HGTV Magazine Makes Over a Room

Navy Corpsman Micah Ambrose returned from Afghanistan with the goal of becoming a doctor. He needed a place at home to study, so HGTV Magazine turned a spare room into a comfy office.

By: Coleen Sullivan

From: HGTV Magazine

Related To:

One Couple's Story

Navy Corpsman Micah Ambrose met his would-be wife, Maryrose Pichkur, in New York City during Fleet Week 2010, but shortly after their engagement, he was deployed to Afghanistan. While there, Micah, a trained medic, assisted a Marine who lost both legs in a roadside bomb. This life-changing event helped Micah set the course for a career after the service. "I always knew I wanted to be an ER doctor, but that day sealed my plans," he says.

From: HGTV Magazine

Room Redo for a Hero

When Micah returned home four months later, he and Maryrose began planning their wedding and bought their first home, a 1918 three-bedroom house in Floral Park, N.Y. Micah started prepping for school entrance exams, but he didn't have a convenient place to study. That's when HGTV Magazine stepped in.

From: HGTV Magazine

The Makeover Details

A reclaimed pine desk has plenty of drawers, while a lamp made of a beaker is a nod to Micah's time in the lab (for the how-to, go to hgtv.com/beaker-lamp). The wall space above the desk includes a teak shelf, a pinboard covered in striped fabric and an antique pair of crutches found on Etsy. Micah's Navy cap — the one he wore the night he met Maryrose — rests on the shadow box that holds his military coins.

From: HGTV Magazine

Rug

Maui houndstooth jute 7'6" x 9'5" rug in orange, rugsusa.com

From: HGTV Magazine

Chair

Leather chair, leeindustries.com for stores

From: HGTV Magazine

Accessories

Desk supplies, poppin.com

From: HGTV Magazine

Desk

Hughes pine 64" x 30" desk, fourhands.com

From: HGTV Magazine

Wastebasket

Marché trash can, containerstore.com

From: HGTV Magazine

Learning in Comfort

Micah often studies late into the night, so a daybed for napping made sense. This one, covered in durable blue canvas, has a masculine, boxy shape. He can use the vintage bedside hospital table as a laptop stand. The nautical map of Manhattan — a reminder of where the couple met — was nabbed on Etsy for $79, and we made the wall shelves using reclaimed wood and copper pipes from The Home Depot.

From: HGTV Magazine

Fan

Celino cherry and oil-brushed bronze fan, kichler.com for stores

From: HGTV Magazine

Shade

Tropical Isle bamboo shade, selectblinds.com

From: HGTV Magazine

Pillow

Cross cotton 16" x 16" pillow, jonathanadler.com

From: HGTV Magazine

Lights

L'auto Extender sconces, gohomeltd.com for buying info

From: HGTV Magazine

Daybed

New Canaan 37 1/2" x 90" daybed in Sunbrella canvas azure, ballarddesigns.com

From: HGTV Magazine

Storage Solutions

This backless bookcase, tucked between the room's entrance door and closet, is deep enough for thick medical books and binders, but narrow enough that it doesn't jut out into the room. For extra storage, we lined the inside of the closet walls with shelves for more textbooks, school supplies and shoes.

From: HGTV Magazine

Shelving

Elfa custom storage, containerstore.com

From: HGTV Magazine

Binders

1" and 4" binders, poppin.com

From: HGTV Magazine

Bookcase

Stairway 96" x 30" wall-mounted bookcase, cb2.com

From: HGTV Magazine

Shop This Look

Photo By: Zach Desart

Photo By: Courtesy of the homeowner

Photo By: Zach Desart

HGTV Magazine Makes Over a Room

Related To:

One Couple's Story

Room Redo for a Hero

The Makeover Details

Rug

Chair

Accessories

Desk

Wastebasket

Learning in Comfort

Fan

Shade

Pillow

Lights

Daybed

Storage Solutions

Shelving

Binders

Bookcase

Shop This Look

More from:

Smart Small Spaces

A Small Space With Big Style 9 Photos

Create a Magazine-Worthy Space 141 Photos

An HGTV Magazine Makeover Completely Transformed This Office 8 Photos

8 Supersized Home Accessories That'll Give Any Space Big Style 8 Photos

Family-Friendly Home Decorating Ideas 5 Photos

14 Genius Little Makeovers for Every Space 14 Photos