We finally made a major functional upgrade to our office — perhaps the most important one since we first started planning this space back in March. We added two tall storage systems on either side of the desk, giving us six roomy shelves and six extra-long drawers. The new units balance the desk visually and add a lot of much-needed function to a wall that used to be bare. In short: we love them. The soft-close drawers are the finishing touch that makes the space feel complete.
The room isn’t entirely finished — we still want window treatments, a rug, art, and a ceiling fixture — but it’s a lot further along than it was a week ago. As odd as it sounds, having Teddy seemed to snap us out of our furniture-placement indecision and helped clarify how to move forward. Some rooms fall into place quickly; others force you to change your mind a hundred times. This room was definitely in that second category.
When we last talked about the office, our plan was to adapt a free curbside secretary’s desk into a double-sided floating desk so both of us could use it. At the time it felt like the best way to pack lots of function into the space and build the ultra-efficient home office we thought we wanted.
But our thinking changed — repeatedly. Like with the kitchen banquette idea in our old house, hesitation was a signal that the plan wasn’t quite right. So we paused until we could be certain about the direction. Teddy helped, too. With our business goals more defined, the idea of a multi-purpose craft/photography studio plus two full-time desks felt excessive. What we really wanted was a dedicated desk for each of us to spread out at and plenty of storage to get everything organized. Since moving in, our work gear and files had been scattered through the kitchen cabinets, the dining room buffet, and upstairs storage — so consolidated storage was a priority.
With those revised goals, we loosened up and let the room guide us. No more forcing four or five zones into one space. We rotated the big desk 90 degrees so it sits centered in the bay window, and that small shift suddenly made everything click.
We’d resisted that orientation because we thought a lengthwise placement would be better for two people, and we worried about crowding other function along the long wall. Once the desk faced the window, though, the side wall no longer had to be a catchall. Our simplified goals meant we only needed a desk area and solid storage there. I’d been using the West Elm desk in that spot for over a year and really liked it, so I claimed it. Sherry was happy not to fight me for the window desk, and we both felt relieved to have a clear direction.
After some searching we chose two Ikea Fjälkinge shelving systems with drawers for the storage on either side of the desk. They’re solid metal frames (each shelf holds up to 110 lbs), and they’re flexible because you can add soft-close drawers in many configurations. They were also wider than most bookcases, which fit the space well, so the decision was easy.
We made a trip to Ikea — a special first outing for Teddy — and had to drive a bit farther than usual to find the shelves in stock. The haul at home included the shelving packs and multiple drawer boxes ready for assembly.
The frames were straightforward to assemble, though an extra pair of hands helped when attaching the top and base. Once the frames were up and a couple of bottom shelves installed, we debated spacing them a bit from the desk, but preferred the cozy, abutted look. It also makes shelves easier to reach from the desk.
Before finishing, we leveled the frames using the adjustable feet and anchored them to the wall for safety — the all-metal construction makes them very sturdy and heavy, so wall attachment was essential.
Each shelving unit includes six shelves (top and bottom included). We liked the evenly spaced configuration shown in the catalog, so we kept that arrangement. The drawers can be installed on any of the middle or bottom shelves for concealed storage — perfect for hiding accounting files, receipts, and other clutter.
Assembly of the drawers was the most tedious part — lots of screws — but once they were all built and installed the transformation felt real. We both immediately loved the result; it finally matched how we now envision working in the space.
Letting go of the idea that the room had to serve as a shared multitasking studio opened up options. We created symmetry on the window wall and the big blank wall to the left, and the two tall shelves now echo the tall windows across the room. The combination of open shelving and concealed drawers gives us practical flexibility — it feels lighter and more adaptable than the full wall-to-wall built-ins we once discussed.
We moved the file/printer cabinet to the other side of the main doorway so it wouldn’t crowd the new bookcases. It’s where it lived when we first moved in, and while it could use art above it, I’m glad we didn’t lose our file storage or the printer spot.
At first the white shelves felt stark, but Sherry quickly solved that with styling. Now it feels warmer and more finished. We still need a rug, window treatments, some wall art, a ceiling fixture, and a floor outlet for the desk, but we’re close — and that’s a relief after weeks of indecision.
We’ll share how we organized everything later in the week — we went a bit organizing-crazy once we had six shelves and twelve drawers to fill (eight in the bookcases and four in the desk), plus the filing/printer cabinet. We’re excited to show those details soon — maybe even a few fun GIFs of the process. In the meantime, we’re just enjoying the brighter, more functional office we finally have.
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