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When my in-laws were visiting, my mother-in-law and I checked out a local consignment shop and I found a piece of furniture that’s been on my wish list for a few weeks – a buffet.  I have been wanting one for my office, but have come up empty on craigslist and at Gold Rush Days.  The second I spotted this piece, I knew it was perfect…

I like the style of it, the graining…and those legs!  I am totally a “leg girl” when it comes to furniture.

I liked it so much, in fact, that I had to debate where to put it, because it would look great in at least three rooms.  It found a home in a office, for now.

The room still needs to be painted, but I’ve been using that as an excuse to not hang pictures or get rooms organized.  The fact is that it’s going to take me a while to get to all of the painting that I want to do in this house, so I’m going to work on rooms and get them as done as I can.  When I’m ready to paint, I’ll just take the pictures down.  No biggie.

I am not sure what color I want to use on these walls, yet.  A part of me just wants it to be clean and simple, like a pale blue/gray or off white, but another part of me wants to go dramatic with a rich green, deep gray, or a navy.

(As an aside, the front door is on the other side of this wall, so as the door opens and closes, it shifts the pictures.  After I paint, I’ll use a little sticky-tack at the bottom corners to hold them in place.)

So… decisions, decisions…

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    54 Comments

    1. Botanic Bleu

      Marian,
      Love your oak buffet, and I am a leg girl for furniture, too. Seeing your framed magazine features made my heart happy for you… and for me. These kinds of touches remind me that people have the same hopes and dreams, and everyone starts out small before getting noticed.

      Thanks for sharing your home, hopes, dreams, and successes with us. It takes a lot of courage to share your life with the world.

      Judith

    2. Michelle Windham

      Hey Marian,
      Love the buffet. Go for the dramatic! Do a gorgeous green or navy – it will totally “make” the room and you will get many kudos for stepping outside the white, neutral box.
      I look forward to your blog and check it daily.
      Michelle

    3. Jo

      Or if the whole room painted dark is too much, do an accent wall of black, navy or green – the darkest you can find. It will be gorgeous.

    4. Janet in Kansas City

      You mentioned a dark green, I have a bedroom that I painted a dark olive. The room is small and the olive reads very neutral. It is the coziest room in my house and people love it. I can’t imagine it any other color, and if/when I move, there will always be one room like it again.

    5. Linda

      I love the oak buffet! Looks like you found the perfect piece of furniture for your needs. I’m partial to the white and light gray colors on the wall because it’s so easy to coordinate other things around but I know the darker colors make more of a dramatic statement in a room. I’m sure whatever you choose will look beautiful.

    6. Karen L.

      Thanks, Marian, for sharing the everyday decisions that we all face when we move and everything changes in all our rooms. I love that buffet and your sharing your thoughts and desires in your life. I always move everything in, hang the pics, etc and just feel more settled before choosing what paint colors belong where. It’s a good decision and it’s worked for 12 houses! (46 years married) 🙂

    7. Catherine

      I love the oak buffet! The legs are great and the wood grain is so pretty. I’d love to see you do a more saturated color in this room like a deep green or navy, just to see something different.

    8. Chris

      You always know when you’ve found the perfect piece. I too, like that one piece can float around the house changing the look of each room it goes into. This buffet is a classic beauty in my eyes!! You are transforming this house into a HOME.

    9. Cathy

      You always have fairy tale furniture find stories! The buffet is gorgeous!

    10. MaryLisa Noyes

      I use an old chippy buffet in my office/craft room! It has great surface space and storage within! Your fund is amazing! Enjoy

    11. Elizabeth

      After seeing your beautiful, newly acquired buffet and the way you’ve adapted it for office use, I’m convinced that home-office furniture should consist of adapted antiques whenever possible. The air space below the buffet gives it a nicely light appearance, making it useful for a variety of rooms and purposes. Well done!

    12. Jelena

      How about a neutral color for 3 walls and a bold color for an accent wal?

    13. Warren

      How about an “accent wall” of a dark green or blue for your pictures and a softer color for the rest?

    14. Warren

      Jelena beat me to it.

    15. JolieAnne

      You find great pieces! No one can pick the colors for your house as well as you can. So living with the walls of a new home until you find your color is normal. I change my mind a lot so I sometimes put a paint project off until the color is in my head for awhile. Then I know it is right!

    16. Melissa

      I painted a small den Naval (dark navy blue) a few years ago. Get more compliments than I can count and it is my favorite room in our house. I did paint all the trim white and the room has good natural light. I highly recommend a deep, saturated wall color in a small room. Absolutely love the buffet!

    17. Teri in England

      I thought it said “run mad as often as you choose but do not pant” on the wall, so I was quite surprised when I scrolled down and saw the whole message!

    18. Nancy

      Ahh yeah, love that buffet. Want I really like is how you hung the pictures over it. I would never had thought of doing that, and it looks so nice! I’m trying to figure out just where the office is, on the first floor to the left of the front Door?

    19. Anna

      Oooooh that is lovely! Wall paint color? I vote for a pale bluish gray. That does seem to compliment the blue colors you use most in your decor. But then maybe you’re ready for a change to the darker side 😉 Can’t wait to see what color you do choose.

      All so lovely………

    20. Susan W

      Love the buffet! I guess you need two more. ?

    21. sue

      Too bad the printer couldn’t go inside the buffet, those things are so ugly and the buffet is SO gorgeous!!!

    22. Kristine

      I love your buffet, and most buffet’s in general. They are the perfect combination of beauty and function.
      I was hoping you would show us what’s behind the closed doors…. maybe in the future? I am so glad you found it after looking for so long. Am very excited to see what direction you take in this room!!

    23. Teresa

      lMarian,
      I would love to see you go more “dramatic” in at least one room. I was so hoping you would do a deeper, bolder color for your front door so maybe you will venture out more on your office walls. I love soft colors too but I have already decided when we paint our house next year the base and trim will be soft but the front door is going to “pop” with a bold color.

      Speaking of painting, I was out on a Canadian Bloggers Fall Home Tour today and one blogger used MMS milk paint to refinish a MCM dresser. Now, her style is more modern-glam boho and totally different from yours. She didn’t want a chippy or farmhouse paint finish that didn’t fit her style. However, she used MMS paint (3 coats) with finisher and I was amazed how great it turned out. So even if you don’t want a chippy look you can still achieve that with MMS milk paint which is great to know.

    24. Kathryn

      Love the buffet. I’ve been impressed that you have so much space. What is the square footage of this home? Is it larger than your previous one?

    25. karen

      SCORE ! Really a beauty. Love those sexy legs.

    26. Patricia

      I painted my office in Van Deusen Blue from BM. It’s dark and rich, but since the drapes are floor to ceiling white and the bookcases are white and the chair is white pinstripes, it doesn’t look too dark. So, the question is, what color helps you think or contemplate or dream?

      • Cathy

        I’m going to check out this paint… your office sounds just like mine and I’ve been thinking about going with a dark paint above my white wainscoting and around my white bookcases… thanks for the tip-gonna check out your recommendations!

    27. Patricia

      But my master bedroom is BM Intrigue which is a nice dark green gray with a nod to blue. You might want to check that out too. It’s a hard color to explain!

    28. Crystal

      That buffet. sigh. That is an amazing find. I wish I could find the wonderful pieces do. I think your super power is finding furniture. You are a magnet.

    29. Debbie H.

      The buffet is MAGNIFICENT – You “done good” as always! As for the paint, I too agree with a NAVY accent wall and lighter color for the others. Whatever you decide, I know it will be GORGEOUS!

    30. Maryleigh'

      Hey check out ballard designs.they have similar bird prints like your new bedroom

    31. Cherylan

      As unexplained impulse I am seeing green on the wall behind the buffet.
      There are so many great greens out there! Would enjoy seeing your ‘I want to live with this green’ pick!

    32. Deanna Rabe

      Its a lovely piece of furniture, no wonder you had several places to use it!

      I like the idea of a dark color like navy, but I’m not sure I’d be brave enough to do that! Although we did do a dramatic red in our bathroom!

      Its been fun to follow this journey with you and watch your house become your home!

    33. Marlene Stephenson

      That is a lovely piece, and i too like legs. Just take your time never rush into anything, that is something i have learned at 68. Haha!

    34. Jeanie

      This is so beautiful please don’t paint it!!!

    35. Carolyn

      Love the clipboard on the wall. Bought one like it at a recent estate sale.

    36. Donna Gelineau

      I love the elm panels on the door and the piece in the middle.

    37. Cindy

      It’s a wonderful piece ! I like how clean the design is. It works with the house, and the legs and pulls give it so much personality.

      Cindy

    38. Kelly

      I am envious of your area and the many places for great finds like your beautiful buffet. Please tell me you have visited Kismet on Broadway! It was a favorite place to shop when we were in Rochester for medical appointments at Mayo Clinic.

    39. Pamela

      So love your buffet. It looks great.

    40. Animeyt

      Great post, thanks

    41. Rebecca Neustel

      I vote for a darker color for your office. Love the greens that others have mention, and navy is nice, too. I’m drooling over that pastoral print over the buffet. Those are my favorites of all ?

    42. Holley

      I love your neutral, soft colors, especially with your furnishings. I’ve always thought ‘ accent’ walls were awkward and unfinished looking. It is only paint I always say, so maybe you should paint your whole office a deeper color and see how it feels. But I bet by spring you’ll be painting it again!

    43. Norma Rolader

      I love your oak buffet my brother-in-law brought me one back from England he was stationed over there for a few yrs Oh and he brought me a chandelier with the crystals had to have it rewired for the Unites States Thank you for all your inspirations

    44. Billie

      Oh, and those scrumptious pulls !!!! (sigh)

    45. Bernie

      Just stunning…..Your purse/bag is adorable…from where if you will tell…Thanks!

      • Marian Parsons

        It’s from Madewell

    46. Cheryl

      Love the buffet you scored! I vote for a rich navy wall color!

    47. Suzanne

      The buffet is beautiful! And I LOVE your framed magazine covers and articles of YOU on your wall!!

    48. Dianne

      Thank you for your ideas on your home office. I find it difficult to get good ideas online for a real working office. I am in the process of redoing mine, trying to go lighter and less big pieces. Seeing your desk inspired me to paint my oak desk. I am also considering painting file cabinets white. They are black now. Look forward to future posts on your office!

    49. B. Folk

      I vote for…whichever color will help you to focus, visualize, think, dream, plan, and create:) A color that will energize you and calm you at the same time, if that makes sense. So that, every time you walk into that room, you don’t go “ack” in frustration and discordance, but “ahh” in an eagerness to creatively get things done. Only you will know that color, and it may take painting the walls more than once. Happy painting!

    50. Donna

      Love the buffet…I would paint the walls the dark blue color in the stripe of the grain sack pillow….everything will then fall into place. This little room needs to be dramatic.

    51. Victoria

      You have such a great eye so in the end I am sure whatever color you choose will be wonderful. Just a thought, the natural lightning a room receives is the biggest factor in choosing the best color. Rooms with little natural light actually look richer with darker paint and good ambient lighting. That creates more drama and moodiness. Painting a brightly lit room
      dark may not give that same “look and feel” you are striving for by using a darker shade. For what’s it worth. ☺️

    52. Maureen

      50+years ago we had a dark dark forest green living room in England. With a big window and gloss white corner protectors, it was just beautiful. 25 years later, I had the same color in my bedroom. I still love it but years of sunshine have faded the paint and my old house has developed various cracks on the walls. Next up is a dark dark blue but I am tempted by the Van Deusen shade!

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