Studio Tour of The House that Lars Built

Where We Started

Remember what the basement looked like when we first bought this house? Totally gutted, and an eyesore, but full of potential. Well, we’ve come a long way since then! We still have a long way to go, but we want to show you our progress. Here‘s a post with the preliminary ideas for the studio. And if you’re interested, here‘s a compilation of everything we did to our house in one year.

How It’s Going

The Space

To kick off the studio tour, we need to explain the space. The entire basement makes up the studio. It’s divided into the following: Jane and Jenny’s office, the main crafting/working space, the kitchenette area, the bathroom, the shipping/packing room, and the archive room. The shipping and archive rooms needed to be more functional than anything, so our choices there have and will be more driven by functionality (with a little Lars flair, of course). But the rest of the space we have had a LOT of fun with thus far! So here’s what we’ve done.

Pink Epoxy Floor

First stop on our studio tour: flooring. The first thing we did to the basement was the floor. Remember our pink epoxy flooring?? Yep, that covers the floor of the entire basement, except for the bathroom. It’s such a fun, eye-catching detail that you notice right when you walk in! I always knew the studio needed a touch of pink to warm things up.

Stairs

The stairs are next on the studio tour. Now we knew we needed a quick and effective solution for the unfinished stairs. What an eyesore!! And did I mention they had carpet on them previously? It took a little extra time to get them prepped for painting. But it was worth it, because the final product (these big, bold, blue and white stripes) was the perfect way to get our guests’ attention and introduce them to the studio. We may end up altering these amidst our newest wave of home renovations, but it was the perfect temporary DIY solution until we could implement a more permanent situation.

Lighting

Speaking of an eye-catching entrance, guess what we just recently got?! Our very own neon Lars sign, courtesy of Neon 87! To say we’re excited would be a severe understatement. Needless to say when visitors come to the studio they’ll know exactly where they are when they see this sign.

We also couldn’t move on without mentioning the recent install of this schoolhouse light fixture. We loved the gold accent with the bold stripes and colorful art we added to the walls!

Office Makeover

The next step in our studio tour is the office. We did an office makeover! Matching the wallpaper in the office to the pink floor turned out to be an interesting challenge, but we loved the result when all was said and done! Here‘s the post where we explain it all.

Here’s Jane’s desk:

A brightly colored office. There's green floral wallpaper, a pink floor, a yellow chair, a white table, pink-painted doorframes, an orange paper house, a blue poster with colorful abstract flowers, and office supplies.

And here’s Jenny’s:

Jenny's desk

The Craft/Work Space

Next up on our studio tour is the craft space! While far from complete, we want to show you what we’ve done so far. It’s getting cozier by the day! You may have seen the initial improvements we made to our craft space here, with our DreamBox. We’re still crazy about it. But to add to the pleasure of being in the studio, we also recently purchased two things: an AMAZING blue velvet couch from Eternity Modern, and a remote control table with a tabletop that moves up and down from Flexispot. You wouldn’t believe how convenient this is for photo and video shoots!!

We now have a more organized, efficient space that opens up the possibilities. We’re finally versatile enough to host meetings. All we have to do is push two of the large craft tables together and we’re set. Speaking of, we had a veeeery important meeting the other day, the subject of which is yet to be revealed (wink, wink).

Below is our amazing new remote control table from Flexispot (bamboo tabletop on the right):

Here’s that show-stopping Eternity Modern couch:

Blinds

We were ecstatic to add the blinds to this studio tour. I don’t know if you noticed in the pictures of the office makeover, but for a long time, we were literally using paper as a makeshift version of blinds. NOT ideal. We knew we needed something much better, and that’s where blinds.com came into the picture! They replaced our sad, makeshift paper blinds with some classy new blinds, complete with blackout shades. This was a dream come true for Jane–good lighting makes all the difference in whether or not a photo turns out! We installed the blinds in all the basement rooms–Jane and Jenny’s office, the main crafting space, and the shipping room. Blinds are something that need to be functional as well as pretty, and we loved how our blinds turned out.

Here they are in the craft room:

Here’s the window next to Jane’s desk:

And here’s the shipping room!

Bathroom

Now let me preface this portion of our studio tour with a caveat–the bathroom is far from complete. We still want to add wallpaper and so much more! But we did get the flooring in (white tile with a FUN pop of blue grout!), along with the basic necessities, and a touch of color and pattern with this DIY shower curtain. We can’t wait to show you the rest when it’s ready! Hint: the final result includes our very own custom pattern made into Spoonflower wallpaper and much more. Stay tuned!

curtain with floor

Stay Tuned for Much More

That’s it for the studio tour today! Friends, think about it. The combo of pink epoxy flooring, blue velvet, and fresh new blinds?! There’s a reason we’re excited. It’s already looking soo good and we’re far from done! We are beyond ecstatic about all the plans we have in the works. If you hadn’t noticed, the craft room lacks wallpaper. We’re thinking custom wallpaper designed by The House that Lars Built. And the kitchenette?!?! We have BIG plans. We don’t want to spoil the surprise, but this year is going to be the year where things come together in BIG ways. We’re so excited!! Who’s with us?!

Best Affordable Rugs Under $1000

Go Bold or Go Home

You know we love statement pieces, like upholstered headboards, graphic art prints, or throw pillows galore. And a great rug is probably the best place to start when planning a new interior makeover. Rugs instantly cozy up a room, make it feel complete, and sets the tone ALL without taking up any extra space! It’s the dream decor piece! But due to their price tag, we know how easy it is to put a new rug last on your list of priorities.

However, hear us out – A rug can truly make your room, and leaving it out can be a big interior design faux pas. Plus, splurging a little on a rug can allow you to tone down the other purchases without sacrificing your end goal – a thoughtful, specific, and well-curated space. That is truly the power a good rug has! Why? Because a statement rug instantly conveys what look you are going for (vintage, boho, minimal?), sets the main color scheme, and makes everything look more finished. Trust us, don’t skip the rug. And if we still haven’t convinced you, you’ll find even more ways to use a rug to complete the look below!

Of course if you are in a creative mood, we have some DIY rug options for you. Like this Matisse inspired cut out rug above! Or for something even simpler try this DIY “friendship bracelet” inspired rug that will keep your hands busy during your next Netflix binge.

But if you’re more in the mood for some online shopping, we feel you! Explore the links below to find the best affordable rug of your dreams.

#WFH: How to Design Your Perfect Home Office

Welcome back! By now you have taken our quiz! Scroll down to find the section that matches with your quiz response – there you will find design ideas, products chosen just for you, and tips on leveling up your home office while social distancing!

The Cozy Coworker

cozy coworkera colorful and minimal home office

Hey all you cozy girls! We know you are wearing sweat pants just out of sight on all your zoom calls.

We are not against working from the couch, but if you take some time to make your home office just as warm and welcoming, your energy levels (and your lower back) will thank you! There is no need to sacrifice comfort in your home office, fill these floor baskets with throw blankets, light a candle, hang some comforting prints. And best yet – we have already pre-tested this office chair for you – and it passed the comfy test.

Which Lars Prints match your home office

Moodboard image sources: 1 | 2 | 3

The Boss Babe

a bright and exciting home office

If you are the boss (or have a Boss Babe personality) maybe not much has changed for you during social distancing. You have just as many meetings, just as many emails to respond to. Your home office needs to be a place where you feel at your creative peak. And some well branded touches to make your office look professional in the background of your video calls.

During this time, your great ideas are needed more than ever! Keep yourself inspired by hanging a brand moodboard in your office.

a fashion and design mood board

Which Lars Prints match your home office

Moodboard image sources: 1 | 2 | 3

The Type A

a stylish and bold home office

There is room here for a Lars Girl with any personality! Professional and organized does not mean lacking in color and unique style! With your type a personality you’ll find clean lines and bold colors keep your thought process going. We recommend playing with surprising shapes matched with more muted tones – the outcome will be a stunning office that compliments your work ethic and doesn’t distract.

 

Your highest priority when it comes to your home office is organization. This is a place free from distractions, where you can do your best work. Above we have gathered plenty of stylish desk organizers and planners for you to explore to your hearts content.

Which Lars Prints match your home office

Moodboard image sources: 1 | 2 | 3

The Social Butterfly

a bright and happy home office

We know you miss your friends and coworkers! Trust us, we get it! The best part of the day is getting the whole team together on our video meetings. We have some bright ideas to help make the time in-between meetings more fun and colorful!

As an extrovert who is used to the work day flying by having fun chatting with your coworkers every chance you get, it is important that your home office is a place you look forward to spending your time every day! Go all out with this floral wallpaper and fill your room with new plant friends!

Which Lars Prints match your home office

Moodboard image sources: 1 | 2 | 3