Office Redo - Birthday Present!

 First of all, Happy 31st birthday to the hubs!  Can't believe it has been 10 years since our very first date!

I came up with a unique and fabulous birthday present, because let's face it...how much golf stuff can one man have??  I was getting so tired of the typical gift for every birthday and holiday.  If you ask this man what he wants his standard response is "golf stuff."  The "golf stuff" is why I am currently in this mess of an office!

Remember this?  It gives me anxiety to even share this with you!  I spend way too much time in this room to have it in such disarray.

So I decided to go to my handy-dandy Pinterest boards and find some inspiration.  I like to call this my "pinterest-sandwich" because I took ideas from multiple pictures and smashed them together to make a functional and beautiful space that works for us.

http://www.classiccasualhome.com/
I loved the board and batten in this room only I wanted mine a little bit higher

http://www.centsationalgirl.com/
Love the gray walls and the overall clean feel of this room.  Not a lot of clutter and feels like a place I could be in all day.

http://marcusdesigninc.blogspot.com/
The shelves with the leaning pictures was a perfect concept for what I am envisioning.

The construction process.  No, that isn't a giant ghost hanging out in the office.  It is my husband's gigantic treadmill that I wish would catch on fire.  This is definitely a point of contention in my marriage.  I figure if you haven't used it in 6 months it's time to be sold.  The hubs has a different view.  "One day I'll use it again" is his standard response.  So for now, I get to live with this thing taking up way too much room.

My husband and I have an unhealthy love for the University of Utah, especially the football program.  Do you consider crying when they have a bad game as "unhealthy?"  Well, I do.  It is such a passion of ours that it only seemed fitting to include it somewhere in our home.  I really didn't want it to be a cheesy "sports room", which I think can walk a very fine line.  So, my goal was to add sophistication to our love of football.

Before you see the "finished" pictures, please note that it actually isn't "finished."  Major organization and accessorizing is still in place.

We have a store near our home called the "Red Zone" that sells nothing but U of U gear.  I thought it would be perfect to include a vinyl "U" on one of the walls.

Curtains were custom made using Ikea "last chance" fabric.  "Last chance" means you are basically stealing it from them.  I can handle $4.99 per yard!

The new light.  Excuse me for being crude, but there is one less "nipple-light" in the world today.  Love the aesthetic aspects of the light, but not really a fan of it's lack of brightness.  I can't seem to part with it though.  I actually had something else in mind, but when I was at the lighting store I saw this guy sitting there in a box all lonely.  Of course they didn't have a sample hanging up, so I insisted the store clerk take it out of the box and put it together for me.  Don't feel too bad for him though.  This light was double the price of the first one I picked out, so all of his hard work wasn't for not.

We have collected so many news paper articles over the years that I wanted to use them in the room.  This was an inexpensive way of decorating.  Most of the frames I already had or bought from the dollar store.

This piece is an original art piece from an individual that lives here in Utah.  This is actually his "real" birthday present.  It really was my inspiration for the entire room.  I kind of decorated around it if that makes any sense.

I think the best part about this room is the memories it brings back every time I enter.  All of these newspaper articles symbolize such a fun time in our lives.  Many of these games were attended while I was pregnant with our little girl, so they hold a special place in my heart.

Like I said, I am still in the process of organizing.  I used to have all of these boxes in the closet, but thought they were too pretty to not be included in the room.  And it helps that they match perfectly!

The beloved Silhouette machine has a new home on the bottom shelf.  I used to have all of these items sitting on my desk, but now I have so much more room to work and can easily access it when needed.  I love the little red "shelf."  It is actually supposed to be a shelf, but I re-purposed it.  It has little cubbies that fit everything so nicely.  I have my vinyl rolls, Silhouette sketch pens, thank you cards and envelopes neatly organized and easy to get to.  The basket holds all of my scrap material.  It's nice to see what I actually have instead of it thrown in the closet.

Our diplomas hang nicely above the closet.  They used to be hung behind the dreadful treadmill and now they are easily seen.  All of that hard work should be displayed right?

So, there you have it!  The hubby's birthday present.  I think this is actually one of those presents you buy with good intentions, but you know it is just as much for you as it is for him.  Ssshhhh!  Don't tell him!

By the way, the paint color is Dover Gray by Olympic.  I know I'll get that question.