Almost There

“Is your living room done yet?” people asked. Well, yes and no. To me, it is not completely done unless I get to sit on a couch and watch a movie on the projector screen. We still have a few more steps to get there. Although the pictures may not show much difference, we have made a lot of progress since last update in February:

• Finish the other side of the cove lighting
• Two more speakers built-in in the ceiling
• Projector pole and its electric work
• Finish and paint all the trims
• Clean up and mop the dusty floor  

 

It seems that we can start to enjoy the living room, but there is one more thing, quite important thing that I really want to do before any further moves -- REFINISHING THE FLOOR!! Our hardwood floor has scratches all over the place with yellowish old stained color. Especially after the renovation, there are more stains and paint that won't come off if we do nothing about it. :( That means we still need to endure it a little bit longer to say "DONE."

Anyhow, we have the floor all cleaned up so I can play around some furniture arrangement. I suggest a home office in the living room because we only have two bedrooms in the house (see floor plan); One for master bedroom, one for potential nursery or a guest room when my parents come visit. Besides, we need more storage spaces in the living room.

Here are some inspirational home offices in their living rooms: 

Dual Side Desks: 
"Sliding shutters allow the living room to accommodate a pair of offices that can be concealed when company comes. Rather than being relegated to a dreary corner, these home offices live at the heart of the house."

Shared Space Office: 
"It can be a challenge to create a desk that's roomy enough for one person, let alone two. This symmetrical setup is the perfect solution, unifying a pair of workstations in an open configuration that fits snugly against almost any stretch of wall without overwhelming the rest of the room."

Home Office in Young House Love:
a workspace at home for the husband and wife and also a play space for their kid

I found this design very similar to our living room:

How To Hide A Home Office in A Living Room

Although it is unlikely to add another wall in the middle of the room, I like the home office in the back of the living room. Charles also add an idea for a built-in bench under the big window sill so that he can hide the audio receiver and the game consoles for the theater use. Our living room is going to be very multifunctional.

We already have:

• Swivel club chair from Homegoods
• Dual desks from Ikea
• Shoes storage from Ikea

Will shopping for:

• Sofa with chaise (or a footstool)
• 8 x 10 area rug
• Built-in bench under the window sill
• Home office storage solution
• A pair of office chairs

Oh when oh when...