As the old saying goes, “the quiet before the storm” meaning all is quiet before the storm hits.  Well, for this post, I’m flipping that quote because of my sister’s office makeover.  It was literally the storm before the quiet.   She was making major changes in her home and as you know, when you’re remodeling, things always get messy not to mention, you need a dump zone, aka “THE STORM”.  That was the case when Amina decided to remodel her attic to create a bedroom suite for her son, Nazeeh.  In turn, Nadiyah moved into his larger room and her room became the dump zone (brace yourself) as you proceed, lol.. into the “Yikes” room…

Pretty bad…. and to make her life even more stressful and hectic, while in the midst of the remodeling project, she was taking classes to become a Certified Appraiser for our business, Pieces of Time.  I’m so proud of her for taking that step, because not only is she a successful estate liquidator, she passed the class and is now a Certified Appraiser with the International Society of Appraisers .  This new service provided through Pieces of Time caused a bump in business and warranted an office space for her to be more organized instead of having just a file cabinet.  The dump room, aka Storm, had become really bad and was actually depressing her more and more.  She had items for the estate sales, items neither of the kids no longer wanted and just “stuff” that needed to be gone.  The more stuff added she just solved it by closing the door (lol) and voila’ it disappeared..We wish that’s all it took to get rid of stuff.. but the reality was.. it didn’t.

She needed drastic motivation to get the ball rolling.  I read about the One Room Challenge hosted by  Veronica at Casa Vilora Interiors and coerced her to join.  In the beginning Amina was skeptical, scared and embarassed (especially about showing the before ), but Veronica eased that feeling, because she too had a mess that needed to be organized.  After seeing Veronica’s, Amina realized she needed that push, so she rolled up her sleeves and began the drudgery process.. which was…first things first..  sort through and get rid of unnecessary items to begin with a clean slate.

She pulled up the carpet to expose the beautiful hardwood floors, chose her paint colors, did a few D.I.Y projects,  picked out furniture items to compliment the space and the finished look was exactly what she wanted and needed.

Can we all take a deep breath and say “Aaaaahhhhh”  and start clapping now!!  You did it!!!!!  Your office is fabulous

She used items and furniture pieces she attained from different sales and thrift stores.   So let’s go inside and take a closer look at all the vintage and thrifted items and see how she used them in her swanky new office.  Her desk was an old item she had in her garage she got for $5.00.  It was in dire need of a new look so she used left over paint from a previous project and just added a bit of glam to the legs with a metallic gold dip.

The floor lamp-  another estate sale find (I know you all remember those funky lights)  – very “mod” right???

The wooden mid-century barcart she bought at a local thrift store for $10.00 was the inspiration piece behind the room’s decor.  The beautiful barware glasses were items we had for the shop inventory.  Thank God they never sold – because they were perfect for her cart. I lucked up and found the ice bucket at an antique store (my contribution to her cart 🙂 )

Seriously… these glasses are gorgeous….

 

The vintage 3-piece dish set is used for her candy/snack station

Her desk is small but it’s actually perfect for her use because she generally uses her laptop or Ipad while working in this office, which frees up desk space.

The diamond cut acrylic boxes are used for small desk supplies (I’m on the hunt for some.. gotta have them)

I love how she used the silver jewelry box for post-it notes (it’s the right size) for a touch of glam.  The footed crystal dish holds her clips

How about that office chair!!  What a great score.. she kept the original fabric, but painted the frame metallic gold.

Vintage metal wastebasket was another estate sale find.

She thought about refinishing the cart but decided to keep it in it’s natural state and was glad she did because she found a mid-century dresser that matched (talk about good luck).  This dresser/credenza keeps her very organized and also allows here to showcase a few of her collectibles (I love the vintage record holder – so nostalgic) – she uses it for mail, notes or quick pictures  she needs on hand.

Her pair of vintage head vases

This antique artwork, by Hungarian artist Jozsef Breznay, though badly damaged, is displayed gracefully on her wall.  I think it adds more charm to the entire room.

It captures your eye as you walk into the space

No vintage office is complete without a magazine rack.. not only does she have one, but she has two that are perfect.. just a quick touch of gold spray paint was all that was needed.  I wish the one above could have fitted in my suitcase..lol..because I’d been long gone by the time she realized it was missing.. (Yes, Mina.. I love that one!!.. hint, hint)

I’m so proud of Amina for accomplishing her goals and creating the office she desired to keep her focused.  As she jokes around saying – it’s the neatest room in the house because after all her hardwork – she makes it a point to keep it that way.   Thank you Amina for allowing me to photograph your space to inspire others to create their space on a dime (vintage style)

Looking back at the “Yikes Zone”, (sorry Amina) it is now a quiet, organized and cohesive work space conducive for her to focus and conduct her business.  I’m so excited for her and wish her all the best as she grows the business.   If you’re in need of estate liquidation services or a certified appraiser, feel free to contact Amina Lee at (973)698-1866.

I hope you enjoyed the tour of her new office space and found inspiration to create your own..  A big “Thank You” to Veronica for hosting the Room Challenge.  Not only was Veronica encouraging the ladies every step of the way, she also provided suggestions, guidance and inspiration as well.  You can follow Veronica via Facebook for her design classes.  As always, I leave you with, Happy Hunting while you thrift your house into a home!

Until we meet again!!

CIAO!!