I don’t know if there is anyone else out there like me who is full of ideas for their entire house, but has hardly any time to implement them. I really wish I didn’t love (and need) sleep so much… If I could recapture those extra 7-8 hours a night, I would be so much more productive! 😉

I always tell clients to slow it down and focus on one area at a time… It’s so easy for me to give this advice, but so much harder to take it (isn’t that always the case?)! Right now, my brain is running with ideas about finishing my bedroom, completely redoing A’s room, adding trim to and painting my kitchen island teal, adding board and batten and wallpaper to my powder room, figuring out what to do about my living room fireplace that I hate, and finishing my office. It is overwhelming (and also impossible time wise) to tackle all of these projects at once.

When I slow myself down, I realize that I need to prioritize what is most important, and at this point in my life, I need to get my office fully functional. For me, functional also = pretty. Partially because I think and create better in a space that reflects my personality, but also because I battle lazy tendencies when it comes to housekeeping, and I am more likely to keep a space organized and picked up if I love the way it looks. It might be silly, but that’s the way my crazy brain works!

So, onto my office!

When I saw this photo on Pinterest, via The Glitter Guide, I knew I needed a dalmatian wall somewhere in my house, but it seemed a little too wild for some of the bigger more open spaces. I’d always planned on a black and white office with pops of color, and since I’m the only one who spends any time in that room and therefore can decorate it anyway I want, it seemed the logical choice. This image became the jumping off point for the entire space!

When I started making office design decisions, the state of that room looked a little something like this…

Well, that’s embarrassing. I did previously have black ladder shelves against the far wall, with my books organized by color, but by the time I remembered to take a picture, I’d already moved them out in preparation for painting, and torn my office apart. Obviously. Onto the fun part…

One of the main elements I want to pull in is dark bookshelves against a black wall. Mine won’t be quite as grand (or built in) like the ones in this office from Candace Cavanaugh, but I love the way colorful books pop against dark shelves, so something along those lines.

This living room from Hi Sugarplum has a similar feel to what I’m going for. I’m not normally a huge fan of purple, but I love the plum-ish shade she used. Deep, vibrant color against a dark backdrop of shelves = gorgeousness!

I’m also obsessing over these watercolor fabrics from bluebellgray, especially the Big Archie as shown here. The rich jewel tones and large scale abstract floral pattern are perfection! But at $108/yard, curtains made out of this fabric are just a little out of my price range. I’m currently popping into fabric stores on a fairly regular basis looking for something similar, but so far I’ve been striking out.

This office by Laurel and Wolf, as featured on PopSugar, is one of my other main inspiration photos… I love the gold accents, the feminine feel, and the abstract art against the dark wall.

I know the inspiration is a little hodge podge, but I’m hoping to pull it all together into something fabulous! The dalmatian wall feels like the wild card in this equation, but it’s just paint. So if it doesn’t work, I can always go back to the drawing board.

How about you, do you take risks in decorating, or do you usually play it safe?