Coastal Shabby Chic Home Office

Are you looking for coastal decor ideas for the Shabby Chic home office? I used shells, wicker furniture and coastal colors in my office.

In an effort to add touches of coastal decor to my shabby chic home office, I used items from my Grandmother’s shell collection as well as my own wicker furniture.  I chose colors that were reminiscent of the sea.

Today, I am taking a look back at how I decorated and set up my home office.  There are still a few more things I need to do to make my office more workable.  One involves making the closet a more effective storage area.  I hope to tackle those projects later this summer!

Let’s see where I started:

Before -Starting with a Blank Slate

Even before we decided to make the permanent move to Florida, I wanted to turn one of the bedrooms into an office area.  I chose the one that had more natural light.  With the blinds closed, it is hard to tell how much light comes in!

My Great Aunt (whom we bought the property from) had left behind a few pieces of furniture.  One of the pieces was a love seat with a hide-a-bed.  I used a sheet as a simple slipcover.  You can read about how easy that is here:

She also left behind a few of her paintings.  She is an amazing woman and you can read more about her here:

The celadon green basket was my inspiration for the color palette for the office.  I purchased the basket from an antique dealer friend from Missouri.  He had posted the basket for sale on his facebook page.  He brought it to me in Illinois the next time he did a show there.  The hydrangea pillow is a nice accent to the love seat.  More information about my love of the celadon color can be found here:

A Work In Progress

After the movers brought the 2nd big load from Illinois, the office was full of things I wanted to use!  The move from Illinois has been quite the process.  You can read more about it here:

Slowly, office was beginning to take shape.

I really wanted to hang the cabinet on the wall and place the desk underneath it.  I used the painter’s tape to mark where the desk should sit.  However, the cabinet turned out to be too heavy to safely hang on the wall if I was going to display anything in it.  I was sad.

The cabinet is painted a creamy white.  There is a bit of the celadon green peeking thru.  The bottom of the cabinet has a gentle curve, kind of like a wave.  It isn’t as noticeable when the cabinet is sitting on the floor!

Where Is It All Going to Go?

If I couldn’t hang the cabinet on the wall above the desk, maybe I could angle the desk and put the cabinet behind it.

Dave came up with the idea of putting the desk in front of the window so I could look out while I was working.  He thought putting the love seat on the opposite wall opened up the room.  Don’t tell him but he was right!

The cabinet eventually went in the corner along the wall once I got all the boxes unpacked (or moved into the other bedroom to deal with later.)

The black phone is no longer connected to a phone line.  It was the phone in my parents’ house when I was growing up.  My mom worked for the phone company for many years, so I thought it was a good memento to bring to Florida.

The scrub top table that I use as a desk was a silent auction find.  When I first brought it home, the top was covered in old red linoleum.  It didn’t take me too long to rip that linoleum off!  I also had the legs repainted.  I shared the other items I bought at that auction in this post: Silent Auction Finds.

The end table was a yard sale find.  I love the cut-out trim that looks like waves!  I did use some spray paint on it to give it a more muted look. I really need to clean that wall before I take anymore pictures!

This vintage wicker table was one of the first purchases we made when we bought the Florida house.  It is hand painted by a local artist.  It is serving as an end table in the office.

Two of the shelves in the large cabinet in the office reflect the From Farmhouse to Florida theme.  My paternal grandfather owned an implement company.  I have a few items that came from his store.  My Dad was a farmer.  My Mom had a needlepoint of the Last Will of a Farmer that she had hanging in their kitchen.  I found this sign with the same poem on it shortly after my Dad passed away.

The sweet little lamb tucked in the corner of one of the shelves is a planter that my Mom received when I was born.  It is such a precious memento.  I used the lamb in a spring display.  You can read more about it here: How to Display Vintage Pottery

The office is still a work in progress.  Once I get a really good “After” picture, I will post it!

Office Photos Updated June 2021

Such A Small Change, What A Big Difference!

Adding More Garden Style to the Coastal Shabby Chic Home Office for Summer

Coming Soon!  Closet Transformation!

Before