Office Makeover and DIY Gallery Wall

A few months ago I decided I better get serious about my work outside of school– and what better way than an office makeover? My office originally started out with hand-me-down items and mishmash (is that a word?) of random pictures hammered into the white walls. 


I knew it was time for a change. After all, I now own my first house– so it was definitely time to “own” my very own work space! 


I began by creating a board on Pinterest— items I thought were beautiful, color schemes that caught my eye, office setups that looked cozy, etc. I eventually narrowed it down to a color scheme. From there I created a collage of pictures using PowerPoint. I printed off the collage and took it with me whenever I went furniture shopping or paint shopping. Here was my collage:

I decided to paint the walls a minty teal green– so we headed to Sherwin Williams and purchased a color called “Waterfall”. I love the way it looks in both natural and artificial light. (Pardon my goofy husband) 

I purchased a gray desk online (it came in a million pieces and still isn’t quite as sturdy as I would like– but it is cute) 

Next, I painted a cheap laminate bookshelf white– I really love built in shelves– but I decided to save money on this by using what I already had. I also gave away books I was no longer going to read (I’m a book hoarder– so it was really hard). 


Painting the laminate was pretty simple– I used a primer and then a paint on top. I do think next time I will just buy a new shelf- since I find my time more valuable. 


I purchased a cute chair from Target— to make a reading nook. The wastebasket I found on sale at Big Lots. I bought cheap black frames at Walmart (for the maps) and spray painted them navy to match my color scheme). 

I already owned navy curtains– so I hung those up.  I gathered a wide selection of inspirational quotes (free printables found online), picture frames, etc. I bought a mirror from Big Lots, cheap frames from Walmart (for my free printables). I used picture frames given to me– I bought a lamp, baskets, clock, and AMAZING corkboard from Hobby Lobby. This is the fun part– the shopping and decorating. I bought this amazing chair from Walmart. 

Now I had to decorate the space above my desk. I wanted to do a gallery wall. 


Here is the BEST way to make a gallery wall. Take all of the items you want to use and arrange them on the ground. Take a photo. Look at other examples of gallery walls. Rearrange the items and take another photo. Do this until you have a few options. Ponder it a few hours– ask others what they think– and choose a style. 

Next, I took cheap brown paper (came in the boxes from the items I purchased online) and traced the outline of EACH item. I kid you not– this is your saving grace. I also used a marker to mark where the nail holes are. 


After that I used my photo of my arrangement to hang the brown paper on the wall (I used painter tape)– I adjusted the distance between items until it looked perfect. Then– before I took the paper down I put the nails in.

I hung everything up– and it worked PERFECTLY the first time. This method is amazing and fail-proof (I promise). 

My husband helped me hang my baskets and cork board on the adjacent wall. 

I set my lamp in the corner of my desk. I spray painted some mason jars and a sterilite drawer to match my color scheme. 

I set up my personal laminator– and suddenly– my office was complete! I love it! 

Hope you enjoyed reading about my DIY makeover– and that it inspires you to create a special place where you can work! If you have any questions about any of my items leave me a comment and I’ll do my best to let your know where I downloaded, purchased, etc. Have a blessed week!