My most dreaded room, the office.

SereneHaven · 2025-03-20T04:11:54+00:00

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Hi friends.
First and foremost, thank you for your time and input.

I want to redo our entire apartment. I’m tired of how drab it is. It’s a new construction so decent bones? With that said I would like to stick to advice that is renter friendly.

Him and I like Japandi style. However, I also really like atomic age (mid century) too. If we could mix those without it being overly cluttered I’d love that!

The first room I want to focus on is on the office. Especially since I spend a good chunk of time in there. Gosh, I swear I declutter this space and then there’s 20 more things that get put back into it. I usually stay on top of decluttering but I’ve been having a hard time mentally. Please don’t judge the mess too hard. I don’t like it either and it’s why I’m asking for help.

I’m asking for help with design as well as any organizational tips so that things aren’t cluttered in here. I want to get rid of the fluffy chair and the old bar cart. That would open up more space. The plastic drawer organizer could potentially go too or be re-used in our closet (but that’s another post for another day).

I’m an aerial sport enthusiast so the poles stay in the office as I have nowhere else to store them.

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Comments

SereneHaven

Here’s what I’m thinking so far.

A cabinet that can both play into Japandi and MCM. This would go behind my desk and be able to house office supplies along with the binders. Hides the clutter/items that disrupt aesthetic.

A cool bookshelf that would go by the door/closet. This creates more storage space and a place to display decor.

A much needed new office chair. The green mixed with the wood plays into the Japandi & MCM aesthetic. It focuses on earthiness while adding a splash of fun color!

InspiredCFSUK

Your office has a ton of potential, and with a bit of Japandi-meets-mid-century styling and smarter organization, it’ll feel so much more calming and functional. First off, it’s completely understandable that the space has become overwhelming.

To bring in the Japandi style, focus on creating a serene, minimalist aesthetic with warm wood tones, soft neutrals, and functional decor. You could swap out the plastic drawer unit for a low, streamlined wooden cabinet or a sideboard with closed storage. This would give you more concealed space and a sleeker, less cluttered look.

For the desk area, consider a wall-mounted floating shelf above the desk to hold books, decor, or office supplies. This would free up desk space and reduce visual clutter. Since you spend a lot of time here, an ergonomic but stylish chair with a subtle mid-century flair (maybe in a muted beige or olive green) would add both comfort and personality.

For artwork, you can mix in some abstract or nature-inspired pieces with mid-century-style frames to tie both styles together.

Finally, for organization, baskets or fabric bins on shelving can keep small items tidy, and a cable management box or sleeve will reduce the visual noise of wires. You’ve got the perfect canvas once it’s streamlined, it’ll be a stylish, inspiring space to work in. You’ve got this!

DanielaAraya

I love the cabinet and office chair! That green is beautiful, and the color will bring a really nice feeling to the space. You can use that as the base to build your color palette too if you want to find ways to incorporate more calming colors in there

I like the bookshelf you added aesthetically, but I worry it doesn't have that much storage for what you might need. I did this IKEA shoe rack hack in my living room to create a floor to ceiling bookshelf look, and it holds SO much stuff! What if you did something like that to give yourself more space for storage and styling? I share my experience in this piece if you're interested, and you can see it in another space here. It's my favorite hack ☺️

Zephy

I'm dying to know — what are aerial sports? I guess it's not flying a plane!

I think the reason it looks like you have a lot of clutter is that you don't actually have a lot of places to put things away, so everything is "out" and visible. (Ask me how I know about this problem!) So my advice is, Get a lot of storage! I don't know what you need to store — tech equipment? papers? notebooks? So I don't know what would be better for you — shelves, cupboards, or drawers. I'm just thinking that the very cute cabinets you sent us the photo of might not be enough, as they look small. Maybe measure the volume of stuff you need to put away (like, figure out how many cardboard cartons it would take to hold it all?), and then you'll know you need that much storage space. I'm thinking a tall armoire-type thing or tall sets of shelves might be more what you need. Also, perhaps a desk with built-in storage (drawers) and a larger surface? I think 1 or 2 large storage pieces would hold more and look better than the many small pieces you have scattered around. Also, if there are fewer waist-level flat surfaces to put things on, you'll be more likely to put things away, and the whole place will look neater.

I love the green chair you chose, by the way. Green is my color, and that green is beautiful. And I see a very pretty cat in one picture! Good for you for wanting to have a beautiful office! Good luck, and let us know what you do next.

hilaw6383

I don't think it's as bad as you think. Can you put all those organizational bits or furniture in the closets? - so only desks and chairs are out to be used.

Move your artwork down to eye level - why is up at the ceiling?

Some minimal drapes - nothing that puddles, and nothing to gathered, could really soften up the space. Hung from the ceiling, not the top of the window.

An area rug with not too much pattern?

jonelle9224

Hey SereneHaven-

I like your design choices/aesthetics and can see that working in this room. But… before you choose the pieces, work backward into those decisions. For example, start with all the non-negotiables, such as the router/modem stretched across the room in Photo 2. That can't stay that way and feel at all put together the way you want. So where must it go? Could it go on a bookcase or storage item? Then make sure your choice has that capability. Continue asking yourself what must I have/how often do I use this type questions.

Next, what to do with all your deliveries or boxed items? Ask yourself, why are these still in boxes? Could they be stored in a closet until I need them? Or can I recycle these boxes now and get them off the floor? Once you answer that, based on the way you actually live (not fantasy/clean-all-the-tim e you). After that, consider moving the bulltin/white board to the space near the door of the same wall (trade places with the artwork). You come in an out so put your board near the door for easier access and more efficient function. Keep asking these questions before you buy and you'll see what space you actually have and what you still need in the way of function. It's going to look great very soon! Good luck!

CJCreggsGoldfish

IMO the important thing is to impart the organic warmth but also the streamlined minimalism of Japandi. I'd do a palette in cream, tan, olive green, and brown; the metal would be brass.

Are you able to paint the walls? Because if so, I would consider a mid-tone neutral like Broken Arrow from BM (https://www.benjaminmoore.com/en-us/paint-colors/color/1026/broken-arrow).

I'd get the biggest area rug you could afford to cover up the gray carpet, something like this would be good: https://www.westelm.com/products/modern-wave-shag-rug-t6944/.

Then add curtains across the entire window wall like these: (https://www.etsy.com/listing/1422782765/mid-century-modern-curtain-panel-neutral).

I'd get a larger desk, perhaps something like this (https://www.rejuvenation.com/products/shaw-desk/) with some brass to add some variety of materials and bring some metal into the room. Or perhaps in white to add freshness to all the warm tones: https://www.westelm.com/products/mid-century-desk-acorn-h209/. Center it across the wall opposite the door.

Add a substantial lamp in either mother-of-pearl (https://jonathany.com/collections/lighting/products/daniel-305-seashellcrystal-led-table-lamp) or alabaster (https://jonathany.com/collections/lighting/products/eliza-23-alabaster-led-table-lamp) to the side closest to the windows, to integrate more variety of materials.

A desk chair with more brass detailing would look fantastic with it, especially in olive-green velvet to break up the earth tones: https://www.cb2.com/saviti-olive-velvet-office-chair/s634995.

On the wall with the door, add either a console table or a wide bookcase. I personally would like a console but your storage needs might dictate the bookcase. If you go with the console, add another table lamp on the left side, by the door - do not match to the lamp on the desk.

This one integrates both console with bookshelves, a perfect compromise: https://www.westelm.com/products/build-your-own-mid-century-media-acorn-h1658/.

I'd add an armchair with an ottoman between console/case and windows, angled into the room: https://burrow.com/living-room/seating/accent-chairs/vesper-wood-and-fabric-lounge-chair (in moss/walnut). I'd put a brass floor lamp behind it: https://www.mullanlighting.com/us/patrick-mid-century-brass-floor-lamp/.

Lastly, I'd add a few plants - one to the desk, one hanging from the ceiling in the center of the windows, one or more on the console/case - and art on the walls and various surfaces.

LauraD

I would move the desk to face the window, and closer to the kitchen (?) side of the room. That cord running across the room is a hazard and a distraction. That way, upon entering the room, you see the personal side of the desk, not the business side of the equipment. It'll be softer.

Next, less open and more closed storage. A lot of your stored things are visible, and read more as clutter. The storage can preferably of varying heights. And lower the artwork.

You've got some great space to work with and I love your style and colors.

tigerlillysmom2326

All good thoughts. Reverse the direction of the desk wherever you put it, so the back and cords are not facing into the room. it kills serenity. If you need to run long corns, get cord covers to put the wires in. They are cheap, and you can paint them any color so they blend in. You could even paint them the color of your rug. They were a game changer for me.

SereneHaven

Hi Everyone!

Thank you so much for your ideas and opinions. Actually, before I got all these comments I moved my desk to face the window so I could create more space. My budget is not terribly huge so this will be a project that takes some time. I finally got the energy to clean up the office by removing boxes and such. Unfortunately, the wifi modem is still an issue even with the desk facing the window. The ethernet cable only has one outlet to connect into and since I game I got a Cat6 cable to connect into my modem and goes into my PC. So it's kind of an awkward situation still. My modem is currently on the floor unless I move my desk to be where the black storage rack is while still facing the window idk. I do like having my desk be in the middle of the window however.