HOME TOUR: VINTAGE MAXIMALIST HOME OFFICE

We've been doing some major reshuffling here in The Moriarty household. Just as I wrapped up transforming my storage shed into a She Shed Design Studio for the One Room Challenge, my son moved out to his new college digs! In typical "little sister" style, my daughter, India Rose, immediately staked her claim on his bedroom which happens to be a little larger than hers. You can read the post about that transformation HERE.

The good news is, that means that I FINALLY have a space for a proper home office! This room is located at the back of the house, just steps away from the She Shed Design Studio which means that the She Shed Design Studio is now an extension of my home office. I'm so happy that I did the One Room Challenge and that it still houses all of my samples, supplies and accessories!

As a Maximalist and vintage clothing and decor huntress for 4 decades, I always imagined that my office would be more of a Closet Office aka: Cloffice, where I would be surrounded by all of the things that I love. So that's what I set out to create. It's still a work in progress....I worked on this space for about a week when I got the news that I needed to go into surgery to have my pacemaker battery replaced but I was able to put a huge dent in this project before the photographer arrived.

Can we start by talking about this incredible Defend Equality Cowhide art? I am the Global Brand Ambassador for a company called Be OUTSPOKEN. I custom ordered this hide from them and I absolutely LOVE IT!! When I was ordering it, I wasn't sure where I was going to put it, we have a small mid century home that is already pretty full so my husband suggested that I order it with grommets so that we would have the option to hang it on the wall as art. Thank God he suggested it, because I absolutely love the way it hangs on the wall! Equality for all is a value worth defending - a piece of statement art like this one keeps it front and center!

More about this space and my personal style!

DESCRIBE YOUR STYLE Vintage Eclectic, a little Edgy and definitely Maximalist!

DESCRIBE YOUR SPACE Moody, Colorful, Collected and Curated.

WHERE DID YOUR PASSION FOR TREASURE HUNTING BEGIN?

My grandmother was an antiques dealer. I grew up in a home that was a blend of 70's feminist bohemian mixed with antiques. There was grasscloth, Rosamond art, macrame and it somehow lived harmoniously with marble pillars, bronze statues and curio cabinets filled with antiques. My grandmother Rose taught me all about the antiques that lived in our home and I would give tours of them when we had visitors. When we would go to garage sales, she would show me the ropes like how to look under the china for markings. When I turned 12, I started thrifting with my allowance and have been treasure hunting ever since!

WHAT'S YOUR FAVORITE ITEM IS THIS SPACE AND WHERE DID IT COME FROM?

We already talked about my new cowhide art that I'm obsessed with! EVERYTHING in my home has a story. There is a grand hotel in San Diego called The Westgate Hotel, my grandmother helped supply some of the antiques there. When they renovated the rooms in the hotel, I purchased some furnishings. The main pieces in my office space, the two armoires and chinoiserie desk were acquired at that sale. I'm not sure if she specified them for the project but it has a cool connection to her. I've owned them for about 20 years now and have moved them from house to house.

WHAT INSPIRES YOU? I am inspired by vintage and surprisingly to a lot of people, I love French country. My first husband was French and we had a family holiday home in a tiny village near Cognac, France. It was gorgeous. I was always inspired by the way the homes in France were decorated and welcoming. They always seemed to have this easy breezy mix of high-low and old-new furnishings.

I've been reusing, repurposing and renewing items my entire life. I used to own a children's boutique called Posies where I updated and upcycled children's furnishings and decor.

Sometimes, I will find a new treasure that inspires me to completely update a space in my home. I suddenly have a super-natural amount of energy. Call it a romance but I love to be surrounded by objects that have provenance and purpose.

I LOVE this painting by Kelly O'Neal of Design Legacy! He sent it to me after I interviewed him on Instagram! He knew that I love Frida Kahlo and had recently painted her on Frida's birthday! I know I will cherish this one forever!