Pretty in Pink Office for Midtown Renaissance 422 Project

January 23, 2011

See how we made pink magic for pennies.

Creative Design & Organizational Solutions for Little or No Money!

For as long as I can remember, I have always wanted at hot pink room. And it only took me 40 years to get it. No one should ever wait that long for color. It is simply too easy and affordable. Bright bold colors of paint transform a room quickly with radical change. My last source of inspiration for my new bright office probably came from my little girl's room that I transformed about five years ago. I have included a picture of her space to show my initial vision.

I will always be a little girl at heart and this new office allows me to express all of that "sugar and spice and everything nice" with the added element of foundational function. Joe provided my function. He made all the custom built-in pieces including shelving, desk, and closet. From the beginning, you can see we are dealing with a blank canvas of space. See the Before Shot.

When creating this room's decor, I wanted lots of vignettes for exploration that would tell a story.

This shadow box holds a painted-over photograph of The Flaming Lips with an echo of gesture following the Statue of Liberty. Nearby is my favorite number 11 on a pool ball perched on a flea market find metal chair that I spray painted silver.

A shrine of faith for my family filled with our super heroes and keepsakes.

This little corner hosts a little monkey saying "Cheers" that I snipped from The Oklahoma Gazette and some beautiful glass beads made by Bruce Buckner's daughter along with a bracelet my mom gave me to always remind me of the important values in my life.

Joe added these wonderful and whimsical trim accessories. He is notorious for breaking all the rules in design and causing people to think differently about how to approach their personal space. I just love it. It makes me smile.

This is the front entry system that Joe built into place for me. He was very thoughtful about cord holes and tacking systems tucked under woodwork in the shelves to hide the cords. PLEASE notice how there are NO cords showing. We are always amazed at all the ugly cords showing even in the best design magazines. That is a big pet peeve around here. Again, the lesson here is "NO Cords Showing!!"

The closet system is very practical and affordable. Joe built in the closet with pre-measurements for my organizational systems which can be bought at Target or Walmart. We used a curtain for easy access closure of closet and the bright turquoise adds a fun and flowing contrast to the hot pink walls.

Shelving system behind the desk that Joe built into the space. Joe also tricked it out with a hanging rod system to display fine art and photographs. The clips make it easy to switch out new art easily. For now I have my new line drawing series of all the kids. The teal tiles you see are actually linoleum tile remnants found from the 70's here in the storage unit. They were too brittle to be used as flooring anymore and a little too garish in color for that purpose as well, but they have evolved with bright colorful purpose here.

The last of my shrines has a little home here as well. My snapshots here are actually of my Grandmother who was a pinup girl in the 40's.

A closer look of my Grandmother, Armetia. She looks so filled with joy and freedom here. I gave her fun little angel wings as she sits perched by the ocean waves in Hollywood, California.

Remember this Rolling Stones' album cover?? It is so perfect in here. LOVE IT!!

This chandelier was purchased at Renovation Station in Oklahoma City for only $10. It was originally brass with tacky globes covering each light. We said goodbye to the glass globes and spray painted the light silver. Voila!! Shiny fun with just the right amount of glitzy glamour kitsch!

The piece de resistance! Horns provided by Bruce Buckner. I really wish you could see the before pic!! These horns were a bit heinous wrapped in disturbing mangled polyester balled up fur. I dismantled them since that part of the project gave Joe the creeps. I then spray painted them silver. Then Joe worked a little of his magic with hardware and I finished them off with a favorite pair of my dangling earrings for bling.

A true collaborative project.

And that's No BULL!

All of these home renovation ditties are part of a new eclectic movement in the 422 Project in Midtown. For more information regarding the incredible growth and diversity of developments for Midtown Renaissance, please visit http://www.midtownrenaissance.com/