Rework furniture for your office space

Lara McGraw is a believer in second chances—especially when it comes to giving old treasures a new lease on life. For this charming, functional office design, Lara, a design editor, used primarily salvaged items, illustrating that flea market finds are definitely worth a second look.

"The most essential element for an office is sunshine—everyone should have a window," says Lara. To capture the energy and warmth of the sun, she created a garden-inspired workspace. Her choice of understated pieces with clean lines creates an organized, cosy space.

Treasures included the wicker chair, desk, wall shelf and wooden crate (serving admirably as a filing cabinet). Lara notes that the use of second-hand items as the bones of the office made it possible to indulge in a few new items, such as the armoire and picture frames.

Of course, using salvage often also means unifying disparate elements. Lara met this challenge by choosing paints and fabrics in natural shades: greys and blues to capture the earth and sky; greens for plant life; florals offering immortal bouquets; and the colour of the wall shelf—"Ah! That's the crazy red of peonies, one of my favourite flowers," says Lara with 
a laugh. Inexpensive accents such as seed packets, a bird ornament and calendar, and a corkboard covered with fabric punctuate all the space’s homage to the outdoors.

The found treasures did require a bit of elbow grease, however. The wicker chair was given a coat of paint and outfitted with homemade pillows. The desk was also painted, and a stencilled peony was added for whimsy (an inspiring—if distracting—reminder of the garden that awaits once the work is done). Lara added a dowel to the wall shelf to increase functionality.

When designing a workspace, Lara stresses the importance of having fun and approaching old items in new ways. Inspired by her own young ones, Lara added a charming children's garden shelf. "All kids love to dig. Mine love to pull weeds and I want to take advantage of that enthusiasm."

Despite her obvious knack for restoration, Lara insists that strict rules don't apply here: "You can make almost anything look pretty," she says. "If something draws your attention, just go for it."