Charming Home Office From Salvaged Materials

This house had an extra large hallway, and the owners didn’t know how to utilize the space. See how interior designer Joanne Palmisano used salvaged materials to transform an unused corner into a charming home office with bookshelves and a desk set in this DIY Network video:

The bookshelves were sturdy salvaged floorboards, recycled from a demolished 1890’s small town post office, that were cut down to size. In order to transform the floorboards into bookshelves, the first step was to locate the studs in the wall with a stud finder. New brackets that matched the vintage look of the rest of the room were used to ensure they were structurally sound. Once the studs were found and measurements taken to make sure there was plenty of space for books between the shelves, the brackets were attached to the wall using three-inch screws. The salvaged boards were then prepped for their new home. Wood filler was added to the old nail holes and the boards sanded down to take a coat of paint. One end of each board was cut at a 45-degree angle using a miter saw so the bookshelf would fit snugly with the corner. The angled corners were joined with wood adhesive and metal brackets. After a few touch-ups of paint, the shelves were simply dropped into place.

To finish off the office, a desk and chair from a turn-of-the-century schoolhouse were added; however, these pieces needed a makeover. The old finish was sanded down to its original wood, and a coat of walnut wax was applied with rags to accentuate the beautiful wood grain and seal and protect the furniture.

The family now has an inviting space to stop and spend some time using the computer or reading.