One Room Challenge: Week Six-The Reveal
Welcome to Iris Nacole.com, formerly Around the Watts House! I’m excited that you’ve found me and my little space on the net! I hope you enjoy this One Room Challenge reveal, as well as my second One Room Challenge reveal which can be found here. If you do, be sure to sign up for email updates so you can keep up with my newest renovations. This year is going to be even better than the last, I’m sure of it!
The day we’ve all anticipated is finally here! It’s reveal day for all Linking Participants to the One Room Challenge! Six weeks ago, we all signed up to share our progress as we transformed a space of our choice. I can’t believe the six weeks have already passed! Never in my life have six weeks flown by so quickly, and never in my life have I experienced such a multitude of emotions about a project. It truly has been an experience that I will never forget, and one that I hope to get to do again. Thank you Linda for creating such an amazing challenge!
If you are just now stumbling upon my little piece of real-estate here on the net, welcome! You can follow all my progress throughout this process by following these links: Week One, Week Two , Week Three, Week Four, Week Five. If you have been following along then you know that I chose to transform our home office.
Remember this? 
Yikes! I can’t believe I had to share that with the world again! It’s most definitely necessary to do so though, because you’ll be amazed at how it looks today in comparison. You may remember my mood board that I shared with you all during week one. I knew I wanted to incorporate coastal elements to tie the room in with the rest of the house, but I didn’t clearly express that in this mood board. After a couple of week of shopping and working off this board, I determined that I didn’t care for the direction I was going, and decided to switch things up a bit, and boy am I glad that I did!
Now I know I haven’t been too revealing with the room, when it comes to sharing pictures. Not very exciting, I know, but I’m making up for that today! (Confetti and balloons fall from the sky!) So without further adieu, here is our home office!
Huge transformation, right? One of the biggest changes to the room has to be this DIY planked wall that John and I added between the two bookcases. It was honestly the easiest project I’ve ever completed, thanks to our recent purchase of the 18-Volt ONE+ AirStrike 16GA Cordless Straight Finish Nailer. It made the process fly by! Before purchasing the nailer we had attempted to hammer nails into the planks by hand. (What were we thinking!) The wood was so hard that we gave up after a few tries, and decided that investing in a nail gun was worth the cost. Luckily for us it was on sale at the time, so we were able to save a bit of money too!
Since we were able to complete the wall with ease, I was able to complete another part of my vision for this space, and that was the shelf between the two bookcases. It’s perfect to house baskets filled with craft supplies, and it’s equally nice that they double as décor too. Of course, if you know me, you know I love baskets, so I’m extremely happy with how this turned out!
If you follow me on Instagram, you know that I’ve spent a lot of the last few weeks painting the office furniture white. It is laminate, which for me was a terror to paint, so I had to come up with a process that worked for me with the supplies that I purchased. Wanna know something everyone should know? If you consult a professional about a process, and they recommend a product, always follow their instruction! Don’t be cheap and choose to spend your money on a different cheaper product that will just make the process harder, even if it works, because in the end, all that time you will lose is worth the extra money! (Hangs head in shame and guilt.) Luckily I finished just in the nick of time. Thank you God! I think this might have been a personal challenge called, “How Much Can Iris Paint in Six Weeks?”, since I also painted the entire room earlier on in the process. We chose Benjamin Moore, Gray Owl, and had it color matched in Behr paint by Home Depot. It really brightens the room up, and makes it feel much bigger!
Since this is our home office, I wanted it to function for all members of our family. For myself, I decided to create a small space to sit at and type up blog posts, or pay bills. I tend to do all of the above at the kitchen table since the office has been such a mess, but I plan to put this space to good use now that it exists.
John doesn’t work from home, but if he ever needed to, the desk set provides ample space for him to set up shop and get to work. What I really wanted to do for him in this space is to find a way to display his collection of Alice in Wonderland books. He’s been collecting them for years, and has acquired quite an impressive collection! My thought was to display them in a creative way that would allow for some of the space on the bookcase shelving to be used for other things, and when I came across the two lanterns, on top of the bookcases, on sale at HomeGoods, the thought of displaying books inside them came to mind immediately. Ding! We have a winner! Of course his collection is so large that I couldn’t get all of the books inside the two, but I am happy with the amount that I was able to get inside of them! It freed up enough space for me to add a few of these beautiful Nate Berkus Magazine Holders on a couple of the shelves! I love them, and they will most certainly be filled with papers soon enough.
Rordan is two, going on 13 (Why do they grow up so quickly!?!?!?), so I figured we needed to set up a space for him that he can grow into. I placed the wire baskets out of reach, because I plan to store his paints in them for easy access to me, but not to him. I can only imagine the mess that would occur if I didn’t do this! Another project I dreamt up while designing this space is this activity wall consisting of a chalk board, and a magnet board for him to play with. I hope we can add some alphabet and number magnets to the board so we can review them as he continues to learn his ABC’s, and numbers. The space below the baskets was perfect to set that up in, and it’s just his height! He’s already been playing with the magnets, or “fish” as he calls them, (So cute!), so I consider this space a success already!
Since I like to craft, I wanted a space that would double as an activity table, and craft table. At the beginning of the year I was on the hunt for such a table, and happened to find this one on Target.com. It’s a drop leaf kitchen table, but it works perfectly in this space, because I can pull the table out into the middle of the room, with the leaves out when we want to work on a big project, or I can push it up against the wall when we aren’t in the room.
Now let’s switch our focus to the décor in the room. My favorite part! I’d say that about 95% of what you see in this room that is new, was purchased at HomeGoods. Honestly, their prices are amazing. Their inventory is every changing, and I really love browsing the store to kill time on days that are unplanned. Since I started shopping for the room during the Spring months, their inventory was slowly shifting to incorporate coastal/nautical/beach décor. Perfect for this room! One of the things I had the hardest time with was finding the perfect art. After about 10 other options that made their way into this room, I ran across these beauties on a day that I didn’t expect to even go to HomeGoods! Seriously, God is our guide in everything, even decorating!
Before I go, I must thank my husband for all of his support, and help along the way. I couldn’t have done it without you John, and I think it proved that we really can accomplish anything together. You and Rordan are my world, and I hope y’all enjoy this room as much as I had hoped you would.
Okay folks, that’s all from me! I really hope you enjoyed the transformation of our home office! If you have any questions, or would like to share your thoughts on the space, please feel free to leave me a comment. I’d love to know what you think!
Now may I suggest that you hop on over to Calling it Home, and take a look at all of the magnificent work being showcased by the featured bloggers, as well as us linkers. Enjoy! I know you will!
~Iris
Source List
Office Set: Sauder- Office Port (Painted white)
Large Office Chair: HomeGoods
Small Office Chair: Ikea
Activity Table: Target.com
Rug: Target
Mirror-HomeGoods
Curtains: HomeGoods
Art: HomeGoods
Décor: HomeGoods, Marshall’s, TJMaxx, Target, Michael’s
Baskets: Michael’s
Office Supplies: HomeGoods, Target
Hardware: Top Knobs (tk323pn)
Light: Wayfair.com (Capital Lighting Halo 3 Light Pendant-Winter Gold finish)
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Just found your post on your Home Office ORC and I love your desk built ins. I’m wanting to convert a room in a similar way. Did you custom build those are wasn’t something you purchased and had installed. I’m stumped on where to start.
Hi Lucinda! Thank you so much! Actually, I painted a set of office furniture that I already had to give it a brighter look. I’d suggest consulting with a painting rep at your local home store for a good idea of what paint to use, if you choose to do the same. Have fun with your space! I’d love to see it if you ever get a chance to send a picture!
You did a wonderful job. It is perfect. You should have put HGTV magazine.
Thank you Dianna! I really appreciate your kind words! 🙂
very cozy! great job – what a beautiful space to work in!
Iris – this is truly stunning! You have such a talent transforming spaces and styling them beautifully. I am so impressed and loved every detail!!!
Oh, I dream of all that I could accomplish in this LOVELY office! Those built-ins, the chair, the textiles, the calming color scheme…❤
I definitely couldn’t pass up including this lovely space in my “Favorite ORC Reveals” post today! Thank you for such soothing, organized, dreamy inspiration!
Holy Makeover, Batman! That’s a ridiculously awesome before to after! Swooning over here! The planking makes the room!
Thank you so much Samantha! I’m really glad I was able to finish the plank wall. It was really easy to do, so now I’m thinking I’m going to do it in another room soon. 🙂
What a great space! So light and bright….my office is half that size and could use a makeover desperately! Good job!
Thank you so much Sherry! It just takes the right push to get things done for me. In this case it was the One Room Challenge. If that hadn’t come along, I’m sure it would still be a pile of mess. Good luck starting yours! I hope you are inspired to get it done soon! 🙂
IRIS!!! Serious home office envy here! What a fun/functional/bright/thoughtful space! Your space is so inspiring and now it gives you the platform to really create! Congrats!!
Aw thank you Kim! I don’t think I’ve ever been as inspired to get things done in an office, and that’s saying a lot I think, since I spent 5 years inside of one when I worked at the bank. LOL! 🙂
I love this craft room. It looks incredibly functional, has amazing light, and is pretty. Great job. The coastal touches are fun, too.
Thank you so much Linda! Thankfully we have three large windows in this room that allow ample lighting into the room. All I did to take these pictures was to open them up! I’ve gotta say it again, thank you so much for allowing us all to participate in this challenge. I had the best time! 🙂
What a beautiful room! It makes me crave a vacation to the coast! I am sure you will enjoy working in this space!!
Thank you Angela! That was my goal. I really wanted it to read coastal, since that’s my favorite style to decorate in, as well as my favorite place to be. 🙂
Iris, what a bright and charming space! I adore all your your styling and that bookcase wall is spectacular! I love the white paired with your coastal vibe and love of baskets. Well done!
Thank you so much Kate! It all magically came together at the last minute, so I’m glad you think I ended up doing a good job styling it. I appreciate it! 🙂
Wow I can’t even pick one part I like because I love every square inch of this space. It is absolutely incredible! You did an amazing job. I would feel sooo lucky to work in an office like that. Well done!
Thank you so much! I’m so glad everyone can see how much work I put into it. It’s really paid off too! I’ve had such a wonderful time working, and playing with my son in there already! 🙂
What an inspired space! it’s so fresh and bright! I love it. I can tell you will enjoy it so much! it’s lovely!
Thank you so much! I really have been enjoying it! 🙂
This is just amazing, Iris!!! Intotally enjoyed reading your thought process and how/why you chose every detail that you did. It’s SUCH a stunning room and you’ve made it so functional for everyone in your family – I adore that! Rordans corner is absolutely precious, (and now I’m trying to think of where in my house I could put that amazing drop leaf table)! Well done, friend!!!! This was a treat to see!
Thank you Chelsea! That table was such a great find! I tried to look it up to post a link but I couldn’t find it anymore. I’m sure I just missed it being in a hurry to get my post together. Oh and next time, I’m going to be using that furniture paint…mmmhhmmmm…I should have listened to you and not been cheap! LOL! 🙂
Iris, your space is so pretty! “WOW” escaped my lips when I saw the first picture. I love it all.
Oh thank you for sharing that Delia! I’m so happy that you like it! 🙂
Did I already say that I am just enamored by what you’ve done with this space! I can’t believe how many books you fit on those shelves, and I love that you added some in the lanterns. Such a great little touch. This just looks great. You did an amazing job!! So much talent <3
Thank you Crystal! I’m pretty impressed with getting all the book into the room myself. John told me to just leave some of them out, but I really wanted the entire collection to be showcased. I’m glad it all worked out! 🙂
This is such a transformation, Iris! What a great office that the entire family will enjoy for years to come! I’m impressed with the amount of furniture you painted–I’m sure that was quite the chore. The plank wall is the perfect addition–great last minute project. Nicely done!
Thank you Sharon! It was almost a three week event getting this stuff painted. I will be using the furniture paint I was referred to use next time. I would have been done in half the time if I had. Silly mistake on my part, but the lesson has been learned. I can’t even see this room without that plank wall, now that it’s been done. I think it would have been pretty boring without it. 🙂
Absolutely love it!!!! That built in is just fabulous and you styled the room oh-so-nicely! Great job!
Thank you Vel! I’m really pleased with the outcome, and so happy to find that others are liking it as well! 🙂
Oh my goodness Iris!!! this is beyond beautiful! Seriously!! Hgtv transformation worthy! Love it my friend! Amazing job!
That’s a huge compliment Jermaine! Thank you so much! Now if only someone from HGTV would look at my blog….LOL!
Congrats on a beautiful finish! Love the built-ins and the styling of your shelving.
Hoping to join in on the fun in Oct 🙂
Thank you Ashley! It was such a journey! Honestly, the highs and lows are all worth it though when the space is finished. You should most definitely join in this October! I’m already trying to nail down the room that I want to complete for it.
Thank you Ashley! It was such a journey! Honestly, the highs and lows are all worth it though when the space is finished. You should most definitely join in this October! I’m already trying to nail down the room that I want to complete for it.
Iris, I am blown away by this fresh, bright and coastal new office space! We seriously have the same style and if I wasn’t going glam for my office this is what I would choose! You know I love coral and those prints with sea shells are beautiful! OK, so I did the same thing with paint. Had to go through 3 cans of white spray paint for my cheap file cabinet refresh! Not to mention it kept dripping. So lucky you had your husband to help! While my husband helped with the kids on the weekends, I am solo on these ORC or DIY projects and often more times than not it’s not completely finished. So fun being in ORC with you! Cheers on such a wonderful space to work! XOXO, Sarah
Thank you Sarah! I love what you did with your office. To be honest, if I weren’t so set on having all the rooms flow with each other this room would be a moody library of an office. Everything happens for a reason though. I was working on the painting all by myself until the last couple of days when I knew I wouldn’t finish on my own. My husband isn’t very handy, and would rather watch our son than work on a project. Fine by me though, because I love to complete projects, and I think I’m even more proud when I can do them on my own, like my Family Room built-in. You should be proud of all your work too! It’s beautiful! 🙂
WOW! Iris this makeover is stunning! Your home office looks bigger, brighter and beautiful. Y’all did an amazing job of creating a space that works for the entire family. Your photos are fabulous too…congratulations!
Oh my goodness, I’m so amazed at how much space I was wasting in this room before. To have all the counter space, and the activity area, and a craft space all function at the same time is wonderful! Thank y’all so much for your lovely comment! 🙂
Looks beautiful and functional. Thanks also for the tip on following the advice from the professionals (even though it is more expensive initially). You did a great job!
Thank you! I had to learn the hard way. My friend Chelsea recommended a furniture paint that she has had success with, and I was all for it until I saw the price. That’s when I chose to use the primer, paint, and poly. Boy, I wish I had listened to her! LOL!
STUNNING!!!
Thank you so much Stacey! 🙂
this is fantastic!! how lucky are you to get to work in that space everyday.
Thank you Pam! Today is the first day I have gotten full use of the space. We just finished playing with the chalkboard, and drawing some pictures. Such a fun time!
I love the books in the lanterns idea… it was the first thing I noticed!!! So pretty!!
Meg
Thank you Meg! I’m glad you like that idea too! It’s such a fun way to display the books, and I was lucky to find those huge lanterns on sale. It made it easier to execute my vision too! 🙂
I love that coastal feel in your office. Beautiful, well done!
Thank you Anna! Sorry you had trouble with commenting on the blog. For some reason it sent your comment to my Spam bin. I haven’t figured out why it does that just yet. I really appreciate that you took the time to comment though! 🙂
Congrats! I’d love to see how your room lives for you. The office is a room in my house that seems to defy all attempts at taming it. Maybe it’s my work habits that do it!
That’s the test I’m waiting for too! I hope I can manage to keep this space clean, but I know at time, just like every other space in my house, it will be a mess. I’m okay with that though, it shows that we are actually living in and using our home. 🙂
Stunning!! What an amazing transformation!!
Thank you so much Traci! I really appreciate it! 🙂
What a dreamy space and an incredible transformation! Love it all!
Thank you Katie! I’m so glad you like it! 🙂
It’s so light and bright, I love the desk & bookcases painted white. I just painted our desk white as well it gives it such a clean look. Your office looks amazing!
Thank you Katy! I’ve always wanted to paint this furniture white, I just didn’t have a reason to really do it, but the ORC came along and motivated me to. I’m so glad, because I agree, it makes the space look so much cleaner, and airier. 🙂
This room is just so, so SOOOO good! I have to keep going back and looking at the photos to really suck in all that detail! I love that you have created an incredibly functional room that is absolutely stunning. Congrats on a work of beauty!
Oh wow, thank you Tricia! I really appreciate that you have taken the time to share that with me. I worked so hard to make sure that I wasn’t making just a “pretty” space, that wouldn’t function for the family. I’m glad it all worked out! 🙂
You did a wonderful job in this room. Looks beautiful and I love all of the nautical finishes.
Thank you so much Erin! I’m glad you like the room! 🙂
It’s SUCH a lovely space! SO bright and airy! Who wouldn’t love to work in space like this?! And Gray Owl is my new fave colour (we used it too) – pretty sure it’ll be making it’s way around my whole house now! LOVE everything about this!!!
Thank you Kristi! I think Gray Owl is the official color of the linking participants. So many of us ended up using it! We have it in our powder room as well, and I think it just might end up in another room soon enough. 🙂
Iris, this is amazing! WOW! Your pictures look straight out of a magazine! I loooove all your storage baskets, your chair, the banner…. It’s Ll just perfect!! You did an amazing job, friend! Have a wonderful Mother’s Day weekend! xo
Thank you so much Kendra! I took about 750 pictures yesterday! Haha, crazy I know, but sometimes that gem is hidden in the mix, so I try all different angles. I really appreciate that you took notice! 🙂 Happy Mother’s Day to you too! 🙂
What an amazing transformation! A true job well done. I adore the color palette you selected. It feels fresh and calm. The six weeks went by so fast. I completed our entry, living and dining areas in a new to us 30 year old house. So, cheers to us! Have a wonderful weekend.
Thank you so much! I just took a look at all of your spaces, and wow, you did a great job! It’s very classic, but with a spin, and I love it!
Oh wow, this is totally a dream. I could definitely spend all day in here. Such a beautifully thought out space. Your accessories are perfec too. GORGEOUS.
Thank you so much Marty! I’m looking forward to all the fun projects I’ll get to complete in here, as well as all the fun I will have with my little boy, teaching him as he grows. 🙂
Absolutly gorgeous Iris! It couldn’t be any prettier. All your hard work really paid off 🙂
Thank you Karen! I really did put all my energy into this challenge. I think it’s time for a recharge! LOL!
Iris, this room is so lovely!!! I adore a well done beachy vibe and you did a wonderful job here. I think what takes this room to beyond a 10 is the shiplap wall that you created to connect the 2 bookcases. well done, enjoy your new room 🙂
Darlene
http://www.BundleMeBaby.etsy.com
Thank you so much Darlene! Yes, that wall was a must in this design. I just knew it would be such a visual target, and I’m so happy my husband agreed to help me with it. 🙂
WOW! That is amazing! It is so bright and fresh, like an ocean breeze. You definitely captured coastal elegance!
Thank you so much for pointing that out! I was hoping that I had captured the feel that I set out to. I was wondering if it really read “coastal elegance”, and kept asking my husband for reassurance during the process. LOL!
You did such an amazing job on the office space! It looks beautiful and I love that it functions for every member of the family.
Thank you Erin! I think everyone is happy with their little piece of the room, so it makes all the effort I put into it, worth it. 🙂
Simply beautiful Iris! Love every square inch of this space! Fantastic Job!
Thank you so much friend! I was so worried I wasn’t going to get it done. Now that it is, I’m really enjoying seeing my vision come to life! 🙂
Wow! What a great transformation! I love the soothing colours of this space! Way to go!
Thank you so much Sabrina! It was exactly what I was hoping it to be. I walked downstairs this morning and it was sort of glowing in this room because of all the white furniture, and the morning light streaming in through the windows. It was wonderful! 🙂
Iris, your office looks amazing! Love the nautical theme. It’s been fun seeing your peeks on IG, then coming to your blog for the full reveal.
Thank you Brandi! I felt like such a tease, but I really didn’t have much to share since everything was in the garage for the past few week. LOL! I’m so glad you stuck with me and visited the blog! 🙂
So light and fresh! Beautiful job!
Thank you so much Mary! I’m just happy that it all came together at the last moment. I really didn’t think it was going to!
Looks so great Iris!!! I love all the white and the coastal decor. That cute kids space you made for your son is the cutest thing ever!!
Thank you Allison! You might think I’m weird saying this, but when I was putting the kids space together with the baskets, I thought about you, and thought you might like it! 🙂 I’m so glad you do! 🙂
Wow!! Iris you did such a professional job. It looks fantastic. I need an office like that!! All the like touches are great they really make the room look so well put together.
The decor adobe
Thank you Angie! I was hoping to kind of showcase my newly learned talents in this room. I’m glad you like it! I really love being in it and working on stuff. I edited photos for the blog yesterday, and it was SO nice!