It’s funny timing that as soon as COVID-19 forced us all to stay home and work from home, I began my freelance writing career rendering me remote indefinitely. While my one bedroom wasn’t exactly built for a home office, I made do with what I had and elevated it in places I could. I remember sometime last summer when Zac was still working from home and had his desk and office space setup at his house. He had me sit down at his desk and asked “Well? You like it? Could you see yourself working from this space some day?” We were only a few months into dating but I could definitely see it, and upon moving in this past weekend, that flirty conversation became a reality!

Zac bought his home about 6 years ago. It was built in the 1920s so it definitely has its quirks and he’s worked hard to infuse his style and aesthetic into this place. It was a duplex that he had converted into a single-family home, so we essentially have two living spaces—one which we refer to as the true living room and then the den or “blue room.” In this blue room, behind a set of french doors, there is a blank space with a fireplace (not currently working but that will be remedied by the fall) that he had temporarily converted into his makeshift office last year.

before

Easter Sunday was my birthday (she is risen, y’all!) and Z decided that his main priority was getting the new EMMASTHING HQ as ready to go as possible so I could start Monday off in our home together on an energized, excited foot. Naturally, this was the best birthday gift he could’ve ever given me—an entire day focused on me and my space and making me happy? I was living.

It’s not lost on me how fortunate I am for this being my first move-in with a man. He already had a wonderful home waiting for us to share, and he somehow has incredible taste and style, so our things are melding together seamlessly. By combining our ideas and pieces, we were able to create a home office I’ve only ever dreamed of and that reminds me of my most coveted home interior brand ever: The Jungalow.

after

I owned everything you see in this picture sans for one item that was a birthday present from Z, but in an effort to be a good home influencer, I’m going to link out to all that I can whether it’s exact or similar in order to fuel your inspiration!

the breakdown

RUG

I get all my large area rugs from Rug Source. It’s a warehouse in North Carolina that carries an endless amount of incredibly high-quality but super affordable rugs. Literally our new bedroom rug, this one, and the one that will go on the other side of the blue room are all from Rug Source. They are always featuring a discount and right now, you can get 35% off! Every single rug is one-of-a-kind, meaning once you buy the rug you love, it’s gone. That’s why I can’t link to exact products, but if you do some digging, you can find similar. 10/10 recommend Rug Source and will forever!

DESK CHAIR

I got this brown faux leather desk chair from Wayfair several months ago. I really like it; it’s super comfortable and looks high-quality. I just added a back pillow to it, which I didn’t realize it was missing this entire time. It just elevated the comfort of the chair even more!

FLOOR LAMP

A Target special, of course. I love the tripod style of this brass floor lamp so much. So much, in fact, I got two of them!

STANDING DESK

Admittedly, I sit a lot more than I stand but it’s nice to have the option. I purchased this sitting/standing desk off Amazon and absolutely love it. It’s long so it can hold a lot and feels like a real, luxurious office desk. You can program the height 5 different ways, too. It took a bit to put together but wasn’t too bad at all and works like a gem.

CORNER CHAIR

Vintage and found by Z many moons ago. It was my sister’s idea to move it into that corner of my space and, as you can see, she knows what the hell she’s talking about even from miles and miles away in Chicago and not having ever been in this space physically.

THROW BLANKET

A birthday gift from Z just a few days ago. It is so unbelievably beautiful and sewn by a studio called Slow Down Studio out of LA. Their product is incredible, and I hadn’t heard of them until Z gave me this. I want everything from their site. You have to check it out! Somehow, the blanket colors fit my office vibe perfectly and I am so happy we immediately found the perfect home for it.

THROW PILLOW

My sister got me these pillow cases when I first moved into my last place. They’re from an interior shop called Due East and are no longer available, but they have some amazing rugs. Damn. Also, Fy! has these gorgeous velvet throw pillows that I was actually just sent and I’m thinking of maybe putting one of these there instead. We’ll see. Either way, I love these Fy! pillows as an alt.

ROUND GOLD MIRROR

This beauty is from Target, and it was Z’s idea to hang it low under the shelf. I just watched this amazing woman via Apartment Therapy showing off all her mirrors and how she uses them to style her home, so now I’m mirror-obsessed and need at least 15 more. This perfect one will do for now, though.

WALL SHELF

Z had this gorgeous wooden shelf in his bedroom, not really serving a purpose. It was just sort of there, and we took it down before the move to make room for something else. He had the vision of installing it into my office wall, and I am so thankful because it’s fucking perfect and such a moment. Plus, it’s from World Market and SUPER affordable! This is the 4ft one, but it’s available in both 3’ and 2’!

ART ON SHELF

This is my favorite piece of art I own, honestly. The fact that it was the right size and right color to set on the office shelf is a God thing, I’m sure of it. It’s by an artist named Chad Wys, and his stuff is available on Society6. And he has a LOT of cool stuff. I want it all, but I started with this piece. Obviously, my sis found him first cause she’s way cooler than me but that’s neither here nor there.

That’s EMMASTHING HQ in a nutshell. Of course, we’ll continue to edit the space because that’s how these things go, so keep your eyes peeled for office decor updates! If you need me, I’ll probably be in the corner chair, cozying up and talking shit.