I have always wanted to have a dedicated home office. I recently bought my next fixer-upper and I decided make it happen! Here is a look at how it turned out:
In this article I am going to show you exactly how I converted one of the bedrooms in my home into my dream home office. Specifally, this Home Office conversion consisted of the 5 projects shown below:
In the next few sections, I am going to walk you through each project so that you can tackle a similar Home Office makeover!
Additionally, all of the materials used for this office remodel are linked below:
- Wall Trim:(I used this type): https://shoplowes.me/4lzugic
- Cabinets: https://shoplowes.me/46O103n
- 3/4″ Plywood: https://shoplowes.me/4mFHFGh
- Battery Powered Picture Light: https://shoplowes.me/45L98Ay
- Radial Drywall Sander: https://shoplowes.me/47nLqvy
- Paint (Choose Colors to Suit!): https://shoplowes.me/412AyiQ
- Counter: https://shoplowes.me/4lqPUoK
- Caulk: https://shoplowes.me/47xiIZ4
- Paint Kit (Brush, Roller, etc.): https://shoplowes.me/45xrtA3
Project Number 1: Lighting
The first project in my Home Office project was to add lighting to the room. When I bought the home, the only light in the room was a lamp that was controlled by a half-hot outlet and a switch – which was not cutting it. So I decided to install some dedicated overhead lighting in the room.
Since the ceiling is exposed, I needed to run the some 14/2 Romex cable within a conduit that I would then surface mount to the cieling. To do this, I first purchased some metal EMT conduit and then removed all of the dirt and grease using a degreaser. I then painted the metal conduit with a 2-in-1 paint and primer (spray) to get everything black.
To actually install the lighting, I ran some 14/2 Romex Cable from the switch up to the ceiling. Next, I ran the wire through the painting conduit into my first box. I used fittings as needed to secure the conduit to the boxes.
I proceeded to repeat this process for all 4 of the lights that I installed in my office. Here is how it turned out!
Now that there is some lighting in the office, we can move on to the next project.
Project Number 2: Built Ins
As part of my Home Office, I really wanted to install some built in cabinets and shelving. Built-in shelving and cabinetry can transform a basic wall into a highly functional, polished environment. The process begins with planningโmeasure the space carefully, noting ceiling height, wall width, and any obstructions like outlets, vents, or windows. Next, Decide on the purpose of the built-ins: storage, display, or a combination.
Because there is a window on the back wall where I planned on installing these built ins, I had to get a bit creative. I started by modeling everything in Sketchup so that I new exactly what I would need to buy and build to make this happen.
For my built ins, I decided to buy a few of the cabinets pre-assembled since this is WAY easier than custom building everything. However, I did have to custom build this small drawer that goes under the window. To do that, I cut some strips of 3/4″ plywood and got to work creating both the drawer carcas and the drawer box.
After instlaling the drawers and painting all of the cabinets a forest green color, it’s time to talk about the counters.
Although I was intially planning to build concrete counters on top of the cabinets, I had a bit of leftover counter from my Kitchen remodel which I thought would look great in the office. As a result, I bought a few more small slabs and then I attached the counters to the cabinets using construction adhesive.
Lastly, I built some shelving using more 3/4″ plywood and I installed the shelving units on top of the counters.
Lastly, I added trim to cover up the exposed plywood edges to create a seamless, built-in look. Fill nail holes, caulk gaps, and sand smooth before performing any touch-up painting or staining.
I also installed this battery powered wall light for a custom touch and improved functionality.
Well-installed built-ins not only maximize office organization but also add a permanent, high-end feel to the roomโmaking the space both more beautiful and more practical. I am super happy with how these turned out!
Project Number 3: Trim, Doors, Etc.
To get this bedroom really looking like a Home Office, I needed to step up the doors, trim, etc.
First, I swapped out the basic doos with these contemporary, European-style doors from Belldinni. I am installing these doors all thoughout my home and you can get 10% off any Belldinni Door by using Code at checkout.
Next, I replaced the existing baseboard and window trim with this modern style aternative that I got from Next Day Moldings.
Lastly, I really wanted to try and install some wall trim in this home office to add some visual interest to the otherwise plain walls.
Here is a look at my wall before installing trimโฆ
And here is a look at the wall after installing the trim!
To tacle this wall Trim project in my home office, I needed the following tools and materials:
- Trim Molding (I used this type): https://www.lowes.com/pd/11-16-in-x-8โฆ)
- CA Glue: https://amzn.to/3GvEEZS
- Miter Spring Clamps: https://amzn.to/3IQZzHf
- Miter Saw or Miter Box: https://amzn.to/3UhszdQ
- Brad Nailer: https://amzn.to/3UhsBCu
- Laser Level: https://amzn.to/3U7PQix
Letโs get started!
Create the Wall Trim โBoxโ
To create the wall molding, you will want to create a โboxโ with mitered edges. For my design, I used a 48โ tall by 24โ wide box (approximately) for the larger box and a 18โ tall by 24โ wide smaller box for the bottom.
Cut all of the pieces to length using a miter saw (or miter box) and position them in place on a flat surface. Next, I highly recommend the use of miter spring clamps to hold the mitered corners together in the perfect position. Once you are happy with how the corners are aligned, apply a bit of CA glue to the mitered joint. Spray some CA glue activator on the miter and it will cause the glue to bond instantly โ holding the mitered joint together.
Do this for all of the mitered edges and then remove the miter spring clamps.
Hang the Wall Trim on the Walls
Once the wall molding boxes have been cut and glued together, it is time to hang them on the wall. I like to use a laser level to establish the mounting height on the wall, but you can also just use a standard level.
PRO-TIP: Clamp something metal (framing square, hand saw, etc.) to a nearby door casing and use the magnetic attachment on the laser level to give you an easily adjustable mounting bracket.
To attach the wall molding boxes to the wall, I like to use a brad nailer with ยพโ nails. However, the size of the brad nails will depend on the thickness of the trim you are installing. You can also use a bit of glue on the back of the trim boxes if you want an extra strong hold (However, this will likely tear off the drywall a bit if you ever remove the trim).
After getting the first trim box installed, I like to use a piece of blocking as a โspacerโ to position the remaining trim boxes. This will help to ensure that everything is level and uniform. I used a 5.5โ piece of baseboard as the spacer between all of my trim boxes.
Paint and Caulk the Wall Trim
Once all of the wall trim boxes have been installed, use a bit of caulk around the edges of the trim to ensure that there are no visible gaps or openings. Once the calk dries, paint the trim to match the wall.
Congratulations! You now have a beautiful custom wall that looks 10X better than a standard boring wall.
If you are more of a visual learner, check out my YouTube video linked down which will show you every aspect of the wall trim installation process, step-by-step!
Project Number 4: Desk
Every home office needs a desk… and there is really nothing worse than having a small, cramped desk.
I was the โcramped desk guyโ until I built the DIY live edge desk that you see below:
Here are the steps I followed to create this custom live-edge desk!
Select and source the slab for your live edge desk.
Do you want the good news or the bad news? Both? Ok..
Good news: Live edge slabs are beautiful and make a for a stunning desk
Bad news: Live edge slabs can be expensive and semi-difficult to source (but itโs worth the extra effort!)
You can purchase live edge desk slabs in a variety of ways:
- Big Box Stores (e.g. Home Depot and Lowes) usually sell live edge slabs (at least online), but these are usually limited in size and species.
- There are typically local โboutiqueโ live edge slab suppliers (brick and mortar stores) that can usually be found through a quick Google search.
- Good ole Craigslist. This is where I bought my live edge desk slab.
Although itโs hard to find a good roommate on Craigslist, it is pretty easy to find a great live edge slab for your desk. I recommend that you go on Craigslist, select your City, and search โlive edge slabโ. I think you will be surprised at how many results you get!
For my desk, I found a local guy who mills his own slabs and I went out to meet him at his โlive edge warehouseโ which was just a barn.
Pro Tip: If you go the Craigslist route, bring a buddy and be safe! Honestly, you will probably want to bring a buddy no matter which way you go. Slabs are heavy.
There are a BUNCH of different species of wood you can use for your desk. But I digress โ I donโt want to get into all the pros and cons of each wood species in this article. However, I will give you the Specs on the slab that I purchased for my live edge desk:
- Species: Ambrosia Maple
- Slab Thickness: 2.5 inches
- Slab Length: 6 feet
- Slab width: 30 inches
- Purchase Price: $200
Do some research before you head out to buy your slab so that you have a good idea of what species of wood you want. Before purchasing a slab, I recommend that you check for the following:
- Is the slab flat and plum? If not, you will likely need to mill it down to get it level. This is not easy. If your heart is set on a bowed slab, I recommend that you ask that it be milled down flat (i.e. planed) by the guy/girl selling you the slab. Chances are, they can do this a lot easier than you you can with the equipment they own. If they canโt, a quick Google search will likely yield someone in your area who can mill your slab for you for a few bucks.
- Is the slab Kiln dried? Ask how long the slab has been drying and if it has been kiln dried. Slab moisture can be a problem if the slabs have not been given adequate time to dry. Do some research on your wood species to identify the ideal moisture content of the wood species you plan on using.
- Inspect the slab for signs of water damage, termites, and insects. If there are any signs or water damage or termites, I recommend that you pick a different slab.
With your DIY live edge desk slab selected, letโs move on to the next step:
Trim the live edge desk slab to suit your needs
The odds of the slab you purchase being perfect for your needs are slim to none. Before you start the finish work on your slab (sanding, sealing, etc.), you will want to perform any cuts required to shape your slab. For my desk, I used a circular saw to cut off two places on the slab that were protruding out further than I liked.
Additionally, if you did not ensure that your slab was perfectly level and plum in step one, you need to take care of that now.
Remove bark (if desired) and sand down any rough edges
Although some people love the look of bark on their slab and want to leave it on there, I highly recommend that you remove it. Bark almost always comes off eventually โ so remove it now. I used a chisel and a hammer to remove the excess bark from my slab. Usually this process will allow you to remove the bark rather easily. The bark removal process shouldnโt take long at all with the chisel and hammer method.
Once the large pieces of bark are removed, use an orbital sander with course grit sandpaper (e.g. 80 grit) and sand away any of the bark that remains. Use the coarse grit sandpaper to sand down any of the super rough areas of your slab and to clean up any irregularities.
Next, sand the entire slab with 120 grit sandpaper to give it a smooth finish and ensure that there are no rough edges on the surface of your slab (especially on the top of the slab). Next, move up to a fine grit (e.g. 220 grit) and give the whole slab one more sanding to ensure that the whole slab is perfectly smooth.
With the bark removed and the slab sanded, it is time to customize your slab. That is, if you want toโฆ
Finish the desk slab with a protective top coat.
Although the top of your slab will be relative smooth from the 220 grit sanding that you performed in Step 3, you will want to apply a protective seal coat to your slab.
You have two basic options for finishing your live edge slab (although there are many more ways to finish/seal a slab than these). They are:
- Polyurethane, Shellac, etc.
- Epoxy
Polyurethane and Shellac are much easier to apply than epoxy and can simply be applied with a brush. Many people like the look of polyurethane because it preserves the โnatural lookโ of the wood very well. Although these finishes are usually sufficient for protecting and sealing something like a desk, I like to go the extra mile and apply epoxy.
Epoxy is completely waterproof and is very durable. It also gives your slab a nice glossy look. Some argue that epoxy can make your slab look a bit โplastic-yโ, but I honestly love the look.
To apply epoxy to your live edge slab, you will want to follow the following steps:
- Select your epoxy. I have used Incredible Solutions Table Top Epoxy on many occasions and honestly love the product. Incredible Solutions manufactures a two part Table Top Epoxy (Part A is the Base Resin and Part B is the Curing Agent).
- The mix ratio of base resin to curing agent is 1:1 by volume. So mix equal parts base resin and curing agent in a graduated measuring container.
- Mix the curing agent and base resin together thoroughly for 5-7 minutes. Be sure to scrape the sides and bottom of the container as you stir to ensure a thorough mix.
- It is highly recommended that you transfer the epoxy mixture to a second container to ensure that there are no unmixed areas or air pockets. Once you have transferred your epoxy to a second container, continue to mix for another 3 minutes (approx.). Do not exceed 10 minutes of mixing.
- At this point, apply your epoxy to the live edge desk slab. I generally pour out the epoxy from the container directly on the slab and then spread it out with a foam brush. Apply epoxy as required to cover the entire slab (to a maximum epoxy thickness of ยผโ). The Epoxy will self-level.
- Use a heat gun or a torch to remove air bubbles. To do this, bring the heat source close to the surface of the epoxy which will cause the air bubbles to rise to the top and pop. Use this procedure to remove all air bubbles from the epoxy. Do not keep the heat in any one place for too long.
- After about 4-6 hours (or after the surface of your epoxy project has become tacky), visually inspect the epoxy. If you find that you will need to apply a second coat of epoxy to fully coat the slab and to cover up any impurities, apply a second coat the same as you did in the previous steps. However, If it appears that the epoxy has fully coated the entire slab, you may not need to apply a second coat. Simply let the epoxy cure for 24 hours. However, full hardness will likely not be achieved until 7 days have passed.
Pro Tip: Apply painterโs tape to the underside of your slab so that any excess epoxy that makes its way to the bottom of your slab can be easily peeled off along with the tape.
Select and install you desk legs and attach them to the slab.
At this point, you should have a finished live edge desk slab. All that is left to do is select and install your desk legs.
For my desk, I wanted to have an adjustable sit/stand desk โ so I opted to use the Vivo Electric Stand Up Desk that I ordered from amazon.
To actually attach my legs to the live edge desk slab, I started by assembling the Vivo Electric Stand Up Legs. Once they were assembled, I positioned by live edge slab on the legs. When I was happy with how everything was lining up, I marked the screw locations on the underside of the live edge slab.
Instead of simply screwing the slab to the legs, I decided to use ยผ inch wood insert bolts. These will allow you to easily remove the slab from the legs (in case you ever need to disassemble it for transportation) and then reattach the legs later on
In order to install the ยผโ wood inserts, I simply following the instructions on the packaging.
Basically, I used a drill bit just smaller than the ยผโ insert (9mm, in my case. The drill bit was included with the 1/4โณ wood insert bolts) and drilled into my slab to a depth just deeper than the length of the ยผโ wood inserts. I used a piece of tape to ensure that I did not drill in to my slab too deep. Then I simply inserted the six, ยผโ wood inserts into the slab using an Allen wrench (The Allen wrench was also included with the 1/4โณ wood insert bolts that I ordered from Amazon) .
Lastly I attached the slab to the Vivo Standing Desk Legs using small ยผโ machine screws.
At this point, I simply attached all of the electric components to the underside of the desk and then plugged the Vivo Electric Standing Desk legs into an outlet.
At this point, pull up a desk chair and you DIY live edge standing desk project is complete.
Project Number 5: The Ability To Sleep in the Office
Since I am converting one of the existing bedrooms in my home into this office, there are a few things to think about. First, if you have a smaller home (2-3 bedrooms) converting one of the bedrooms into a dedicated home office with built ins, etc. may not be the best idea for your home’s resale value. For larger homes (4 bedrooms +), this is not much of an issue.
With that said, I still didn’t want to completely loose out on the ability to use this room as a guest room in a pinch. Since I also wanted to have a space to sit / relax in my office, I thought that a sleeper sofa would be a great option. However, finding a sleeper sofa that actually looks good and would fit with the aesthetic of my home office was quite a challenge.
Fortunately, I found the Sloan Sleeper Sofa (Pecan Color) from Interior Define which I think works perfectly in my Home Office. Now, I have a place to chill and relax and I can use the sleeper sofa option if need to have guests use the space as a guest room.
Cost Breakdown and Final Result:
Below is a breakdown for all of the projects completed to bring this home office to life. Although the links and individual components are linked above, the apprroximate total cost for each project in my Home Office remodel is listed below:
| PROJECT | COST | COMPONENTS |
| Wall Trim Project | $68 | Trim, Caulk, Glue, etc. |
| Built Ins | $1,100 | Cabinets, Lumber, Countertop |
| Paint | $79 | Paint, Rollers, Brush, etc. |
| Baseboard, Window, and Door Trim | $130 | Window Trim, Caulk, etc. |
| Lighting / Electrical | $210 | Conduit, Fittings, Paint, etc. |
| Desk | $360 | Slab, Epoxy, Stand |
| Doors | $670 | Prehung Doors |
| TOTAL COST | $2,617 |
In addition to the costs above for just the project materials, there were additional “interior design” costs to create the look I was going for.
| ITEM | COST |
| Battery Light | $50 |
| Rug | $160 |
| Sleeper Sofa | $2,716 |
| TOTAL COST | $2,926 |
So for EVERYTHING in this office, I spent just just over $5,500 on this home office….which is actually WAY more than expected. However, since this will be a place where I spend a lot of time working AND it has the ability to be used as a bedroom, I think it was money well spent.
Here are a few Photos of the Final Result!
Reach out to me on Instagram @Atimprovements if you have any questions and thanks for taking the time to read this article. Good luck with your project!
DISCLAIMER: This is a reference guide only. Consult local code requirements. Links included in this article might be affiliate links. If you purchase a product or service with the links that I provide, I may receive a small commission. There is no additional charge to you! Thank you for supporting ATimprovements so I can continue to provide you with free content each week!