I’ve been DYING to DIY the exterior of my office since signing the lease last October, but the weather has kept me from really moving forward with it, and now that the sun is shining and the birds are chirping, my office looks like it’s brimming with life as well… and I love it. I seriously smile when I pull up to it and continue smiling as I walk through the door. It just makes me so happy… and yet I don’t seem to spend as much time there as I’d like to.
…but I’m working on it 🙂
PS. Watch a time-lapse of this project on my Instagram Reels – HERE
Here’s What it Looked Like Before…
I love this cute little a-frame building but photos do not even come close to doing it justice, it’s 100% cuter in person, but it needed something to really make it come alive and obviously plants were my number one choice.
Since we live in a forest, where everything but the pine trees go dormant in the winter, I usually like to choose evergreen plants like English Ivy, Laurelwood, Holly trees and boxwood bushes because I want things to stay GREEN even in the snowy winter months.
Flowers are usually out of the question, since they are so seasonal, so ivy was my first choice… but getting living ivy to actually grow on my building would take years, so I chose the faux route to ensure it is always green and perky, even in the winter.
Here’s What it Looked Like When I Signed the Lease…
I painted the raw wood “sign” above the doors and windows white and hung curtains in the upper windows to hide the clutter but sometimes I wonder if the clutter was cuter… did it add more character? Maybe, but it wasn’t what I was going for, and since I don’t rent the upper area, I thought curtains would do the trick.
I also wanted to cover that triangle window area on the upper right side where you see the framed painting with a white board to match the opposite side, but we haven’t gotten around to it yet, so the art stays for now. I don’t mind it, but it’s not my first choice.
Another area I was hoping the ivy would disguise is the air conditioner that’s on the upper left above the door. I really wanted to go heavier with the vines there, but it’s good enough for now I suppose.
And Here’s What it Looks Like Now…
I dropped a few potted boxwood bushes in some old planters I had lying around to add a little more visual excitement to the front. I’d also like to add a cute little iron table with a few chairs, but haven’t found the perfect set yet. I actually scored a cute round table for $30 at a local thrift shop, but I think I like it better inside and because of its material, I’d have to bring it out and in every day, which is a chore I’m not too interested in taking on, though I might for photo shoots 🙂
Here’s What I Used…
 
I bought 4 packs of this Faux Ivy but ended up only using 3… They’re $9.99 each and include 14 strands, which cover a lot of space. I was surprised actually at how good they looked…
NOTE: when you open the ivy packages, there is a strong scent that is very strange, I’m guessing it’s the plastic or whatever material is used on the product… I let them sit out for a day before hanging them BUT since I was using them outside it probably wouldn’t have mattered anyway. After a day, they didn’t smell at all. Just recommending you open the packages and let them sit outside overnight before using them for an event or interior design.
I used clear thumbtacks to hang them and then once I had the look I wanted, I used a staple gun to set them in place. They would also be cute lit up with little white lights, but I’m happy with the way they turned out.
You can watch a time-lapse of me hanging it on my Instagram Reels – HERE
I was really on the fence about creating a sign, but now that I see it every day, it makes me so happy. It’s not huge, in fact, I wanted to keep it pretty quiet because it’s not there to draw attention, it’s just to inspire me really, so I grabbed a pencil to mark it out and then went over it with a little left-over paint I had from my Paintillio painting.
Again, you can watch a time-lapse on Instagram Reels – HERE
I really love the way these vines worked out. For the most part, they were really simple to hang and stayed put as well. The most difficult part was separating them from the rest of the pack without entangling them every time.
What I’m Wearing…
* Remember this Spring Dresses post I shared a few months ago? Well Chad was inspired too and bought me this pink floral LoveShackFancy dress for Mother’s Day from he and the girls, and I love it!
* Of course, I wore it with my checkered Vans
* Louis Vuitton Neverfull bag…
* Barton Perreira sunglasses
Happy Tuesday Lovecats!
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* Find all my DIYs here
A First Look at My New Office! My Desk Area – Before & Afters
