When we moved into our house, we decided to turn the dining nook off of our kitchen into an office space. We moved in the desk I’ve had since college and it just stayed that way for about a year. It was functional, but it didn’t really feel like ours.

Then, we decided to paint the space black. It was such a dramatic shift, but I loved how it turned out. After that, it felt like the rest of the space needed a boost. (Doesn’t it always?)

We built a desk from a slab of reclaimed black oak wood and vintage legs. And we rescued an old hutch from a garage in San Francisco and are using it for storage for art supplies and camera equipment. To add the finishing touch, we installed a light fixture from Schoolhouse Electric. Now it’s the perfect place for Cliff or I to pop in and get some work done from home. 

I don’t have a great “before” photo, but here is one from when the house was staged before we bought it. The walls were a light gray and there were some funky red blinds in the windows.

After painting, we put up honeycomb shades to filter the light and give us more privacy. Pictured here is the reclaimed desk my dad and I put together and a vintage chair that I picked up a few years back.

The walls and the hutch are painted in Railings Estate Emulsion from Farrow & Ball, which they describe as a soft black with blue undertones. I just love their colors — they have so much depth to them and they change throughout the day. The rest of the house is really light and airy, and this small space creates a nice contrast.

Some details from the interior of the hutch and our handmade desk

We still need to get around to hanging some more artwork on the walls. For now, I have a couple of my favorite pieces up from Robert & Stella.

It also makes a lovely backdrop for photo shoots, like this one I did recently with my sister, Megan, for her blog. 

Hope you enjoyed checking out our little office nook as much as we’ve loved designing it! I’m excited to see how it will continue to evolve. We recently got Jack a little cart for all of his art supplies that he can wheel over to his own little art table for projects. He’s started telling us that he “works from home.” When we ask him what he does, he starts listing things like, “Painting, counting, coloring…” It’s the cutest thing. So who knows, maybe it will become a creative space for the entire family!