Can't Stand It Color

Donna Talley drew upon her creative prowess to take her office from cramped and cluttered to sunny and efficient. Doing the work herself, plus diligent bargain-hunting, kept her on budget.

It was the wall color, of all things, that started it. One winter morning she turned a critical eye toward the room in which she'd been spending most of her days: her home office. The mismatched furnishings looked clumsy and storage was skimpy, with files and papers jammed in shoeboxes here and there. But one flaw pushed her over the edge.

"I took a look at the green walls, and they started to look a lot like pea soup," says Donna, a photo stylist and magazine story producer who lives in Saratoga Springs, New York. "I couldn't help but wonder: What was I thinking when I painted them that color?"

 

On the plus side, the office boasted ample square footage, abundant natural light, and a pair of closets that practically begged to be put to better use. And it had two big blank walls that Donna longed to fill with hardworking storage. She planned a do-it-yourself makeover to punch up the room's personality and functionality. Her goal: Keep the tab at or near $1,000.

Creative shopping helped her pull it off. She combed discount chains and home improvement stores for new furniture that could hold her books, files, and supplies. Size, shape, and function trumped color and finish, which Donna figured she could easily alter. Two gallons of antique white paint covered the walls and a handful of furnishings -- a major facelift for about $50. Recycling a few existing pieces helped shave additional dollars off the price tag.

A black-and-cream palette ties together the disparate elements and gives Donna a break from the constant visual stimulation of her work. She admits she's fickle about color -- "I get enamored of a color and then grow tired of it," she explains -- so she limits it to small, easily changeable accessories. Chartreuse, in favor at the moment, brightens the room through vases and throw pillows.

"The office feels so spacious and airy now," Donna says. "I feel like there's room to breathe, so I can really focus and be productive. Everywhere my eye rests is something that's visually pleasing. That frees up space in my brain to be creative."

See more of Donna's budget home office solutions on the following page.