Almost a year and half ago, I decided to update our home office. The office decor had become tired looking it needed CPR. Kidding aside, the room was not at all inspiring, not a good place to have to be several hours a day. I wanted an updated home office with modern traditional decor, so it would fit in with the updates in the rest of our home.

Goodbye Old Traditional, Hello Modern Traditional

Wanting a whitish wall color with a soft hue, I decided on the Benjamin Moore color, Fog Mist.  The paint I used was Behr Marquee paint in an eggshell finish . I know what your thinking, why Behr? Well, I've done a lot of painting and Behr Marquee stacks up to Benjamin Moore and Sherman Williams brands! It truly covers in 1 coat, it doesn't spatter when applying with a roller and is extremely durable, but I digress.

O.k., back to updating my home office... The trim didn't need paint, I believe the color I used was Simply White another Benjamin Moore color. The closet doors for the built-in desk were painted in Behr Alkyd Irish Mist with semi gloss finish.  I love this paint, it's so durable. I used it on our kitchen cabinets, house trim and laundry room table with it. However, it  doesn't cover well. So for the wainscot I'll be using Behr Irish Mist Marquee eggshell finish wall paint with primer. It covers better and high durability is not needed there. I will probably leave the built-in desk and shelves in Simply White. Honestly,  it's not a real stark difference and being recessed it's hard to notice there's a difference.

Giving The Old Oak Bookcase A Weathered Gray Wood Look

It's a little hard to tell from the picture below, but my 35-year-old oak bookcase was looking orangeish, it's finish worn and it no longer worked with the decor of the room or what I had in mind for our home. So, I painted it with a grey flat paint and then used a dark brown wax for weathered gray finish. This was my first large project using a weathered gray finish technique I came up with on my own. Admittedly, I was a bit scared at first, but really glad I did it. I love how it turned out and now fits in with the updated decor of  the room and our home.

Before and after pics of Old oak bookcase with worn finish updated with weathered gray finish.

Close up of my own weathered gray paint technique

Painting Accent Table To Match Bookcase Help Bring The Room Together

Since one of the biggest factors in updating the office and the whole house for that matter, is keeping costs down, I used much of the existing furniture. The accent table in lower right side of the below picture, I painted with the new weathered gray technique I dreamed up. The same paint technique I used on the bookcase.  By painting the accent table the same as the big bookcase it kept the room from looking to busy.  As for the big writing desk, I just cleaned it really well. I love it just the way it is and wouldn't dream of covering such beautiful wood with paint. The leather, swivel desk chair was purchased from online, can't remember which website.  The side chair and area rug were from Home Goods, my all time favorite store!

Home Office accent table painted with same weathered gray finish as bookcase.

2 1/2" Faux Wood Blinds Worked Perfect Work Well In Newly Updated Home Office

The old window shades had become yellowed with age and hot summer sum; they needed replacing.  I needed find a something that would cover the transom windows at top; something easy to operate and would deflect the hot summer sun without totally cutting out the view.  I originally wanted shutters for the front bay windows, but soon realized they were not in the budget. So, I began looking at other options. Finally, I settled on much more reasonable 2 1/2 inch faux wood blinds that matched the trim. I ordered them online through JustBlinds.com on sale. I was able to selected custom sizes that fit the windows perfectly. As it turned out, I'm very happy with the 2 1/2 inch faux wood blinds; they add light and airy feel to the room

More Updates for Home Office; Some Useful, Some Eye Candy

To finish off my updated home office I added a couple of pictures purchased from Wayfair.com, not shown in pictures, a Pottery Barn inspired message board that I made. If you like this board, check out how to make your own Pottery Barn like message Board (coming soon).

Pottery Barn Inspired Message Board to Home Office

Pottery Barn inspired message board

A Bouquet of Dried Hydrangea Flowers Are Always Nice

I placed some decorative boxes, bowls and other little decorative items on the bookshelf for some interest, And it all worked. When I walk into the my office my eyes are drawn around the room and over the shelves of the bookcase.  Perhaps my favorite thing in the room is the simple bouquet of Hydrangea flowers. I picked them from my garden a couple of years ago then let them slowly dry.

Soft colored dried Hydrangeas from my 2017 summer garden

I just love my new and updated home office with modern traditional decor. It's truly become one of my favorite rooms in the house now. It's very functional and the light colors help create a nice energy in the room. Best of all, I was able to achieve the Modern Traditional look without spending too much money. Let me know what you think.