Before we renovated the barn office it was just a storage room for equipment. It was lined with concrete and had metal shelving throughout. We needed a place that was separate from the home where we could do work related to the barn and this was a perfect spot. I'm usually out here working on things for the barn such as orders, equipment and any research or entries for shows. I wanted the space to feel more like a room in the house rather than out in the barn. I love the fact that we made it an extension of our home and that when I'm out here it's very cozy and inspiring. The window faces the arena so I can even watch a ride while I work. The dogs come and hang out, even Melman, our mini horse, comes in when I am there.
We put down tile on the floor and sheet rock on the walls which immediately improved the space. The desk used to be my father’s home office desk, it came from an antique store and used to be an expandable kitchen table. We painted it bright yellow to give it a pop of color and brought it in here.
With all of my files organized in the computer it left plenty of space to create open shelving that surrounds us with pieces that bring inspiration and hold memories. Curt and Ani helped us again in this room by building open shelving with plywood. I love the geometric shapes and interest it adds to the space. We filled the shelves with trophies, objects and photographs from our travels, special events related to the horses, mementos from the girl's first horse show, a photo of our first tractor...meaningful things like that. I can take a break from work and soak in all of these memories just by looking at this wall.
The light fixture is another special piece because it is made out of baskets and ties in the theme of our chickens, whom sometimes visit us inside the barn. We added a fun colorful rug and sofa to make the space feel even more homey. The tufted leather sofa is from Anthropologie. It was originally mustard colored and lived in our bedroom but after many years of wear and tear we painted it with a leather paint and brought it in here. It turned out beautifully and has held up really well!
Above the sofa is a special piece of artwork that was given to us as a surprise from Curt and Ani. Curt painted it himself and it is one of my favorite pieces in the office.
