A BORING OFFICE GETS A MUCH

Caroline Forehand's home office is functional — but about as dull as you can get.

The walls are painted basic beige, and the floor is covered in a boring beige plush-style carpet. The office furniture provided by her company is dark mahogany.

The room lacks organization.

It even needs a trashcan.

"I’m not wedded to anything, but lighting is a big issue," she says.

"There's overhead lighting in every room but this one."

Caroline, her husband Steve and their five daughters, ages 6 to 16, moved to their new Gatling Pointe home in Smithfield almost two years ago. After boxes were unpacked and the girls had chosen their rooms, Caroline set up shop in the 11-foot-square space that was supposed to be a small formal living room.

She is director of marketing for the southeast region of AIMCO, Apartment Investment and Management Co., which has offices in Richmond and Raleigh, N.C.

She likes classic, clean lines and colors such as burgundy and olive green.

"I’m not a blue person," she says.

"And I’m really, really not into flowers."

The top shelf of her desk is filled with family photos. White sheers cover the 72-inch-wide windows. It's not unusual to see one or more of her kids heading through the room's double doors, looking for a few minutes of their mother's attention, but they have no place to sit.

"I want something that's not a dungeon since I’m in there all the time," she says.

Designers Teresa Robinson and Olevia Talbert listen intently, taking it all in while they measure the floor, walls and windows and make notes.

The interior designers scavenge the house for items that fit their plans for the home office. In the upstairs master bedroom, they find an odd chair they take to reupholster.

Steve, an engineer, follows the entourage, listening carefully. Ever since his wife nominated her office for the weekend makeover, he's been skeptical about her getting the look she wants.

On makeover weekend, the designers enlist their husbands, Monte Robinson and Steve Talbert, to custom build shelves around the windows. (At $200, the shelves are the biggest part of the project.) The shelves are made from birchwood and specialty trims. A window seat ties the shelving into a coordinated, custom-look piece — and gives the children a place to sit or lounge.

"We felt the house was very traditional, and we wanted to give it that custom look," says Olevia.

The beige walls are painted a terra cotta color called Clay Pot; the trim is done in a paint named Chantilly White.

What was a humdrum room suddenly takes on a whimsical, yet stylish look. A subdued red, green and cream print is fashioned into an Empire-style swag over the double windows. A playful-looking little monkey is depicted throughout the tropical print. The same fabric is used to make the window-seat cushion.

"We fell in love with the pattern, so we call the monkey Spanky," says Olevia.

"It's a British Colonial look with a little fun thrown in."

More tropical touches are repeated throughout the room along with more of the cute little monkeys. The chair from the master bedroom is covered in a small leopard print, and baskets in all shapes, sizes and weaves are used for storage.

Anita Brown, who swapped offices with Caroline for the weekend makeover, spends some of her time at the house making a floor lamp from scratch.

"You want me to do what?" she asks the designers when they first suggest she fashion the lampshade.

It takes her about 11/2 hours to finish the shade. It's crafted from four reed placemats wrapped around the wire of a wreath frame; green floral tape secures the mats to the frame. The hardest part is getting the twigs on the reed mats to line up with the wire. Instead of attaching each stick separately, Anita finds it's easier to attach several at a time.

"You sort of learn as you go on something like this," she says.

The base of the floor lamp is a terracotta plant stand and wooden block; the lamp's column is fashioned from a piece of bamboo inserted into holes that were drilled into the base.

Lighting is everywhere. Several small lamps sit on shelving around the windows; another is on the mahogany filing cabinet next to the desk.

Family photos are scattered throughout the room, especially on shelves around the windows. Each photo was copied, then Modge Podge was used to stick each to a wooden plaque.

"This doesn't look like the same place," Caroline says excitedly when she sees her redecorated office for the first time.

"This will make it nice for me to work in here."

Steve is equally impressed.

"Aw, it's awesome," he says, smiling.

– Kathy Van Mullekom can be reached 247-4781 or by e-mail at [email protected].

MEET THE DECORATORS

Teresa Robinson and Olevia Talbert own Innovative Design Source in York County.

* Robinson, 38, was a middle-school English teacher for 10 years. When she wanted to do something different, she turned to decorating, a pastime she loved.

* Talbert, 36, was in the design program at Virginia Tech for two years. Then for several years, she worked at Interiors, Inc,. She stopped working to have her two boys, then went back to work. She and Robinson started their business in April 2000.

* Contact them at 988-1596 or [email protected].

SHOPPING LIST

Here are the places where designers Teresa Robinson and Olevia Talbert found items for Caroline Forehand's office:

Bed, Bath & Beyond

* Orchid basket, $4.87

Calico Corners (Richmond)

* Fabric, $74.74

Costco

* Wooden organizer (2), $8.88

Dollar Tree

* Green ceramic elephant, $1

Joanne's Fabrics

* Foam for window seat, $7.54

Kirkland's

* Wooden balls (3), $2.94

* Tin for plant, $1.18

* Treasure box, $2.98

* Palm plate, $5.40

Linens * Things

* Basket sets (5), $37.48

Lowe's

* Wood and brackets for shelving, $203.12

* Paint (Chantilly White and Clay Pot colors by One and Only) $31.94

T.J. Maxx

* Big palm print, $15

* Mirrors (3), $30

* Ceramic trumpet monkey, $7.99

* Reading monkey, $5.99

* Trash basket, $5.99

* Money & elephant, $14.32

Michael's Arts & Crafts

* Grass for tin, $3.98

Portside

* Stick mats (4), $8.48

Shadetree Upholstery

* Fabric trim, $8.32

World Market

* Hanging money tea light, $6.99

* Round bowl, $7.99

Garage sales

* Bird cage, 25 cents

* Leaf plates, $5

* Set of frames (5), $1.38

* Wooden balls (also from Michael's, Lowes), $7.12

Other

* Table lamp bamboo (recycled parts), 0

* Hand-painted monkey pillow donated by Hayes Wall Art

* Window-treatment labor by Short Sew Special

TOTAL: $510.87

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