August 9, 2013

Dan's Study

Dan's study is done.  This shot was taken from our
newly remodeled hall (now master suite) bathroom.

Thanks to rainy weather (which gets tiresome but we try to be thankful in all things), Dan's study is pretty much done, except for finding homes for  a few more books and some odds and ends. This was a "found space" project which is part of a larger plan for a master suite.

The space was "found" at the end of the hallway. Originally, the floor plan looked like this....

Click here to see the floor plan for the entire house

When we first bought the place the hallway looked like this...

Wide, pink hall.
Spacious 5 foot wide hallway with a linen closet.

We did some evaluating awhile back to see if we could make a master bedroom suite. We ended up with an alternate floor plan which used the back of the hallway to make a study for Dan.

The proposed plan for a master suite. 

We've made some progress on that project and now the hallway looks like this...

Details about building this bookcase can be found here.

Behind that bookcase is Dan's new room.

The wall behind the desk on the right
is the back of the bookcase in the hall. 

He build the desk and cubby shelves quite a few years ago
but had to cut down the desktop to fit the space. He elevated
the cubbies for more room & I glued corkboard in between.

On the opposite wall where the linen closet used to be
there was just enough room for his drafting table.

The soffit above his drafting table.  (Please don't
notice that the ceiling still needs to be painted)

The soffit solved several problems, the biggest being that the linen closet's builder cut out gaps in the crown molding to accommodate closet walls. Our choices were to either replace all the crown molding, or build the soffit. The soffit not only defines the space, but made it easier to install the mini-pendant lamp.

You can see all of Dan's woodburnings at his blog.

The last thing to be built was more bookshelves. Besides being utilitarian, they help define the space, making it more like a room. In the first photograph, that's the back of these bookshelves on the right, looking like a pony wall.

The built-in bookshelves are dual purpose, and also
strategically situated over a structural bump in the floor

Cost for the entire project was very nominal. Besides materials for the bookcase in the hallway, he purchased a few 2x4s for the soffit, the light, materials for the bookshelves, and a small rug to protect the new hardwood floor from the wheels on his chair. The room is small, just a tad under 5 foot by 8 foot, so he uses the one chair at both desk and drafting table. That rug, by the way, is *RILEY APPROVED* ....

Dan's study is now Riley's favorite napping spot. 

For the master suite, we have the bathroom done and now Dan's study, with the bedroom yet to get started on. This time of year, we'd rather be working outside on preliminary steps for the new barn, weather permitting. We'll probably do the bulk of the work on the bedroom this winter, unless it doesn't stop raining.

Dan's Study © August 2013 by Leigh 

16 comments:

Sherri B. said...

That is brilliant use of space. It seems that you have thought of everything and had a solution for all of the problems...It is all so impressive! I like that Dan really has most things right at his fingertips, what else does one need in a study?!

Have a lovely weekend. xo

Ed said...

Well done! I will have to refer back to this post when my office makes it to the head of my project list. There are several things that I would like to incorporate into it.

Woolly Bits said...

ts ts, you show us pix without painting the ceiling first?:) I'd say that's a job for a very dark and rainy winter day... looks as if you made best use of a small space - and you can never have too many book shelves! i.e. unless you live in a one-book household (yes, I know, it's hard to believe, but I know for a fact that they do exist:) I am still dreaming of all the new shelves in the new shed, but I have to be patient.....

Nina said...

A very efficient and nice use of space! The bookshelves are perfect and it all comes together as an elegant and functional office.

Farmer Barb said...

YEA!!!! DAN, you're going to be drafting up a storm. You might have to wait for a storm to do it.

Leigh said...

Sherri, thanks! I have to say that the solutions come after a lot of brainstorming over the problems. It does make for a convenient study, doesn't it?

Ed, thank you! That's what I love about the internet, millions of minds coming up with oodles of great ideas. :)

Bettina, LOL. Now I can't imagine why I didn't do it first. I'm such a messy painter I'm sure to get ceiling paint everywhere we don't want it!

Nina, the bookshelves really worked out well, didn't they?

Barb, LOL. The way things are going though (over 5.5" of rain last week), we'll probably get a lot of inside projects done. :)

Renee Nefe said...

Dan's office looks great! I better hide that from my hubby though. ;)

He complains that he doesn't have his own room in our house. And yes our office is shared, but if you look at it, it is more than half of his piles of stuff to be filed away or read.
Yes, I need to go through this room and clear out about 80% of what is in here. Hubby keeps everything in piles that he intends to look at later...later just never comes.

Bootzey said...

I don't know why I get so excited over YOUR house. LOL!

Tombstone Livestock said...

Good job and good idea to leave space at the top of the bookcase for air flow. But you really should have finished painting the ceiling before putting every thing in the office, I have a feeling ceiling is going to wait awhile. Maybe some decorative tile that can be stapled up there instead, less messy and you won't have to take everything out again.

luckybunny said...

Really well done, I enjoy your posts about your renovations, always great to see and read about and also great ideas!

Tami said...

So clever to use the bookcase that way...I love it!

Florida Farm Girl said...

What a great little space!! Dan loves it, I bet. Good job.

Anonymous said...

Perfect use of a small space! You two are brilliant :)

vlb5757 said...

I love how you are creative with making space for what you need. I love how it all came together.

Diane Barnard said...

A smart use of space, and it looks fantastic! Can't wait to see the barn:)

Leigh said...

Renee, wow, I didn't think I'd neglected so many comments for this post. Maybe you could put some dividers in the room. Bookcases are perfect for that!

Serenity, well, you have to admit our house has undergone some drastic changes!

TL, all of the rest of the painting will wait for awhile, LOL. Tiles is actually a good idea though.

Donna, thanks! And you know what they say. Necessity is the mother of invention. :)

Tami, Sue, and Stephanie, thanks!

Vickie, I'm just relieved it actually does come together.

Starlighthill, good to hear from you! I have to admit that the barn is what we'd rather be working on, if the weather would cooperate!