My Super Small Office Refresh (with CANVAS!)

I love our home…but our second bedroom upstairs is quite literally the smallest space. Truthfully, it’s always been a struggle for me to make it useable. And so when my friends at Canadian Tire asked me about refreshing a room in my house, it was a no brainer which one to choose. But I’m already jumping ahead. Let me take you back to the beginning and paint the full picture.

This is what it looked like when we moved in…get ready for all the purple…

A gorgeous modern guest bedroom design

And then, right before Jack made his grand debut, I took a bit of time to declutter what was quickly becoming a junk room, and turned it into a sweet little guest retreat. It got a fresh coat of white paint, we bought a small bed and I got a few accessories to cozy it up a bit. But these photos you’re about to see are strategic…while the one side gave the illusion that the space was complete, the other side was actually totally bare.

A gorgeous modern guest bedroom design A gorgeous modern guest bedroom design A gorgeous modern guest bedroom design

Fast forward to present day, and the room has once again become a dumping ground and occasionally a place for one of us to escape to if we are getting a crappy sleep (snoring is the enemy, lol). True story: I actually pulled this single mattress onto the floor in Jack’s nursery for a month or so while we transitioned him into his crib…crazy to think about those early months when I was starving for sleep!! Anyways, you should also know that I typically do all my work at the kitchen table. We tend to have piles on piles of paperwork, electronics, and samples…a bit of an organized chaos if you will. But really, it was starting to add some stress, especially in my move to make our space feel more minimalist.

Even though the second side of the room is equally if not smaller than the bed side, I knew I could make it work as an office space with the right pieces. A tiny office is much better than nothing! I saw the Copenhagen Desk and knew it would be the right fit – simple, sleek and exactly the minimalist, Scandi style I was hoping for. A basic white piece of furniture will always work, but I especially loved the wood detail of the legs and drawer knobs. It’s also a touch higher, which makes me sit a bit more upright than some of my past office desks (yay good posture!) and because of that, it would also make a great console table in another area in our home should we feel the need to switch things up!

small office design, small office refresh

And then, we had some serious fun voting over on IG stories to pick some cozy additions. The first vote was between two pillows – CANVAS Dynasty Pillow in Ivory and the darker grey Hexagon Pillow. It was a touch closer than I expected but the Hexagon pulled through in the end! Then we had the curtain debate and the tasteful Owen Drapery in Taupe was the sure winner over the Metronorm Foamback panels in Grey. Nonetheless, I thought I’d show you the other one (there are no losers in this competition!!) since I do think it looks quite nice as well. I might even switch things up seasonally, which is always so refreshing! Because these pieces are quite versatile (and affordable, ps) you’ll probably see them pop up in other photos over the years!

small office design, small office refresh

small office design, small office refresh

And now, the full view of the second side of our guest bedroom turned office space! It’s amazing what a simple refresh can do. What was once a bare wall, is now this…small office design, small office refresh small office design, small office refresh

To keep it feeling modern, I added a large scale calendar to anchor the wall. On the desk itself, some plant life, a happy little photo and some practical items to stay organized. In reality it won’t stay this clean all the time, but at least I have two drawers to shove things in and I could always add a smaller filing cabinet underneath or to the side.
small office design, small office refresh

I should also draw your attention to one of my favourite additions to the room – the CANVAS Grace 2-Light Wooden Floor Lamp in White! Yes, it is from the same line as the desk and I absolutely love the two articulating lamp heads, giving me the right light in just the right place. I also think adding a bit of height is really important plus, it keeps my desk free of a task lamp = more space for me to work! small office design, small office refresh small office design, small office refresh

And lastly, the other new accessory I got was this CANVAS Cape Basket…because let’s face it, a girl can never have too many baskets!! At the moment, a pretty blanket is nestled inside but I’ll probably make it a more functional piece (yay for practical and pretty right?!). It’s actually the perfect size for me to drop my free floating fabric samples inside or some of my smaller countertop samples (it’s a very sturdy and thick basket so it can take it, don’t worry!). Then it’s just a quick reach down to find what I need in the moment. small office design, small office refresh

I have to say I am really loving how everything came together…and I’m not lying!! Because at this exact moment I am typing away at my Copenhagen desk and not my kitchen table…so there ya go!

I’d love to hear your thoughts about my CANVAS Room Refresh…any pieces you’re particularly drawn to?

Check out more CANVAS Room Refreshes with Jillian Harris at Canadian Tire!

This post was sponsored by the lovely people at Canadian Tire. As always, all opinions and thoughts are my own and I’m so thankful to work with brands that support what I do!