Easy French Shabby Chic Office Decorating Hacks You Need to Know Part 3

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Part 1: Inspiration for a French-Inspired Home Office

Part 2: French-Inspired Home Office Case Study

Part 3: The Reveal - ***You are Here! *** Home Office Makeover On A Budget

Elegant French shabby chic styled home office featuring vintage furnishings, soft pastel decor, and natural lighting from an airy window. — Photo and Design: Julie Ann Rachelle Interiors LLC

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Sections

Before/After Comparison
Video Tour
Welcome to My Office Tour
Goals of This Home Office Makeover
Inspiration & Mood Board for Home Office Design
Proposed Floor Plan
Concept Boards for the Home Office Design
The Transformation
DIY Custom Drawer Pulls
The Office in Progress
How to Do a Home Makeover On a Budget
Product Sources For My Office
Comments

Before vs. After

Before

After

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Video Tour

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Video created by Julie Ann Rachelle Interiors LLC

Photo and Design: Julie Ann Rachelle Interiors LLC

Welcome to the tour of my new interior design studio/office!

In my previous career prior to starting my own firm, I was a designer for various scrapbook manufacturers as part of their design team. This required me to make samples for their advertising purposes in order to demonstrate their products. I never fully finished my complete vision for my “craft/scrapbooking room”, but you can see that I used various furnishings that I already owned in order to make it work.

Fast forward to 2019 when I started Julie Ann Rachelle Interior Design, now known as Julie Ann Rachelle Interiors LLC in 2022. I needed a new office space that reflected my personal tastes and abilities. However, I needed to accomplish this home office makeover on a budget. Keep reading to see how I pulled it all together!

(Read more about my background and how I started in this field.)

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Goals for this office makeover:

Create a functional space for running my business and creating designs
Create a space that reflects my favorite interior design styles: French Country, Shabby Chic, and Cottage
Create a space that is calming and serene
Create a space that fits within my low budget
Create a space that also allows me to pursue my hobbies of scrapbooking and other crafts
Create a space that is also comfortable for my furbaby, Friday the bichon frise

View My French Shabby Chic Pinterest board.

A woman in a cream sweater & blue jeans sits on a white couch, holding a bichon and a book with the words 'START WITH WHY' in red letters. The room is styled in a French shabby chic decor with a teal sideboard, a white armoire, and a cream desk, pr — Photo and Design: Julie Ann Rachelle Interiors LLC

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The Inspiration

My moodboard was created to guide me in making selections to create a certain atmosphere. It is inspiration for colors, textures, patterns, etc., and not meant to be copied exactly. I love the soft colors, the intricate French style moldings, and classic design. In addition, these offices were inspirational as seen in my article: French-Inspired Home Offices with That Certain Je Ne Sais Quoi

Proposed Floorplan

“The optimal arrangement for your desk is facing away from the wall so you can see everything in front of you.

This usually means your desk is floating in the space with your back protected by the wall behind you.”

— Jen Heilman, Feng Shui Expert

Why create a floor plan as part of the planning process? Not only does this ensure that all the items fit in the space, you can easily make modifications without the heavy lifting. It is easier to see potential traffic flow problems on paper as well.

Where is the best position for a desk? I’ve known for a while that the best position to sit in is one where you can see what is coming. For an office, this is called the Command Position. If it is impossible to sit where you can see the door, position a mirror so that the entrance is reflected to you, so that nothing takes you by surprise.

You’ll see in my furniture layout above that I am going for a symmetrical layout with storage on either side of the window that is directly behind my chair.

While I would prefer to have two individual chairs instead of the loveseat, this is a favorite possession, it’s also very comfortable, and my dog prefers sitting here when I am in my office. (See goals above).

The Concept

A concept board allows you to see how the various elements work together before making a purchase.

Concept boards for a French shabby chic office design featuring wallpaper patterns and furniture arrangements.

Above are my original concepts, drafts #1 and #2. While my first thought was to wallpaper the wall behind my desk in a shabby chic floral and stripes design, the budget didn’t allow for that. Then, when the rug arrived in this aqua plaid/gingham, it was totally underwhelming. Sometimes you just don’t know until you get the item in your space. It’s okay to live with something, and then change your mind. And then sometimes, you have to trust the design or the designer, and wait to make a decision until all the elements are put together.

The rug that replaced it, below, was found at Homegoods, and it is the softest rug that I ever felt! A Nicole Miller design, it is unfortunately no longer available for those of you wondering.

The rug informed the paint colors. (I always say select your paint color last.)

“ Sometimes you just don’t know until you get the item in your space. It’s okay to live with something, and then change your mind.”

— Julie Ann Shahin, Julie Ann Rachelle Interiors LLC

Final Draft

A stylishly decorated French shabby chic office featuring white ornate desk with a laptop, a white loveseat with throw pillows, and a patterned floral rug. The room includes a hutch filled with ceramic ware and a large white armoire, white sheers.

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Here is a link for the ARMOIRE.

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Close-up view of a vintage-style rug featuring intricate floral and geometric patterns in shades of beige, orange, and grey, showcasing faded areas for a distressed look. The rug design includes a central medallion and elaborate border details, embod — Find a similar rug. Photo: Julie Ann Rachelle Interiors LLC

The Transformation

Goodbye yellow! I originally chose yellow for my crafting room because I wanted to feel creative. The new color scheme is to be more sophisticated and peaceful with neutral hues.

A man with a ponytail, wearing a red t-shirt, is repainting a wall, applying white paint over a previously yellow wall using a roller attached to an extendable handle. He appears focused and meticulous as he works on the large wall, ensuring even cov — Photo: Julie Ann Rachelle Interiors LLC

An elegant room with a large vintage-style rug featuring intricate floral and geometric patterns in muted colors, covering most of the floor. A white armchair is partially visible lower right, and a cream-colored cabinet with an ornate design stands — Photo and Design: Julie Ann Rachelle Interiors LLC

DIY Custom Desk Drawer Knobs

I found the floral knobs in bronze at Hobby Lobby, as well as the backplates. Putting the two together, and then painting them off-white, with a bit of distressing created custom drawer pulls for my vintage desk.

Hand-painted collection of six vintage French shabby chic drawer knobs, originally from Hobby Lobby, displayed on a white background. Each knob features intricate floral patterns with a custom distressed white finish and speckled black accents, empha — Customize Hobby Lobby knobs with paint and distressing. Find similar drawer pulls here. Photo and Design: Julie Ann Rachelle Interiors LLC

A close-up view of a hand-painted, distressed white French shabby chic drawer knob installed on a white vintage dresser. The knob features detailed floral designs with deliberate distressing, complementing the elegant style of the furniture. — Photo and Design: Julie Ann Rachelle Interiors LLC

Close-up of a delicately hand-painted and distressed shabby chic drawer knob on a white vintage dresser. The knob is adorned with floral details and visible distress marks, enhancing its rustic charm. — Photo and Design: Julie Ann Rachelle Interiors LLC

Elegant white vintage desk with hand-painted shabby chic knobs, set against a vibrant, multicolored rug in an office setting. The desk features multiple drawers, each adorned with intricately designed knobs, providing a functional yet stylish workspa — Photo and Design: Julie Ann Rachelle Interiors LLC

I found the desk at ReHouse Architectural Salvage in Rochester, NY. I love all of the storage as well as the extendable desk slide-outs above each set of drawers! It came in it’s original wood, and I had my furniture painter match the color to the other furniture pieces for my space.

According to it’s website, Rehouse’s store “features over 16,000 square feet of display space filled with quality items both modern and historical. And we get new items every day! Stop in and browse. Whether you want to get a great buy, find a unique item, or save the planet, there is bound to be something for you!”

“ReHouse diverts quality reusable antique, vintage and modern building materials from the landfill. We accomplish this by salvaging architectural items and offering them for sale at the ReHouse store.

Our salvage crew works on-site at houses that are going to be torn down or remodeled. They carefully remove reusable items such as doors, cabinets, and lighting fixtures. The salvaged items are then loaded on a truck and hauled to the ReHouse store where we offer them for sale.”

Visit ReHouse Architectural Salvage at 469 W Ridge Rd, Rochester, NY 14615.

Hours:

9 to 5 Mon - Thu
9 to 7 Fri - Sat
closed Sunday (585)288-3080 or email rehouseinfo@rehouseny.com

Front view of a restored white vintage desk featuring hand-painted shabby chic knobs, positioned on a colorful floral rug. The desk is symmetrically designed with three drawers on each side and an open central cubby, highlighting both aesthetic appea — Enhance your workspace with the charm of a restored vintage desk, combining practicality with artistic flair to create an inviting office environment. Photo and Design: Julie Ann Rachelle Interiors LLC

The Office In Progress

Cozy home office setup featuring a variety of white vintage furniture including a desk with a black lamp, a wooden chair, a cabinet, and a hutch. The room is well-lit from natural light coming through a window, creating a peaceful and productive work — Photo and Design: Julie Ann Rachelle Interiors LLC

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BEFORE (In progress):

My office just before we started to paint, with most of the items cleared out.

Converted garage serving as a crafting room, previously used for professional scrapbooking projects. The room features a central crafting table loaded with various supplies, a comfortable sofa, and organized storage shelves, all illuminated by natura — **Before the makeover:** Our converted garage-turned-crafting room, once a hub of creative scrapbook projects and design collaborations. Photo: Julie Ann Shahin

AFTER (In progress):

My office just after painting and moving in the main pieces of furniture.

Freshly painted and reorganized office space featuring a white desk, chair, and multiple vintage furniture pieces including a hutch and a cabinet, all arranged on a floral rug in a bright room with natural light from a window — **Transformation in progress:** A glimpse into the newly painted office space, showcasing the elegant placement of vintage furniture that breathes new life into the room. Photo and Design: Julie Ann Rachelle Interiors LLC

The Hutch

Drawer Handle Upgrade

If you can take a close look at the hutch in the image above right, it is missing the original drawer handles. I found these elegant drawer pulls, pictured below, on Etsy.

It’s an easy upgrade for a piece of furniture.

Close-up of an ornate silver drawer handle on a white painted drawer, showcasing detailed floral motifs and elegant curves. — Detail matters: A beautifully crafted silver drawer handle enhances the charm of my refurbished office furniture.

Photo and Design: Julie Ann Rachelle Interiors LLC

Vintage white cabinet with ornate detailing, topped by a shelving unit filled with decorative items including books, a framed picture, and various knick-knacks. The cabinet is styled with a Silhouette machine covered in teal, a lamp by my grandfather — Cherished corners: Our vintage hutch not only stores my business supplies but also displays treasures, including a lamp made by my grandfather and a Silhouette machine with a teal cover, turning every angle of this room into a piece of personal artistry. Photo and Design: Julie Ann Rachelle Interiors LLC

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Treasures of time: From memorable trips to cherished finds, every item on these shelves tells a story of love, adventure, and discovery. Photo and Design: Julie Ann Rachelle Interiors LLC

The vintage Harper’s Bazaar magazine books were a happenstance find at Goodwill!

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How To Do a Home Office Makeover On A Budget

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A split image showing a home office makeover on a budget. Upper left corner is the before and after images of a French Country Shabby Chic home office. The bottom lists tips for a budget-friendly home office makeover.

With many more people now working from home, it is important to ensure that your home office space looks inviting and is comfortable.
You can start by sprucing up your space with subtle and subdued colors, lighting suitable for work, artwork and personal items. You can do this while staying on a budget.
Thrifting stores and markets such as eBay or Craigslist are a great way to find quality furniture items on a budget.
Additionally if you shop around online, you could be surprised to find some great deals!
Investing in ergonomic furniture is essential for any home office makeover – this will help improve posture and prevent any strain from sitting in the same position for long periods of time.
Finally, adding some enjoyable elements to your home office environment are vital – being at home does not mean compromising personality so decorate with plants, artworks which speaks to you and spend a little bit of money organizing clutter!
Doing this will give your work station an inviting atmosphere where you feel comfortable working and will also save you money along the way!

View My Sources for My Office Decor and Furnishings

Thrifted Vintage Banker’s Chair

Cozy banker's chair draped with a plush lavender blanket in a room with beige berber carpet and a vintage white cabinet in the background. — Found treasure: This cozy banker's chair, a delightful find from Facebook Marketplace, is dressed in a soft lavender blanket, creating a serene spot for work. Photo and Design: Julie Ann Rachelle Interiors LLC

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Office space featuring a wooden banker's chair enhanced with a plush lavender cushion and a deep red seat pad, positioned at a white desk with an ergonomic mouse and floral mouse pad. — **Comfort meets style**: Elevate your workspace with vibrant accessories like this plush lavender cushion and deep tufted french style seat pad, making long hours at the desk more enjoyable.
Photo and Design: Julie Ann Rachelle Interiors LLC

The vintage banker’s chair was found on Facebook Marketplace. As you might be getting the hint, I’m sticking mainly with pre-used items, which also makes me feel as though I’m being proactively sustainable, as well as being easy on the budget. I also kept the wood as is, which warms up the room. An addition of a french style seat cushion, and a round pillow for my back ensures hours of comfort.

Home office with a banker's chair, French-style seat pad, lavender cushion, by a white desk, near a teal cabinet and white armoire, enhanced by sheer curtains. — **Where creativity blooms:** This beautifully styled home office combines vintage charm with functional design, making every workday a pleasure.
Photo and Design: Julie Ann Rachelle Interiors LLC

The Armoire

The armoire holds, for now, my main scrapbooking supplies, while the rest is in our basement storage area. As my business grows, this will have to be used to hold more of my design samples.

This armoire used to have a place in our guest bedroom, until my husband thought it would have a great home in my new office. We purchased it at another favorite Rochester haunt, Liberty Hollow Antiques. See below for the full list of the local stores I shopped in for this office.

The girl figurine, above, was a special inheritance from my paternal grandmother. (Her childhood photograph can also be seen in the two images above.) It is an heirloom that is passed down to the first grandchild. I’m not quite sure who I’ll pass it down to yet, as my only child is my bichon frise. My only blood-related nephew is 11, so it will be some time before he has offspring.

Additional Storage and Architectural Improvisation

Upon using the space for a few weeks, it soon became apparent that I needed extra storage. Enter this soft aqua sideboard. It houses samples and catalogues, as well as some scrapbook supplies, Above it, I hung an inbox/outbox holder that I found on clearance at Kirkland’s.

The wooden scroll wall hangings ended up as a special feature that I will explain next.

Architectural Improvisation

While adding french style moldings such as the ones in my mood board were not in the budget, I had the brainstorm while walking through At Home to hand these wooden scroll wall hangings around the room to offer a similar architectural feature.

Eight of these wall hangings achieved the desired effect, hung at intervals around the room. Much more affordable than fanciful moldings!

Easiest Loveseat Slipcover Ever

AFTER

One of my favorite Etsy stores sells slipcovers for sofas, loveseats, ottomans, and chairs, as well as other shabby chic items such as window treatments, pillows, shower curtains, and bed coverlets. It gives life to our loveseat, don’t you think?

BEFORE

Product Sources for Budget Home Office Makeover

Local Rochester Shopping Sites

Rug (no longer available), blush velvet mini-pumpkin: HomeGoods, Greece, NY (with additional locations throughout the Rochester, NY area)
Paint: HomeDepot, Irondequoit, NY
Vintage Books: Goodwill, Greece, NY
Vintage Desk: ReHouse Architectural Salvage, Rochester, NY
Desk Drawer Knobs, Bead Garland: Hobby Lobby
Hutch: St. Vincent’s Treasure Trove , Rochester, NY
Armoire, tiered wire basket, and peonies framed print: Liberty Hollow Antiques, Spencerport, NY
Vintage Banker’s Chair: Facebook Marketplace
“J” Monogram Wall Hanging, Desk Lamps: Christmas Tree Store, Henrietta, NY
Curtain Rods, Acrylic Trays, House Candle Holder (painted): Target, Irondequoit, NY
Lilac Blanket: HomeSense, Pittsford, NY
Wood Scroll Wall Hangings: At Home, Greece, NY (with additional locations in Rochester, NY)
Inbox/Outbox Wall Hanging: Kirklands, Henrietta, NY
Crackle Glass Gold Ombre Vase: Joann Fabrics, Henrietta, NY

Online Shopping Sites

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Nov 17, 2022

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Nov 17, 2022

Similar Desks: Cape May Antiques, Focus on Fabulous (Etsy), Desk and Chair (Etsy), 1stopBedrooms
Hutch Drawer Handles: Etsy

Sheers
Vintage Deer Figurines: Resin - Walmart; Mid Century - Etsy; Bambi - Etsy
Vintage Books: Etsy
Round cushion: Amazon
Chair pad: Amazon
Mouse pad: Caitlin Wilson
Aqua Sideboard:
Lavender flowers, peonies, feather pillow: Shein
Slipcover: Etsy
Blush Pillow Cover: Amazon
French Style Curtain Rod: Target
Wall Mounted Chalkboard size 2: Wayfair

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In conclusion, creating a home office in the French Shabby Chic style on a budget is very achievable and can be done with just a few steps. By selecting furniture items that have been reused or upcycled, mixing materials, opting for distressed wood elements, and incorporating vintage pieces and accessories that reflect the style's signature color scheme of pastels and whites – you can easily craft an unforgettable office space that transports you to the quaint wonders of Provence. With a bit of creativity, commitment and simple refinishing techniques, your home office can be transformed into an inviting workspace that evokes the charm and warmth of traditional French Shabby Chic design.

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Julie Ann Rachelle aka Julie Ann (Rachelle) Shahin is a full-time Interior E-Designer in Rochester who is 100% dedicated to creativity. If you are in need of a bit of help while you and your spouse are a mile apart on decorating decisions, picking some paint colors, or assistance doing a makeover on your new/current home, check out her website at Julie Ann Rachelle. Stalking her on Instagram or Pinterest is also encouraged.

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