So I’m a little behind!  When it comes to showing up on time, I’m normally 10 minutes early…however, this time I’m really late to the party.  Because of our spring break and then playing “catch-up” when we got back, I’m just now sharing my One Room Challenge.  I started on this project a few weeks ago, so let me catch you up!

I am tackling my home office for this challenge…and it has DEFINITELY been a challenge.  My office has moved around the house a lot over the years, but is currently downstairs next to our living room and entry.  There are two big problems with this room.  1.)  There is no overhead light and it’s always dark.  2.) I share this space with my dog and his very large crate…which he needs and isn’t going anywhere.

Here’s what the space looked like until last summer…  Office Makeover

We adopted our 9 year old dog last May and he hadn’t been an inside dog, so there has been some transitioning.  We decided for his safety and our sanity, that he needed to be in kennel when we weren’t home or sleeping.  Did I mention he’s 80 pounds??  So his crate is huge and the only logical spot for it is in my office.   It’s not ideal!

My solution is to build a large desk that spans the wall and put the crate under the desk.  It’s still going to stick out, but I think I can build a taller table to go over the top.  I’ll share more on that later, but here’s what’s going on so far. (The arrows are where the table will go.)

The other obstacle that I’m facing with this room is the lighting.  It’s so dark that I hate being in here, so I’m going to paint the walls white and add a light.  Since this room is on the first floor and there’s no attic above it, I had to cut a lot of holes in the drywall.

I patched the wall but the ceiling is getting a treatment and all the holes will be covered.

Now I need some help with picking a light.  The ceiling is only 8 ft., so I can’t have anything that hangs down too low.  Here is my short list of options…

I am leaning toward one more, but I’d love to know your thoughts!  Just leave me a comment below with which number you like best.