DIY Network

Clutter-Control Office Clutter-Control Office From "Weekend Decorating" episode WDC-313

Home offices are all the rage, and no wonder: working at home is great! No traffic problems; no lost time commuting -- and if you work in your jammies, no one will ever know the difference. Nancy Golden tackles a small (12'x11') home office with some serious space-usage issues. A warm, mature, clutter-free space is what the homeowner wants, with lots of storage and functional work areas for everyone in the family. And that's exactly what they're going to get!

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• Because of the perimeter bookshelf and the craft table that will be added, the skill level of this project is intermediate: on a scale of 1 to 5, with 5 being the most difficult, this is a solid 3.

• The project will take 11 hours spread over two days.

Materials (general)
Paint and brushes
Paint trays and tape
Level
Tape measure
Drill and screws
Wood stain
Plywood (bookshelf)
Corbels (bookshelf)
Wood (crafts table)
Window treatments
Light fixture

Figure A

Wall Treatment

In a small room, the challenge is to use every square inch of space. Golden found a computerized floor plan to be a big help in figuring out where to place everything, shelves and storage as well as furniture. She put in her prep work earlier in the week, measuring the room and windows and base-coating the walls. Once the weekend rolled around, she was ready to get started on a faux wood treatment for the walls (figure A).

Project time: 3 hours.

1. Use a roller to apply wood stain to the wall.

2. Using cotton rags, rag off the stain with blotting motions (be sure to wear gloves).

3. Continue working until the entire room is finished.

Expert tip: For a true wood-paneled look, make vertical sweeps with your rag.

RESOURCES :

Tomboy Tools
Tomboy Tools, Inc.
Website: www.tomboys.com

GUESTS :

Donna Babylon
Author / Designer / Owner, Windsor Oak Publishing
Toll-free: 888-919-8227
Fax: 410-848-3293
E-mail: Donna@WindsorOak.com

Amy Calandra
Devine Color
E-mail: info@devinecolor.com
Website: devinecolor.com

Kari Openshaw
Allied ASID Designer

Kara Roberts
Website: smithandnoble.com