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Decor on a Dime: Let’s Get Down To Business

Are you looking to create a space where you can just sit down and get some work accomplished? You want it to be more than just a desk and a chair but maybe you don’t have the space or budget for a full blown office in your home. Let us help you figure out just how to utilize your space to have the home office you’re looking for.

Office/Guest room:

If you have the luxury of having a guest room in your house it can easily be transformed into an office/guest room. The guest room portion can consist of a day bed or pull out sofa with side tables and a TV on the wall or atop a dresser. Now the rest of the space can be used as an office.

Cloffice:

If you don’t have a guest room, perhaps you have an extra or underutilized closet. You can turn a closet into a cozy space to get work done. Don’t believe me? This cloffice was created out of a smaller linen closet and organization is the key to the space. This cloffice was created by removing the doors and creating an office nook out of the closet space.

Color Choice:

Now that you’ve found a space for your home office, let’s paint it! The paint color you choose isn’t just for looks, it actually effects your productivity and mood. Neutrals such as brown, gray, tan don’t increase productivity on their own but can supplement an accent color like blue or green that reduces stress and increases relaxation. You don’t want to overwhelm your eyes or the space by painting all of the walls a red, yellow, orange, or white because these are reflective tones and can evoke negative emotions like anxiety and anger. You also don’t want to use dark colors for the main color choice because it can make the room feel small and make you feel tired. Optimal colors for your office could be a light gray/blue or tan with a blue or green accent wall. This way you have the feeling of lightness to keep you energized while include a stress reducing color and not overwhelming your eyes.

Organization:

Finding the right desk for your space and price point is a search you’ll just have to undertake. However, there are some great ways to update used/worn furniture to match the look and feel you’re going for in your office space. Inside of a boring and ugly filing cabinet, try revamping it with fabric! Choose a fabric that matches your style, clean the cabinet and remove any handles/locks, paint mod podge or spray adhesive on the area you want your fabric to go, place your fabric, paint over with mod podge, and voila a chic cabinet! You can also use wall paper, scrapbook paper, book pages, or maps in lieu of fabric for the same results. Another way to revamp an ugly filing cabinet is by priming and spray painting it then using an interesting stencil to paint the design on. You can also use washi or duct tape to create striped patterns for very low cost. Lastly, this chest transformation into a filing unit is a great way to re-purpose furniture and have a beautiful and different look for your filing cabinet.

Wall Organization:

Create a simple but different dry erase board for your to do list/notes/messages by putting a piece of fabric inside of a picture frame! Dry erase markers will apply and erase easily on the glass. I know you may think I’m chalkboard paint obsessed after our last décor on a dime post, but there are really great ways to use it! This site, shows you a bunch of different ways you can use chalkboard paint from creating your own colored paint, to painting trays/frames to use as a bulletin board, to creating a chalk calendar on your wall. If you have an old drawer that you want to put to use, back it with cork board covered in fabric and hang it on the wall for a shabby chic look! This storage box blends in perfectly with your book shelf! Another great idea and space saver is this amazing command center

Decor On A Dime – Let’s Have Some Fun!

Depending on your home size and the amount of children you have, a playroom can be a valuable space! You can put the kids in there and know they’re safe and you have some peace and quiet. However, the playroom isn’t the most important room to decorate, so you may run out of your budget when you get to it. We’re here to help you have an adorable and awesome playroom for less!

Paint

Paint can go a long way when transforming a room and since it’s for the kids you can have fun with it! You can go crazy and paint a mural like this Super Mario Brothers room or this princess castle for a girly girl. You can also keep three of the walls a simpler color and paint one of the walls with chalk paint and even magnetic paint. This way your kids can display their artwork with magnets and draw on the walls without getting in trouble!

Wall Décor

If you don’t want to make any murals on the playroom walls you can always liven it up with the wall décor. One great idea is to frame board games without the glass and then put the pieces in a plastic bag taped to the back. When you want to play it, just take it off the wall and put it back when the game is over! What about all of those electrical outlets? Dress them up with these adorable decals, kids and guests will love it. Looking for a different look for your shelves? Transform your old wagon into a cool and rustic shelf! Is your little girl a fan of Disney princesses? (Yes, that’s rhetorical!) Try printing silhouettes of the princesses on colored paper and framing them, like this. You can also print a photo of your child, cut it out, and paste it to the arms on the clock for this funny and personalized piece of functional décor! Legos are a favorite of every child so check out this super cool Lego wall!

Creative Space

You want your children to be able to explore their creativity in the playroom, so pick a corner and let them use it for art! This corner can be where you paint the wall (or half of the wall) with chalkboard paint, you can add shelves to store the chalk and colored pencils, and mount a large roll of paper on the wall so they can keep their art. If you’re not excited about the idea of your child drawing on the wall, try repurposing that old or recalled crib into a desk, you can even use pads of paper instead of chalkboard paint for the desk’s surface or put tape on it to make a race track! You can also cover old or dollar store cookie sheets with cute fabric and use them to display artwork with magnets. Don’t forget about the floor! You can create race tracks, hopscotch boards, and giant game boards on the carpet by using colorful tape!

Storage

This is the play room, but that doesn’t mean it should be a mess full of toys! You can create functional storage and seating out of an old bookcase, use old drawers to roll stored items under a daybed or sofa, or try one of these great ideas. What about Legos? Stepping on them is the WORST! Try this genius idea…the play mat cinches up into a bag!

Just plain awesome

These rooms definitely don’t fall under the décor on a dime theme but they’re super awesome so I had to share just in case you’ve got the budget. This room is perfect for your active boy who loves sports with a basketball hoop, punching bag, and rope ladder that leads into a loft! Rock wall with a crash pad…in your room? Amazing! What about a rock wall that leads to a secret playroom in the attic? Even cooler! This bed nook with secret passage up to a balcony reading nook/play area is super original. This castle bed is an awesome space for your little princess.

Do you have any other great playroom ideas that won’t break the bank? Let us know by commenting!