closed, and as promised, my husband Dean and I are now committed to making over our home office on a $1,000 budget and a six-week deadline.
Frankly, looking at the chaos surrounding me as I try to write, I have to admit that those who voted made the right decision for us. As you can see from the “before” photo, our work environment is hardly conducive to productivity.
As I watched the poll results come in, I was also thinking about how best to take advantage of the government’s new, and temporary, Home Renovation Tax Credit.
Since free-standing furniture doesn’t qualify for the credit, but built-in cabinetry does, I’m thinking that a built-in L-shaped desk/drawer/cabinet combo that gives Dean and I both plenty of room to work and surf might be the way to go.
However, since we’re supposed to be thinking green, too, we’ve also been debating buying second-hand cabinetry from Craigslist or a similar source and rehabilitating it with low-VOC paint (and some carpentry wizardry on Dean’s part) to suit the space.
We’ll also need to cover the windows with something other than the faux-wood blind that we installed as a “temporary” fix when we moved in four years ago.
A fresh paint colour and a low-pile carpet that won’t trip up our office chairs are also on the list.
In the end, this project may not involve much that will be eligible for the tax credit, but I’m sure we’ll spend $1,000 on other areas of our home over the course of the coming year. The furnace and hot-water heater need to be replaced with more energy-efficient models, and that may be an ideal way to earn the credit.
Meanwhile, we’ve also got to think about clearing out the existing furniture and clutter from this room. We’ll also need to find a temporary home for the computer. Again I say temporary, but in our house, such temporary fixes seem to become permanent, so I’ll have to be vigilant about this.
The massive desk will need to go out through the window, but right now, with a large snowbank on the other side, it’s going to take some work to convince Dean that this part of the job needs to be done before May.
As for the old bedroom dresser that’s taking up the other wall, I can foresee a problem there. Dean isn’t going to part with it, but we have no other space for it right now, except in our son Scott’s bedroom.
But in eight short weeks, Scott will complete his political science degree at Queen’s and return home. And when he does, he’ll be bringing his entire bedroom suite home with him.
So my son, who appreciates clean, modern design will once again have to tussle with his father over the furnishings in his room. Me, I plan to stay out of that battle completely!
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(Editor’s note: Get your own home office inspiration from Colin and Justin and Debbie Travis, along with some tips on office essentials and easy office crafts. Read up on the new government renovation tax credit here.)
Catch up on Room for Improvement's office overhaul here and here.