Inspiration And Perspiration

Room makeover in progress! To catch up on the project, read:

Ready, Set, Go!
Wild And Reckless
Baby Blues
Fresh Paint
What About Polka Dots?
Making Progress
The Undisputed Truth
The Gods Must Be Crazy
Multi-Tasking Mania
Dirty Jobs
Spray Paint: Part 1
No Turning Back
Judging Books By Their Covers
Home Tour: Peace And Harmony

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"Genius is one percent inspiration and ninety-nine percent perspiration." 

-Thomas Edison

Now I'm not trying to invent the light bulb over here; all I want is a clean, comfortable office. But I think ol' Tommy is on to something. It takes not just a grand vision but also some serious elbow grease to make a dream come true.

Fortunately, I'm armed with both.

Here are a handful of my favorite eye-popping, drool-worthy inspiration photos, interspersed with my labor-intensive work plan for gettin' 'er done.

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1. Decide on colors and inspiration pieces.

2. Empty out the room. 

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3. Remove the crown molding, chair rail, baseboards and door; sand them down, then stain and re-finish them, and replace.

4. Clean, stain and re-finish the wood around the windows and door frame that cannot be removed.

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5. Paint the ceiling in Bleached Linen, to match the rest of the house.

6. Paint the walls a warm neutral - beige or grey.

7. Paint the inside of the door and/or the bit of ceiling above the window a fun color. Maybe red?

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8. Decide on a furniture arrangement using the two existing work tables and inspiration end tables. Wish list: couch, desk lamps, reading light, cabinet or cupboard.

9. Reconfigure all the ungodly wires and devices; find a way to get the tower, router, and printer off my work table.

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10. Re-finish the built-in bookcase.

11. Re-style the bookcase.

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12. Hang art, collect accessories, consider a rug and window covering, style the room.

13. Celebrate!!

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I'm tackling this list with determination and a steady pace. Still narrowing down my paint colors, I've chosen two pieces that will inspire everything else that happens in this makeover.

^ My second-born painted this oversize piece in college. I'm crazy about the rugged stripes and happy colors, which are bit softer in real life that the photo suggests. 

^ Fresh from the aisles of Target this summer, these adorably geometric turquoise tables were originally topped with padded seat covers. Prowling through her Instagram feed, my afore-mentioned second-born found this idea for substituting wooden tops and converting them to tables; we fell in love with the new and improved look.

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Tomorrow, I'm planning a date to IKEA to check out couch colors; then I'll be able to finalize my wall color, suit up in my painting clothes, haul in some ladders, and get to work. Like Mr. Edison, I'm ready to roll up my sleeves in pursuit of a dream.