An Artful Home-Office Makeover

See how a cluttered room becomes a sophisticated work area that showcases original artwork.

After: Now, there is a place for everything, and the space is conducive to creativity.

All About

Product Ideas

Toy designer Steve Linker works from home in a converted garage. Though he likes the space, he feels it is not being used to its full potential and doesn't highlight his creative talents. He looks to the Design on a Dime team to design a space where he can make the most of his ideas.

Before: The clutter in the space made it hard to focus on being creative.

The Dilemma
Steve's workspace is meant to inspire, but in its current state it is distracting. He wants to soften the mood and give it sophistication. There needs to be room to display the collectibles that get his creative juices flowing as well as smart solutions for storing the tools of his trade. It also needs to be a suitable space for meeting with clients that is professional, yet funky and creative.

The Solution
The design team signs on to create a functional space that will enhance Steve's creativity. New shelving units and storage boxes will give him plenty of space to store his things without creating clutter. A functional desk area will put everything he needs to get creative right at his fingertips. A new seating area with a sophisticated table, re-covered sofa and chic pillows will let his clients know he's full of great ideas. Here's how all of that was accomplished.

First, the space gets a coat of neutral silver-gray paint to serve as a blank canvas in which Steve can display his collections and his work.

Figure A

A smart black slipcover gives the sofa new life, and shiny silver pillows add punch (figure A). A thrift-store oval cocktail table gets new life with a coat of black paint (figure B) to create a casual yet professional area for hosting creative meetings with clients.

The team selects a few of Steve's design comps to display (figures C, D), which add a much-needed bit of whimsy to the space.

Figure D

Design coordinator Charles Burbridge revamps simple plastic box frames using molding. He then creates a modern border with faux-stainless-steel adhesive paper. He adheres it to the front of the plastic frame and finishes the look by mitering the corners.

Figure E

New wooden shelving units provide ample storage and display space ((figure E). The support posts on the piece are given a coat of black paint to coordinate with the other pieces in the room.

Design coordinator Summer Baltzer adds style to inexpensive storage boxes that she found in a close-out store by covering them in the same faux-stainless adhesive paper that Charles used (figure F).

Figure G

Cherished collectibles are arranged in a new wall-mounted display shelf (figure G).

Figure H

Charles designs a desk organizer using pieces of plumbing pipe that have been cut to various heights. The pipes are embellished with the faux-stainless adhesive paper and placed in a small box covered in faux leather (figure H).

The Cost
Wall unit - $539