Dining Room Converted to Home Office

My friend has a formal dining room that she did not use since her kitchen is quite large, so she asked me to help her convert it to a home office. This was such a fun and simple project and the end result was incredible.

Paint is magic

I started this makeover by painting the room, including the ceiling with Darkroom, by HGTV Home by Sherwin William. This is such a beautiful color, black with a purple undertone. Initially my friend was afraid that the paint color was going to be too dark and make the space feel smaller. On the contrary, the space felt open, spacious and is packed with a bold and moody vibe. She was thrilled with how it turned out.

Defining the Office Space in the Dining Room

To define the office space in this dining room, I added a large area rug. I moved her desk to the middle of the room. I added three fluted consoles behind her desk to give her plenty of storage for her books and paperwork. It also gave her a large surface for her office equipment such as a printer and shredder. I painted the consoles in the same color as the wall for a monochromatic look and it turned out beautiful. It kept the room feeling moody yet making it feel spacious as the consoles blend right into the wall.

To prep the consoles for painting, I sanded it with 220 grit sandpaper so that paint can easily adhere to it. I painted the consoles using this roller and brush. I applied two coats of paint, letting the first coat fully dry. Then I sanded very lightly with 220 grit sandpaper before applying the second coat.  Once the consoles were all painted, I let it dry for 1 week for the paint to cure before installing the doors. I would recommend letting it cure a bit longer, if possible. I had to leave for a trip so I didn’t have that extra time. So far, it has held up pretty well.

All in the details

To complete the task of having this dining room converted to a home office, I added a shelf above the consoles for extra storage and to bring the room together with decorative items such as art. To soften the room a bit, I added linen curtains that made the space feel bright, and added texture to the room making it feel cozier.   I swapped out her old light fixture for this one and it instantly made the room feel more luxe and complete.

Do you have a dining room in your home. If so, do you use it?

If you are looking for more office ideas, have a look at this setup I created for the boys in our home.

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