Week 1 | Week 2 | Week 3 | Week 4 | Week 5
If you’re new here, welcome! My husband and I purchased our first home (a generic, 1960’s bi-level) two years ago in Northern NJ. Little by little, I’m adding personality and style to our builder-grade home and for this Fall’s One Room Challenge™, I’m tackling my office and have a goal to furnish most of the room with Facebook Marketplace finds (see previous One Room Challenge reveals here and here).
*internally screaming*
TODAY IS THE DAY.
My office makeover is officially complete and I am beyond ecstatic to (finally) share this with you.
The goal I set for myself was to furnish 75% of my office with Facebook Marketplace finds. With that said, I’d like to acknowledge the MVP of this transformation. It’s something I usually take advantage of, but have been extremely grateful lately:
my car.
Over the last few weeks, I spent a total of 26.5 hours driving to strangers homes throughout NJ, NY, PA and CT to haul their used stuff into my trunk.
Furnishing this room with mostly FB MP finds in ~5 weeks was not easy, as I developed a slightly time-consuming obsession with hitting the FB MP refresh button and turning into a stage 5 clinger with random strangers over what they had for sale. A typical message was something along the lines of “Hi! Is this still available? I’m definitely interested. Let me know and I’ll clear my entire schedule to take this off your hands. Thanks so much!!!!!!” *insert multiple teeth-y smileys*
One of my biggest concerns when I created this personal goal was not just relying on strangers to find everything on my list in a few weeks time, but also about creating a tasteful “secondhand” room while maintaining my personal style.
Even though 75% of this room consists of secondhand items from strangers, I feel that I ultimately didn’t sacrifice my personal style and was able to bring together old items with their own story to create a fresh, new story.
Forewarning – this is a lengthy post. After keeping the office a big mystery for the last few weeks, I had to fill this reveal with plenty of details and photos. And I hope it will make up for leaving you in suspense.
Let’s move on to the reason why you’re here, shall we?
BEFORE
AFTER
I am obsessed with how these rooms rooms look side-by-side!
LET’S TALK DETAILS.
WALLS & CEILING:
I nixed the white during week 4 after realizing it just wasn’t me and decided to paint the walls a dark green – an idea that popped into my head during week 1 but I ultimately suppressed the thought until it built up and then… I exploded.
I tested three Benjamin Moore samples and ended up mixing two colors (Palmer Green and Dark Olive), which turned out to be an exact match Benjamin Moore Trailing Vines.
Green is my all-time-favorite color but I’ve never used this shade of green in our home (I’m more of a forest-y green type of gal), however, I’m absolutely head over heels in love with the contrast of Trailing Vines and the wallpaper.
Speaking of wallpaper…
I opted for a neutral and very traditional pattern – Brunschwig & Fils Bird and Thistle. It comes in other colors, in case you’re interested 😉
As usual, I cut and installed Metrie’s New Traditional molding throughout which completely elevated and transformed the room (pssst – to find a Metrie dealer near you, use their location search at the top of their website).
The ceiling medallion is from Architectural Depot. In trying to figure out how to create a visual effect on the ceiling without replicating exactly what I did in the bedroom, I pulled the green paint to the medallion instead of the whole ceiling to draw the eye up.
DESK & DESK CHAIR:
I found this Ethan Allen desk on FB MP and fell in love with the cabriole legs, but I wasn’t crazy about the wood tone, so I made the decision to paint it with Farrow and Ball high gloss Pitch Black.
Look at those LEGS.
I partnered with Emtek to bring a modern twist to this traditional desk and added unlacquered brass pulls to replace the original handles and just loveee how they look against the high gloss black!
The desk chair wouldn’t have been my first pick, but it works in the room. The woman who sold it to me said she purchased it at Home Goods a few weeks back and took the tags off and therefore couldn’t return it. I really couldn’t find an office chair that I loved – I was looking for something modern to pair with the traditional desk, but I’m pleased with the combo.
Side note – here’s the tutorial on how I made the textured canvas propped up on my desk (for less than $60).
ENGLISH ROLL ARM CHAIR:
This custom chair came from Greenwich CT (where I visited multiple times during this ORC – apparently it’s a treasure trove for nice stuff). Although not in the best condition, I was able to clean it up and iron out most of the wrinkles. Hard to pass up for $60!
I styled the chair with a few different pillows, but I always seem to go back to my Le tigre.
CARVER’S GUILD MIRROR
This Carvers Guild mirror was one of the first FB MP finds for my office – before I even really knew what wallpaper and paint color I’d be using. I assumed that no matter what wallpaper/paint combo I’d end up with I would just make it work. I love how it breaks up the wallpaper and it even has a dark green backing. Meant.to.be.
CB2 PEEK-A-BOO CONSOLE & LEOPARD BENCH
I clearly had a fun time styling these two together before the commode was brought up to my office. Ha! The acrylic console paired with the vintage leopard stool creates the perfect pairing of modern and classic.
LIGHTING:
Let’s quickly talk about one of the most stylish, eye-catching chandeliers I’ve ever seen – this Aerin Hampton Visual Comfort chandelier .
Light fixtures are often considered to be the ‘jewelry’ of the room and I’ve been eyeing this particular piece of jewelry for quite some time. When I decided that I was going to makeover my office, I didn’t think twice about which chandelier I’d want to replace the old, gross fan with and ended up buying this fixture from Capitol Lighting. I truly feel that it ‘makes’ the office.
WINDOWS:
I found four 98 inch Ikea Ritva curtains on FB MP, so I had to purchase one more set from Ikea since I needed 5. I also had to take about 10 inches off the bottoms because they were wayyy too long, so I hemmed curtains for the first time and it was way easier than I thought. I used this tutorial to hem these Ikea curtains.
Like the bedroom, I partnered with Select Blinds but this time chose their woven wood shades to pull in the natural texture from the rug to the windows and am very impressed with the quality and ease of installation.
RUGS:
I partnered with Loloi x Magnolia Home who was kind enough to send me one of their Sydney Collection jute area rugs. It really grounds the room and I love how comfortable it feels on my feet!
My go-to has been layering contrasting cowhides over area rugs, but this time around I wanted to maintain visual consistency between the cowhide/area rug pairing to not distract from the busy wallpaper.
THE 19th CENTURY EMPIRE STYLE COMMODE FROM PARIS
Here she is….in all her Parisian glory.
Remember when I had my best FB MP find of all time – the nightstands for the bedroom – and was convinced I’d ever find anything better?
Well…. lo and behold, I stumbled upon this 19th century empire style marble top commode from Paris (not a toilet commode – had to specify after a bit of confusion on IG) and was all over it.
Probably the most stunning slab of marble I’ve ever seen.
The story to how this chic and timeless masterpiece ended up in my office is a lengthy one, but it involves me being a stage 5 clinger, spending 4+ hours in my car, a walking bat that turned out to be a cat, and someone I truly had the pleasure of meeting and connected really well with – all thanks to FB MP. If you’re interested in the full story, it’s in my “ORC Office 3” story highlight in my IG bio.
P.S. – that Maison Jansen chair is not a marketplace find, but after I was inspired by a similar chair after a recent trip to Stockholm, my friend Christine from Nouvelle Vie Furniture told me she had one. I’m using it in a different room, but I had to style it here for part of the photoshoot! You have to check out her Etsy and Chairish shop – she has some of the gorgeous vintage pieces for sale and also makes old furniture look fabulous again (she ships anywhere in the U.S., BTW).
Oh….almost forgot about the white walls. I’m not entirely pleased with how these photos turned out. I rushed through them so I could just paint the walls green. But here they are!
FACEBOOK MARKETPLACE GOAL & COST SAVINGS
OK, so this part is a bit detailed but it’s necessary for me to include because the whole point of this makeover was a goal I set for myself: to furnish 75% of the room with FB MP finds.
Here’s what I’m sharing:
– How much $ I saved from furnishing the room with FB MP finds
– If I actually met my goal to furnish 75% of this room with FB MP finds
Side note – the list of items I counted towards my 75% goal included furniture, lighting, rugs, window treatments and larger items like the mirror. The items I did not include on the list were paint, decor/accessories (i.e. books, candles, pillows, vases, lampshades) and architectural elements like molding and a ceiling medallion.
The best way to share this is through a spreadsheet I created that includes everything I sourced from FB MP and everything that was purchased/discounted/sponsored. Money is a taboo topic, but in order to show you just how much I saved by using FB MP finds, I’m being completely transparent about the cost of furnishing this room.
When I eventually added up the total amount I saved from buying through strangers on FB MP, my mind was just slightly blown.
See for yourself…
The magic number here is $8,229 – that’s how much I saved by sourcing 75% of the room from Facebook Marketplace versus buying new/retail.
But did I meet my going-to-furnish-75%-of-the-room-from-FBMP goal? Let’s do a quick equation to find out…
Total amount of items from Facebook Marketplace: 15
+
Total amount of items discounted/sponsored/purchased: 5
= 20 items counted towards my goal
15 ÷ 20 = 75%
I barely made it, but I did it. If it weren’t for the Restoration Hardware lamp that popped up as I refreshed MP one last time while in the Home Goods parking lot (where I was about to go inside to throw in the towel and buy a lamp), I wouldn’t have hit this goal.
Check out this post for my tips on sourcing quality furniture on FB MP.
I want to take the time to give the generous brands I partnered with for this makeover one last shoutout.
Area rug – Loloi x Magnolia by Joanna Gaines
Molding – Metrie
Chandelier – Capitol Lighting
Wood Shades – Select Blinds
Unlacquered Brass Drawer Pulls – Emtek
Ceiling Medallion – Architectural Depot
I couldn’t leave without pulling together items for you to shop this look..
Thank you SO much to Linda from Calling it Home, for creating and organizing the One Room Challenge – this event inspires and encourages us all! And thank you to the media sponsor of the One Room Challenge, Better Homes and Gardens.
You won’t want to miss the featured designers and guest designers, so go check out their transformations too!
I just have one more thing to say before you go…
From the bottom of my heart, thank you for your support throughout this whole process. All of the encouragement, kind words or sharing something that made me laugh when I was on the brink of losing my mind means more than you can imagine. I can’t thank you enough. You’re the reason why I show up every day.
I love you guys!
Until next time…
xo
Alisa
I have so many favorite images but I think the first is my fave- that light! You have outdone yourself time after time – hoping you become a featured participant soon because WOW ????
Thank you so so much Kyla!!! I’m glad you like it! 🙂
Beautiful room! You really have the eye and a terrific talent. Enjoy your new office!
Thank you so much, Arli!!
~so gorgeous. so french. ⚜️ & the commode!! what a find! even with the white walls it was spectacular. loved the side-by-side pic of the master & ur office. ????????
thank you so so much, Terri!! I’m glad you like it 🙂
Absolutely stunning. The lighting fixture, the drape/shade combo, and the color of the room are just gorgeous. The marble-topped commode is beautiful. You made excellent choices and pulled it together beautifully. Such a pleasure to follow along and so inspirational for my future projects!
Wow, thank you so much for the kind words Kate!! Happy that you love it!
I went through a phase where I felt like traditional wasn’t cool or that it had to be cut with enough modernity to be transitional enough to please the masses. Traditional is cool again but sometimes it seems like it is only okay/accepted if it is used in small doses with neutral colors and an underlying clean/modern aesthetic. Your office design feels like home to me. Maybe it’s because I grew up with a mom who is a traditional, eclectic, bold decorator but when I see people in our age group leaning into the under appreciated, and often misunderstood, classic aesthetic, it makes my heart go pitter patter inside. Your office is timeless and original and there is no better combination. Bravo!
Wow, this struck a chord. Thank you so much, Meryl. I am glad that we can both appreciate a good traditional room 🙂
Seriously the office of my dreams !!! Every single detail is my favorite! And the view of the two room side by side … don’t even get me started !! SO GOOD !!!! Congrats girl & enjoy your new office !!
Thank you for always supporting me, Ashley!! You’re the best <3
The light fixture is my absolute favourite part. The desk set up and chair, the commode and mirror! All of it looks amazing ????????
thank you so much, Chelsea!!!
I’m amazed at what you found via FB Marketplace. Everything looks fantastic but the commode, light fixture, and mirror especially are to die for! And the way you integrated everything is simply genius. It’s the epitome of eclectic traditional. Thank you for sharing all of the details.
thank you so so much for the kind words. I’m glad you like it!!
Absolutely stunning work Alisa!!! I am awed by your genius for decorating. Love, love, love everything!! The green walls make all the difference, definitely the right call. The leopard print stool is adorable, saw it on FM and passed on it 🙁 The desk is gorgeous….. LOVE the legs. And the piece de resistance is most definitely the commode… totally worth the FM stalking. ENJOY YOUR NEW OFFICE and congratulations from one Jersey Girl to a fabulous Jersey Girl.
I wasn’t feeling the green paint with the wallpaper at first, but seeing it now….stunning! The white paint looks washed out in comparison. I can’t believe it’s the same room!!
ahhh thank god I changed my mind, haha!! thank you, Renee!!
It’s incredible, Alisa. You did an outstanding job, and I loved that you sourced so much from FB MP. You’ve got my vote as a featured designer next round!
thank you so much for the sweet comment, Stacy!! I truly appreciate it.
I loooove the coloUr you ended up with. Also I love the pop of fuschia so bring that back!
HAHAH! I keep wanting to use colOUR everytime I refer to green LOL!!!
The heart eyes I have for this room are so real. The fact that you found an antique chest of drawers FROM FRANCE for $800 is an absolute steal and I am now going to be scouring FBMarketplace everyday in hopes of such luck. Also on the paint colors – the White wasn’t bad but it made it look way too traditional compared you to your other spaces. The Green elevates it to a whole new level and really ties in the traditional-modern style. Amazing job!
Thank you so much Shannon! Finds like that are few and far between but when they come along, I jump all over it lol!! Thanks for reading 🙂
So very happy for you! You must be over the moon. It is all so great. And yeah, Greenwich is the PLACE. There’s so much good stuff. You make me wish I was still close by, but it might be a good thing we can’t hang out. We’d be dangerous.
I am really in love with this stunning space you’ve created. I can tell every single detail was thought about. The ceiling medallion and light fixture are incredible. It all seriously took my breathe away!
Thank you so so much, Jenasie!!!
Girl you are amazing!! This is such a dreamy office space – so sophisticated and warm. That commode was truly the find of a lifetime. Holy crap! I have never seen marble that beautiful either. I would love to do a spreadsheet to see how much I saved doing my projects myself and sourcing things off of Facebook. What a great idea. That is SO amazing how much you ended up saving.
Congratulations on such a perfect reveal – which ended up being two reveals basically with those white walls. Happy you went with green.
Thank you so much Michelle!!! You’re amazing – thanks so much for your support and following along!!!
HOLY MOLY you nailed it! love the colors, the vintage finds, the lighting, the wallpaper… every detail!
thank you so so much, Cassie!!!
What a great goal and fabulous result!!! It takes more time to find the right pieces secondhand but there are more opportunities within the same budget that way! You did a great job!
Yess!!! It definitely takes time but it’s totally worth it! Thank you for reading.
Just gorgeous! Thank you for the inspiration. When you choose the size of the ceiling medallion, are you matching it to the size of the fixture? Can you please share the dimensions of the room? Thank you!
Just gorgeous! I love everything about this room, and your mix of modern and traditional makes it so interesting.
Thank you so so much Heidi!!!
This is a gorgeous room! I absolutely love that mirror, and if you tire of it, I’ll take it! LOL! Beautiful room and here’s to many creative days spent here!
This is spectacular – congratulations!
This is a stunning room, and it’s crazy to believe that most items were sourced from FB MP! I live in a more remote area, so could not achieve this (especially in 6 weeks!) – so kudos 🙂
thank you Nicole!!!
This is a great Room you post it i love everything. Thank you for posting.hope you add more in future also. Thank you!!
Thank you for posting your room looks beautiful hope you add more in future also
So many beautiful items, what impresses me most is the great deals you got, and how much you saved! Really impressive!
1. Could you dive a little deeper into how you hung the curtains in the corner? I am having so much trouble with my master bedroom design because of two windows close to the corner much like this room. Is it one continuous curtain rod? How did you get that just right?
2. I only find JUNK on FB Marketplace. What am I missing? Is there a filter I can use to help with my search?
I LOVE all of your designs – I have become a quick fan and cannot wait to see what you post next!
I recently found you through Laurel Bern and am in love with what you are doing! Both this room and your bedroom are amazing and beautiful. Congratulations, I have spent the better part of a day looking at your blog. Could you explain how you were able to get the beautiful finish on the desk. Do you do it yourself with a sprayer and if so what kind? I also so that you did something similar in the bathroom with the cabinet. This room was another Wow moment. Thank your for what you are doing. It is so helpful to me and others who are on a budget.
Your office transformation is absolutely stunning! The blend of modern and traditional elements, combined with those amazing Facebook Marketplace finds, really brings the space to life. I love how every detail came together so beautifully—congratulations on a job well done!