Things You'll Need:
- Antique Or Hand-crafted Baskets
- Bookcases
- Desk Chairs
- Desk Lamps
- Desks
- File Cabinets
- Latex Paints (for Faux-finishing)
- Stone-look Bookends
- Sea Sponges (for Faux-finishing Walls)
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Step 1
Consider adapting a Renaissance-style desk by putting a computer keyboard in the drawer of a cabinet or kneehole desk of the period (or buy an updated reproduction). An Old World desk may feature turned legs with round or square feet, and the drawers can be elaborately carved.
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Step 2
Consider alternatives to true period chairs. Many were straight-backed (wood, cane and leather seats) or had carved backs that would not be comfortable for long spells of sitting. You may want to choose a modern, adjustable office chair or look for a comfy reproduction, perhaps with a back of carved wood (pointed at the top if Gothic-influenced) and distressed leather.
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Step 3
Select a desk lamp for its light, deviating from Old World style if necessary; it may be tough to find one that fits the theme but also provides ample light. One option might be a stained-glass style with a bronze-finish base.
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Step 4
Use a fringed tapestry-like cloth to hide a file cabinet. Or, use file baskets for storage and shove them under a table with Old World styling - one with a glazed or distressed faux-antique finish.
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Step 5
Go with stone or stone-look floors. A rustic-looking hardwood - perhaps hand-scraped oak floors - will be compatible, too.
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Step 6
Distress the walls so they mimic old plaster or stucco with a crumbling or peeling-paint look. Another option is a plastered wall with some "exposed" stone. Red walls are indicative of the Renaissance, so they would be appropriate for the home office.
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Step 7
Stow books in an intricately carved cabinet or on primitive - perhaps distressed or plank-like - open shelving. Bookends could be rough-cut stone or faux-stone columns or gargoyles, for example.
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Step 8
Put office supplies in baskets.
