The man's Study room or office

[apamburn]

I posted a few months back about moving...we did it. We are now in NC and looking for a home.

Cashing out of our home in UT was a pretty lucrative move and I'm fairly certain we will be able to not only get a nicer home but also purchase a rental property or two to boot.

One thing I need, since I work from home, is a home office. I'd like to make it more of a formal or traditional "study": a space I can use for work, or as a retreat to read a good book or listen to music in peace, or to entertain close friends.

I think I would like it to also have a corner or something dedicated to paying homage to the men that influenced me, but are now beyond the veil.

Maybe also a place to showcase some firearms, display hunting trophies, etc...

Of course a library of books too.

Does anyone have a formal study or office? How is it decorated or arranged? What and how do you use it?

I'm not really interested in using it for things like video games, tv, or sports and such. I want this to be mature.

Anyone care to share pictures, ideas, etc?

[Gabriel Suarez]

Excellent idea. I am in the position where my entire home is like that.

[Mike OTDP]

Bookshelves. Lots and lots of them. I'd seriously consider built-in units, possibly with glass fronts. And you may want a desk, or at least a commodious side table.

[apamburn]

Excellent idea. I am in the position where my entire home is like that.

One day I hope to have our home like that as well. Children ages 4-6-8 preclude that for now. :) For the moment mine is filled with sounds of children's laughter, games and TV shows, decorated with children's toys scattered about, and generally poorly arranged for quiet reflection or work.

Right now I wouldn't have it any other way. For now a room would suffice :)

[Gabriel Suarez]

One day I hope to have our home like that as well. Children ages 4-6-8 preclude that for now. :) For the moment mine is filled with sounds of children's laughter, games and TV shows, decorated with children's toys scattered about, and generally poorly arranged for quiet reflection or work.

Right now I wouldn't have it any other way. For now a room would suffice :)

Agreed.

[Gabriel Suarez]

Bookshelves. Lots and lots of them. I'd seriously consider built-in units, possibly with glass fronts. And you may want a desk, or at least a commodious side table.

I would avoid glass anything with urchins and dogs running around.

[kabar]

Are you imagining something along the lines of an English mens' club? Wood paneling, overstuffed leather chairs, inset bookshelves? Or maybe more like a hunting lodge? Something more modern?

[apamburn]

Bookshelves. Lots and lots of them. I'd seriously consider built-in units, possibly with glass fronts. And you may want a desk, or at least a commodious side table.

Yes, absolutely. Built-ins are on my mind. I don't know how feasible it would be, but I was thinking something split into three sections: to the left and to the right bookshelves, and in the middle a gun cabinet for displaying a few choice firearms (my great grandfather's single shot 20 ga shotgun, or my grandfather's 1911). All conceptual only at this point, of course.

For the desk, I'm thinking a a large, well made wooden desk (I'm not well versed on furniture, but something in oak or mahogany or something like that). No ikea crap.

I'd like to use soft white lighting for ambiance, but when using the space for work I will probably use bright "daylight" lighting. I would prefer my computer monitors and assorted hardware to be hidden, either in a cabinet of their own, or something else.

[apamburn]

Are you imagining something along the lines of an English mens' club? Wood paneling, overstuffed leather chairs, inset bookshelves? Or maybe more like a hunting lodge? Something more modern?

Some of that, yes. I'm not sure what 'theme' I'm going for really - english men's club vs hunting lodge.

I do really like the overstuffed leather chairs and inset bookshelves. Wood paneling I have mixed feelings on...I've seen so much of it poorly done / cared for in the houses we have seen that I just don't know if I would like it.

Darker wall color is in order (burgundy, dark blue, brown, something like that). Wood floors and most likely a rug, or something.


I would avoid glass anything with urchins and dogs running around.

This is a good point. I'm hoping to have french doors to close off the space, but glass could be a bad thing.

[kabar]

And nothing beats a large imposing desk for standing in front of while contemplating one's crimes, wondering what discipline will be meeted out for one's poor behavior.

[Jon Payne]

Yeah, I broke a lot of shit myself.
I would avoid glass anything with urchins and dogs running around.

[Johnny C!]

Welcome to NC.

Where are you now?

Also, enjoy these younger years of your
children. I am sure others have told, they
grow up fast.

John

[45Smashemflat]

FWIW... Build your own. You can get precisely the shelf spacing, width etc for the room in question. That said, it's a slow process. I have one wall of four complete. Full height book shelves left and right of center window. Desk fills in between ( Double wide window.). Bridge over window, joining the bookshelves, acts like a cornice, and provides a place to display trinkets and trash.

Sure, you can contract it too, but this has been a fun project. I'll try and get some photos later.

[apamburn]

Welcome to NC.

Where are you now?

Also, enjoy these younger years of your
children. I am sure others have told, they
grow up fast.

John

We are in the Rocky Mount area for now while we home shop. We will likely land in Nash or Edgecomb counties but we have looked as far away as Fayetteville.

The kids are fun and I'm trying to squeeze as much as I can out of every minute :-)

[apamburn]

FWIW... Build your own. You can get precisely the shelf spacing, width etc for the room in question. That said, it's a slow process. I have one wall of four complete. Full height book shelves left and right of center window. Desk fills in between ( Double wide window.). Bridge over window, joining the bookshelves, acts like a cornice, and provides a place to display trinkets and trash.

Sure, you can contract it too, but this has been a fun project. I'll try and get some photos later.

I was researching this just yesterday. I would be an absolute novice and I'm afraid my shelves wouldn't come out well, but I might still give it a try.

I like what you describe about building around a window. The home we just put an offer on has a bay window in the study so I'm not sure how that would work out.

I was thinking of putting built ins on the opposite wall and having the desk face the built ins / study door with back to the window.

[EDELWEISS]

IF the room is big enough, you might consider a hidden rack for non public guns; positioned behind the book shelves. I had a hidden room located behind a "built in" book shelf. The hinges were hidden and there was a hidden "lock". If I were doing it again I like the idea of something the whole length of the room. It only needs to be maybe 12" deep, so you don't lose a lot of room. Your public display guns can be visible, so everybody who knows you have guns can be satisfied when they see them but the ones you don't want seen stay hidden.

If you hunt this is the place for your trophies. This is also the place for your "Life-er Wall", and maybe a shelf for your high end adult beverages???

[apamburn]

IF the room is big enough, you might consider a hidden rack for non public guns; positioned behind the book shelves. I had a hidden room located behind a "built in" book shelf. The hinges were hidden and there was a hidden "lock". If I were doing it again I like the idea of something the whole length of the room. It only needs to be maybe 12" deep, so you don't lose a lot of room. Your public display guns can be visible, so everybody who knows you have guns can be satisfied when they see them but the ones you don't want seen stay hidden.

If you hunt this is the place for your trophies. This is also the place for your "Life-er Wall", and maybe a shelf for your high end adult beverages???

I don't think it's big enough for a large compartment like that, but maybe.

I do want to get into hunting as soon as life allows. I might go on the deer hunt this year if I get into a home in time.

[EDELWEISS]

I don't think it's big enough for a large compartment like that, but maybe..

It only needs to be maybe 8" deep, just enough to lean a row of guns against the wall. You can turn them sideways to keep the depth to a minimum.

[TFA303]

You may not spend much time on the site if you're like me, but Mrs. 303 has a whole board on Pintrest for stuff like this, and there are tons of great examples from history and modern stuff. It's actually worthwhile to get an account if you're searching for ideas.

[apamburn]

You may not spend much time on the site if you're like me, but Mrs. 303 has a whole board on Pintrest for stuff like this, and there are tons of great examples from history and modern stuff. It's actually worthwhile to get an account if you're searching for ideas.

Haha yeah, I've spent a lot of time looking at Pinterest and various blogs / art of man type sites looking for ideas.

[pangloss]

We moved a few years ago, and the new house didn't have a good out of they way place for my safe. The house was also lacking in shelf space, so we killed two birds with one stone (see photo). Out of frame to the left is a nice wooden desk that belonged to my great uncle for whom I am named. Out of frame right is a skull mount from a nice 10-point that I shot a couple of years ago, and a small love seat. The room also has a comfortable chair and a floor lamp along with an end table and lamp beside the love seat. The lamps need updating, but they work well. Also, the cabinets below the shelves are where I store my ammo, mags, holsters, etc. This is easily my favorite room in our house.

Oh, I also have two framed prints on the wall--"The Fall of Icarus" by Bruegel and "Lift Up Thine Eyes" by Rockwell. If anyone has ever noticed the prints, they didn't comment, but I think they go together perfectly.https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20190730/e1e91be76b6bf724238ecfda46c06f23.jpg

Sent from my moto e5 cruise using Tapatalk

[LawDog]

First, consider what your wife will actually support. While it may be your room, it's in her house. Hopefully there is a design that will please you both. I'll do pretty much whatever I want in my garage/shop, but I make concessions in the house.

Second, decide whether this is a DIY project or not. I build furniture as a hobby. For me, paying someone else to do it would deprive me of half of the enjoyment. I want to build it myself. But this takes longer, requires sweat equity, and probably won't cost me less in the end. In NC, if you swing a dead cat over your head you'll hit three woodworkers. You shouldn't have any difficulty finding someone to build it for you. Being new to the south, though, be forewarned that they work at a pace that will infuriate you.

Build in plenty of electrical outlets. While you may envision an old English study, this is the 21st Century and things continue to become more and more wired.

Built-ins are nice, but not appropriate to every space. Lots of people put a study or office into a bedroom. The next person who buys the home may need it as an actual bedroom, and they won't want to rip out your built-in bookshelves. Plus you may want to take your nice study with you.

You can do a lot with paint. I can quickly trim out a room with walnut wainscoting that looks like something from Downton Abbey, but it will cost a whole lot more than a few gallons of Sherwin Williams and some rollers. And it's not easily reversible.

Not everything needs to be adjustable. The trend with bookshelves these days is to just run 5mm or 1/4" holes up the full length of everything and then set the shelves wherever you want them. It is a far weaker design and it leaves ugly holes all along the inside faces of the shelving. A solid dado looks cleaner, holds more weight, and lasts longer. Use adjustable shelving sparingly.

If you plan to paint it, go with poplar. If you plan to leave the beauty of the wood exposed, look principally at cherry and walnut. For a very light Scandinavian look, maple and birch are good choices. For an old English look, you want something dark. Cherry won't look that dark to you at the lumber yard, but it deepens with age. Oak is a good wood, but most people stain it, and I hate stain. Modern day mahogany is all African Mahogany, and it doesn't produce the look that most people still associate with mahogany.

Be sure that you have both drawers and some concealed cabinet space. We all end up with junk that just needs to be hidden behind a door. And drawers are a far better way of organizing small items.

Splurge on a good chair for reading.

[Evilver]

Congrats on the coop old and new, the chicks, and the bell I've been mulling over the idea of a very small backyard coop/chicken tractor for only about 4 birds.

Do you have the harp, clapper, and crank for that bell? I'll be picking one up Saturday to put in the back yard.