Hello! My name is Shalyn Nelson and I am a wedding and lifestyle photographer from Austin, Texas. This past year I was working the typical 8-5 corporate job and worked from a small desk that blended into a sea of bright blue cubicles. Once the clock hit 5:00, I drove home & put on my photography hat & worked until the early hours of the morning. As of August, I took a LEAP OF FAITH & started working for myself!
I am passionate about photography so this is a HUGE risk for the sake of living a life that I love.
For the past two years, I have been working in a room with boring, blank off-white walls that was had Berber carpet and yellow outlets. There was a tiny, old white fan that would creak every time I would turn it on. Basically, my work space was anything but inspiring. I wanted to work in a space that I could vibe off of, and just enjoy. I spend so many hours working in there, it just started to become a room I dreaded walking into because it lacked energy, and life!
My office space was inspired by the colors gold, white, gray & pink. I’m currently re-branding my business, and I knew that I wanted it to match and reflect me 100%. When I had my blog redesigned last year by Kelly Ann, she sent me a mood board and when I saw it, I did a happy dance and instantly fell in love. It has become what I’ve based all of my brand on.
One day I looked at my husband & we just decided to dive in. We moved everything out, tore up the carpet, and headed to Lowes to buy blue tape, paint, and tons of supplies to start building the office of my dreams. We had a $1000 budget so most of the things you see in my office I have had around my home for quite sometime. I always thought that you had to buy the new, hip and cool things to make an office awesome, but honestly, you can find things you have around your home that can work just as well!
We bought our dark walnut laminate floors from a discount flooring store in Austin, Texas. My husband put the floors in all by himself with the help of me handing him things and supporting him like the good wife that I am! ;) (Haha!)
The next step was the walls. We started out by painting one wall with Blackboard Chalk paint. I really wanted a board to write out my ideas, thoughts, and to-do list on and because there are two doors already taking up a lot of the space on the wall, I figured this would be perfect. It is almost a surprise factor when you walk in and realize that it’s there. It’s super fun!
The gold wall was my idea and I admit it, I’m totally in love with the gold trend right now. I once saw a wallpaper on Pinterest that looks like this: When I looked up the cost, I realized that I couldn’t afford it and so my husband and I decided to paint it by hand. At first glance, it looks a little intimidating, but honestly, it wasn’t that hard to do at all. We sectioned off the stripes with blue tape and before I knew it, my gold chevron wall came to life! To say that I am in love with it is an understatement.
Slowly but surely my office came to life. My space was ME and I couldn’t wait to start working in it. The white shelf in my office was a hand me down from my brother, so I painted it white and installed white IKEA lights underneath it. The desk is from IKEA and that’s what I’ve been working from for the past two years, so it was nice to see it pop on the hard wood floors.
The gold chest was a lucky find that I found while antiquing a couple of weeks ago. I almost had a heart attack when I saw it, and adopted that precious baby immediately. I use it to hold a lot of my things and it is also a little place for people to sit when they come hang out with me in my office. The chair was also found antiquing a year ago, and I’ve been using it in my guest room until recently.
All in all, I love my office and I hope that you can gain inspiration from it. It’s my favorite place to be in the house, and I feel blessed to be able to work from home and in a space that I feel inspired every single day. Making a space your own and utilizing the things in your home can go a long way!
SOURCES:
The floors were bought at Discount Floor & More. Drew put them in all by himself.
The Gold Wall: Drew and I hand painted this. It was tedious and crazy, but SO worth it.
Camera Bag: Jo Totes
Chair: Bought at an antique store
Desk: IKEA
Gold Chest: Bought at antique store
Blanket: Marshall's
Pillow: Bed, Bath & Beyond
Picture Frame in Window: Hobby Lobby
For Like Ever: Gift from DDHP; Purchased from OhDierLiving
Chandelier: Lowes
Frames: IKEA
Prints: Stephanie Stervoski Print Shop (She's amazing and just released new prints!)
Flowers on Desk: IKEA
Vase: Was Drew's Mom's that she gave to me. It was gray and I spray painted it gold.
Book Case: Hand me down from my sister-in-law. Painted it white. Added under-lighting from IKEA.
Sticks in Vase: Hobby Lobby
Gold Pillow: Marshall's
Wooden Gold Heart: Marshall's (Spray painted the heart gold)
Gold Frame: Free from neighbors yard. Was brown and spray painted it gold.
Love Letters on Shelf: Hobby Lobby
Cameras on Shelf: Z-Gallerie
iPhone Case: Target
Mood Board by Kelly Ann Creative
- post by shalyn nelson
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