We finally painted the lower half of the office, below the chair rail, a shade darker than the stenciled wall above so the room feels more balanced. The stencil above the chair rail was visually heavy, so we slid one square down on the Benjamin Moore swatch (the original wall color is Moonshine) and chose Gray Horse. We had it color-matched to an Olympic no-VOC satin and spent just $10 on a quart of paint. The darker base helps ground the whole space.

Doesn’t it look more grounded now? That’s the idea behind the change.

We also swapped the matching metallic-gold gourd lamps we used to have for a pair of different lamps from HomeGoods: one is a tripod desk lamp in oil-rubbed bronze (ORB) with a white shade, and the other is a glass-based ORB lamp with a white shade. They don’t match exactly, but they complement each other and break up the room’s perfect symmetry—mirror-image desks, a centered window, and matching chairs felt a little too formal, so a touch of imperfection makes the space feel more lived-in.

The mismatched lamps might bother some people—yes, I’m thinking of my mom—but once we hang art the focus will shift and the lamps will feel like layered elements that belong. Or you might still dislike them and still love me anyway.

We also moved the dark leather chair from the bedroom into the office. The dark wood desktop pairs nicely with the leather piece; in the bedroom it mostly collected clothes, but here it actually gets used. A bright green lumbar pillow we already owned ties in with the newly painted green desk chairs we finished a few weeks ago.

I’ve become especially fond of the file cabinet because of the colorful accessories. With gray walls, a white desk and cabinet, and brown leather, I was craving pops of color—hence the green chairs and several punchy accents.

I casually grouped a few books with stacked bowls and a ceramic pear and thought out loud, “someone should design a room around these colors.”

Then it hit me that we already did, almost by accident:

• The yellow tones in the bowl and bottom book echo the yellow in the chair upholstery and the wall stencil.
• The green bowl mirrors the new desk chair color.
• The dark gray book closely matches the deeper gray we added under the chair rail.
• The turquoise accents in the globe and middle book are present in the chairs’ upholstery fabric.
• The glossy white ceramic pear reflects the white trim, desk, and file cabinet.

So yes—we unintentionally based the room around white, green, yellow, gray, turquoise, and a touch of chocolate brown. I might eventually ORB the globe base to bring in that brown tone, but that’s a minor detail for later.

As with most rooms in our house, the office isn’t completely finished; it will undergo more tweaking over time. Still, it feels considerably more put together than it did a few months ago.

Progress so far:

• Built a wall-to-wall desk that fits the space and provides plenty of workspace.
• Added an Ikea file cabinet to increase storage and organization.
• Introduced a toy basket for Clara—function is a priority here.
• Painted the walls a soft gray (Benjamin Moore Moonshine) to keep the space light and neutral.
• Updated the chandelier with an indigo finish and a large drum shade to add scale and interest.
• Stenciled the walls to create a custom pattern and visual texture.
• Painted and reupholstered the desk chairs to bring in color and character.
• Painted the bottom half of the room a darker gray (Benjamin Moore Gray Horse) for contrast and balance.
• Placed a comfortable chair in the corner for storytime and cozy moments.

Remaining tasks:

• Hang artwork to complete the walls and create focal points.
• Add window treatments for softness, privacy, and light control.
• Find a better-fitting rug; the current one is too wide and not long enough.
• Add a floor lamp by the corner chair for height and reading light, plus a proper side table.
• Continue tweaking and evolving the room’s accessories and layout as we live in it and refine the details.

What have you been working on lately? Any fellow weekend painters or DIY enthusiasts tackling indoor or outdoor projects? We’re itching to get outside and do some fall prep—seeding, weeding, and transplanting—before it gets too cold.

P.S. If you’re curious, our favorite neutral wall color is Benjamin Moore Edgecomb Gray, which we’ve used in several rooms and love for its warm, versatile tone.