Modern Classic Office Inspiration

I'm planning on traveling to Atlanta in the next couple of months to visit my best friend.  We've known each other since third grade, but unfortunately haven't got to see a lot of each other lately because of the whole "she lives in Georgia and I live in Texas" deal.  We were lucky enough to both be visiting family in Louisiana last year and we got to hang out, but it's been a long time since I made an actual trip to see her.  Too long - she bought a house almost three years ago and I still haven't seen it in person.  Bad friend.

Paying a visit has recently become much more affordable with Southwest doing direct flights to Atlanta from Austin.  This is great news for our family because the boyfriend's brother also lives in Atlanta, so we always have a reason to head that way.  Anyway, the trip is tentatively scheduled around June if both of our work schedules cooperate.  I was just going to do a long-weekend girls' trip, but the other day when we were talking she asked me if I could spend a week so I can help her work on her house.  She's my bestie for a reason - that's possibly the nicest favor anyone has ever asked me.

Basically, she moved in a couple of years ago, bought a few new pieces, and hasn't had the time or inspiration to really decorate.  According to her, she has three rooms that are basically still undefined spaces, and her home office really needs organization.  And she hasn't painted - not one wall!  I'm all for not rushing into decorating a space and instead living in it for a while to see how the space works for you.  But almost three years is definitely enough time and she's ready to start.

There are a lot of challenges to this trip.  First off, we have really different taste.  I'm very much a bohemian, DIY kind of girl.  Where she is much more traditional and classic.   There's also the challenge of shopping (and finding great deals) in a city I'm unfamiliar with.  And of course, the biggie - never having seen the space(s) before.  Makes for a difficult time planning, so right now I'm just looking for inspiration and having her do the same so we can compare notes.

Since she has an entire bedroom dedicated as her home office (and she works crazy long hours as an attorney), so far I have been concentrating on office space inspiration.  I'm definitely loving the idea of floating the desk and adding lots of organization.

So far, this image is speaking the most to me:



Better Homes and Gardens

 It's an image that has been around for a while, but it has a lot of positives.  I love the mixed storage including the wonderful texture of baskets.  I like the idea of using neutral furnishings and wall color and then having little pops of color around the room.  And the huge floating desk that doesn't take up a lot of visual room, but probably still has adequate desk storage. 

The problems:  although the Expedit provides a lot of storage, it just screams IKEA to me.  And it definitely needs a rug.

I'd love to also incorporate good seating - a couch or daybed, some chairs.  Really make it a space she can feel comfortable in and will want to spend time in.