Office Makeover

After Christmas my husband and I visited our daughter, her husband, and their little boy.  

The day before we arrived, my son-in-law had moved his office.  Previously, he had worked from a downtown corporate building in a generic small, square young-associate-attorney's office.  The move took him to a suburban office with great views of small pond and grassy lawn.  Best of all, his new office is next door to his dad!

The office came with a desk and office chair, built-in bookcases, and two side chairs.  But, Curt needed a small sofa and a work-table.  After listening to his style preferences (no frills, lots of plants, and decidedly masculine) and price guidelines (barebones), my daughter and I embarked on a hunt.

We looked on Craig's List, took a spin through a furniture store, and scavenged through a used-furniture emporium.  Because it was on our route, we stopped at TJ Max thinking we might find some planters.  As we were about to leave, we spied a small section of furniture.  Amazingly, there was the perfect loveseat: leather, chocolate brown, without frills except for a tasteful bit of saddle-stitching.  And the price was unbelievable!

Smiling, we stopped by a craft store searching for planters.  Nothing fit the bill, but on our way out we spied a bin of containers at forty percent off.  We found six woven crates of various sizes--all in chocolate brown webbing.  Bingo!

To fill the containers, we went to Walmart's garden department which was transitioning between Christmas and spring.  Our coup there: three large philodendrons, a corn plant, and two smaller planters of mixed foliage--all drastically reduced for clearance!

The table for work space was almost as much a challenge as the loveseat.  Curt wanted a sturdy auxiliary work space to accommodate documents for client review, space for a chair on either side so he could face his clients...all within the budget.

We paid a visit to a favorite haunt, an antique mall, where we scouted out an antique drop-leaf table.  We checked it against the "wish list".  Sturdy--check.  Large enough to lay plats on for client review--check.  Space for a chair on either side, so attorney could face client--check.  Affordable price--check!!!

The piece-de-resistance was a dramatic oil painting of a sunflower, state flower of Kansas.  The frame matched the table, and the price wouldn't have paid for the frame!  

On his way home from work yesterday, Curt called.  "Maurie, I've had no less than nine or ten people stop by and admire my office.  It's perfect." 

You can't do better than leaving a client happy, especially when it's your son-in-law!