Windowless Office Decorating Ideas and Mood Board
Ideas for turning a small windowless room into a bright and colorful home office with space for a guest room and den. Part of the New Year New Room Refresh.
It is finally time to transform a room again! The New Year New Room Refresh is one of my favorite challenges to participate in. Here are the details if you are new to NYNRR! Seventeen bloggers are refreshing a room in one month with help from generous sponsors.
We will be sharing all of the details and progress every Tuesday in January with the final room reveal being on the 28th. All of this isn’t possible without our brilliant creative leader, Stephanie from Casa Watkins Living.
*This challenge is generously sponsored by some amazing brands. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
Week one: Windowless Office Decorating Ideas and Mood Board | Week Two: How to Make an Interior Design Board Super Easy | Week Three: Home Office Makeover Paint Update | Week Four: How to Install Cove Moulding the Easy Way | Week Five: Reveal – Decorating Tips for an Office with No Windows
Here’s the mood board for the space!
This post contains affiliate links for your shopping convenience to brands I love. You still pay the same price but I may earn a small commission.
Woodland Bird Wallpaper | Green Paint | Green Tassel | Blue and White Curtains | Blue Pillows | Coral Obi Pillows | Marmalade Trim | Pink and Brass Wall Sconces | Zebra Rug | Wood and Brass Pulls |Sun Tunnel | The Hallmark Desk Cabinet Collection | Courtney Transitional Sofa
Ideas for a Windowless Office
Last year I created a vintage boho bedroom for my daughter for this fun one-month makeover. This year I will be transforming a small square windowless office. I have had plans for this space since the day we moved into our Fort Worth single-story ranch home. With help from some of my favorite brands I am finally able to make it happen!!
The room is roughly 10 ft by 10 ft and I plan on making the most of the space by adding functional pieces so the “dark cave” can be used as a bright and colorful office with a home library, den, and possible guest room. It’s a tall order for such a small space but I will make it happen! Here is what I hope to accomplish in one short month.
- Bring in natural light with a sun tunnel.
- Add privacy with french doors.
- Brighten the room with a bold vintage bird wallpaper.
- Add functional built-in cabinets and desk to create an office wall.
- Keep the rest of the room furniture minimal with sofa bed or couch and accent table.
- Bring in loads of design with textiles, decor, and lighting.
I’m starting out the project by installing a set of french doors I found for $50 on Facebook Marketplace. The doors came with the frame and all of the hardware so the price was a steal. I’ll be sharing how to install used interior doors later on.
Having the option to shut the doors while kids are practicing the piano or just when I need peace and quiet while working was on the top of my to-do list. Since they are French doors I will still get the little natural light that comes through the living room windows.
The second thing on the to-do list is having a 14-inch sun tunnel from Velux installed with a light kit. We already have a flush light in the center of the ceiling so the minimal look of the sun tunnel opening will look like it was there all along. Bonus with the light kit, the sun tunnel can be turned on as a flush mount light too.
It’s really the perfect solution to bring in natural light into our windowless room without costing an arm and leg. I’ve been waiting 14 months to do this so this is huge for me! Here’s a pic I took when walking through the house on closing day.
My hope is to have office sized cabinets built-in for the lower part of the office wall with a desktop that goes all the way across and floating shelves on the upper wall. But I do have a plan B in mind if the cabinets don’t work out as I’m trying to do this makeover for under a few hundred dollars.
The woodland birds wallpaper from Milton and King will cover the entire office above the chair rail and should look smashing with a zebra print rug I chose from Mohawk Home and green walls.
The remaining details are still up in the air depending on if new furniture is coming or not. But I can assure you layered textiles and lots of color and global interest will be a part of it.
If anything I will use my two wing back recliner chairs that I had reupholstered for last year’s Spring One Room Challenge in the gorgeous blue velvet and black and white crane fabric that will pair nicely with the wallpaper. That way the office can function as a den.
Ideally, I will find a sofa bed to use for the den so it can double (or triple) as a guest room.
Windowless Office To-Do List:
- Install french doors.
- Have the skylight installed.
- Sand, repair, and paint walls.
- Add cove crown molding with corner details.
- Install wallpaper on all four walls.
- Install built-in desk cabinets with countertop to create a desk or use two short bookcases if I can’t find cabinets within budget. Paint.
- Paint and hang floating shelves.
- Hang light fixture.
- Either find a new sofa bed with new bedding and throw pillows or use existing wing back chairs with new throw pillows.
- Add a side table if there’s room.
- Hang curtain rod and curtains with trim.
- Add in office items and decorating accessories.
A huge thanks to our generous official sponsors and to VeluxUSA for helping with this huge undertaking!
Please check out the other participants! They are some of my favorite bloggers and super talented.
Casa Watkins Living // The Boho Abode // Delineate Your Dwelling // Haneen’s Haven // The Happy Housie // Homemade by Carmona // House by Hoff // Jeweled Interiors // Kaleidoscope Living // Our Fifth House // PMQ for Two // Rain on a Tin Roof // Southern State of Mind // Taryn Whiteaker // This is Our Bliss // Thou Swell // Up To Date Interiors
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You have so much to do but it’s all going to create a truly gorgeous space! I love the design board. There’s so many pretty touches. I’m excited to see the room come together.
Thanks sweet friend!
Oh my goodness Kathy! This is going to be so fantastic! Can’t wait to see this room. I know you’ve been waiting to tackle this space. That wallpaper is such a statement!
Thanks Steph!! I can’t believe I finally have a pretty office. 🙂