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Kristi Linauer’s office update shows a room taking shape around two handmade desks, each reported at about $35, with construction estimated at a day and painting at another day. The post is also an honest progress report: Linauer disliked her first paint shade, changed it to a darker one, and still had shelves, draperies, cabinets, a window treatment, a wall stencil and a white chandelier on her list. It is a useful look at how a painting decision fits into a larger do-it-yourself room project—not a finished-room reveal.
What the office sneak peek actually covers
In the post titled “A Sneak Peek Of My Office (Because I’m Not Just About Kitchens!),” Kristi Linauer widens the focus of Addicted 2 Decorating beyond the kitchen. She writes that she had been working on several projects around the condo, including the office desks, while kitchen and eating-area work was also occupying her attention. Her phrase “D.I.Y. A.D.D.” is an informal description of juggling projects, not a medical or clinical claim.
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Scan for outdated or missing drivers - takes under a minuteDriver Scan →Clear out junk files and repair common Windows errorsFree Scan →The indexed article displays two dates—January 15, 2010 and February 11, 2019. The available text does not explain whether one date represents a republication, an update or another site record, so neither date should be treated as a confirmed renovation timeline. The original page was unavailable when checked, but the indexed result attributes the piece to Addicted 2 Decorating and preserves its central details.
Most importantly for anyone interested in painting, this is an in-progress account. The desks were the completed work Linauer highlighted. The darker paint had replaced a shade she did not like, but several other room elements were still proposed rather than finished.
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The project at a glance
| Element | What Linauer reported | How certain the status is |
|---|---|---|
| Office desks | Two desks built by Linauer | Completed project described in the post |
| Cost | About $35 per desk, according to her estimate | Personal estimate; not independently verified |
| Construction time | About one day | Author’s estimate; the text does not specify whether this is per desk or for both |
| Painting time | Another day | Author’s estimate; scope is not further itemized |
| Paint color | The first shade was rejected and replaced with a darker shade | Change is reported; color names are not supplied |
| Long shelves | Planned from an extra hollow-core door | Plan, not a confirmed completion |
| Window coverings | White draperies planned from clearance fabric | Plan, not a confirmed completion |
| Storage | Built-in cabinets below the window were planned | Plan, not a confirmed completion |
| Window detail | A valance or cornice was being considered | Possible option, not a final decision |
| Wall treatment | A wall stencil was being considered | Possible option, not a final decision |
| Lighting | A gifted large crystal chandelier was planned for white paint | Planned treatment; no completed result is established |
Two desks for about $35 each
The most concrete accomplishment in the office is the pair of desks. Linauer says she built two and estimated the cost at about $35 apiece. That implies roughly $70 for the pair at her stated estimate, but it should not be read as a current materials budget or a universal cost. Prices, available materials and the meaning of “about” vary by place and date, and the post does not provide a bill of materials.
She also estimated about one day for construction and another day for painting. The wording does not establish whether each desk took that long or whether the two-desk project did. It also does not identify the construction method, dimensions, joinery, surface material or paint type. Those omissions matter: a reader cannot reproduce the design from the post alone, but can understand its scale as a relatively quick, low-cost custom project by the author’s account.
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For a painter, the useful takeaway is that the finish was treated as a separate phase rather than an afterthought. Linauer’s timeline places painting after construction, which is the practical sequence for most furniture work: assemble and stabilize the piece, then prepare and coat it. If you are adapting the idea, verify that the desk is rigid before spending time on finish work. A loose joint, uneven edge or unfilled fastener hole will remain visible beneath paint.
What the estimate does—and does not—tell you
- It gives a personal benchmark for Linauer’s two desks, not a guaranteed price for your materials.
- It does not reveal whether tools, leftover supplies or donated materials were included.
- It does not state whether the construction day included design, cutting, assembly or cleanup.
- It does not establish a per-desk labor time, so do not divide the reported day automatically.
- It does show that a custom workspace can be approached in small, staged tasks rather than as one all-at-once renovation.
The paint lesson: changing course when the shade is wrong
Linauer was dissatisfied with the first paint shade and returned to the paint store for a darker one. That small detail is the clearest painting lesson in the update: choosing a color is provisional until it is seen on the actual project and in the room’s light.
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The post does not name either shade, the finish, the brand or the lighting conditions, so no exact color match can be inferred. What is established is the decision process. She noticed that the original result did not meet her expectations, obtained a darker color and continued rather than accepting a finish she disliked.
A practical way to avoid a costly repaint
For a similar furniture or office-room project, treat color selection as a testable step. Paint sample areas on the same surface and primer system you will use for the final work, then view them at different times of day. A color can appear lighter beside dark furniture, more intense in direct daylight or duller under artificial light. Keep notes on which sample is where; otherwise it is easy to forget what you are comparing.
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Prepare the desk before the first coat
- Remove dust, grease and residue so the coating can bond to a clean surface.
- Repair visible dents, gaps or fastener holes with a compatible filler, then allow repairs to dry.
- Sand only as much as needed to smooth repairs and reduce surface gloss; remove sanding dust afterward.
- Protect the floor and nearby surfaces, and support removable parts so edges can be reached.
- Apply the appropriate primer when the surface, previous coating or repair material requires it.
- Use thin, even coats and respect the product’s stated drying time before recoating or handling.
Those are general furniture-painting practices, not undocumented steps attributed to Linauer. Her post supplies the outcome—a shade change—not a technical recipe.
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What was still planned for the room
The office was not presented as finished. Linauer listed several ideas that would have changed the room’s storage, light control and decorative character.
Long shelves from a hollow-core door
She planned long shelves made from an extra hollow-core door. The source does not state the door’s dimensions, how it would be cut, how the shelves would be supported or whether the idea was completed. Hollow-core construction can require careful support because the interior is not solid throughout. Anyone adapting the concept should design the brackets or cleats around the actual door structure and the intended load rather than assuming a solid wood shelf.
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White draperies from clearance fabric
White draperies made from clearance fabric were another planned element. No fabric amount, window size, lining, heading style or installation method is given. The idea connects the window treatment to the painting plan: a darker wall or furniture color can make white textiles read as a deliberate contrast, but the final balance depends on natural and artificial light in the room.
Built-in cabinets below the window
Linauer also planned cabinets beneath the window. This is a storage decision as much as a carpentry one. Before building around a window, measure the sill height, trim projection, outlet locations and any heating or ventilation equipment. The post does not confirm that these cabinets were built, so they should be understood as part of the intended next stage.
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Valance or cornice, and perhaps a stencil
A window valance or cornice was under consideration, along with the possibility of a wall stencil. Both are deliberately described as options rather than settled choices. That uncertainty is useful: a room can be allowed to function for a while before committing to a decorative treatment. A stencil especially benefits from testing scale and repeat on scrap material or an inconspicuous area before covering a wall.
A gifted crystal chandelier painted white
Linauer planned to paint a large crystal chandelier white. The post does not say that the work was completed, nor does it identify the coating system or how the crystals would be handled. Any chandelier repaint requires safe disconnection of power, careful masking or removal of components and a finish compatible with the fixture’s surfaces. Treat this as a reported plan, not a completed transformation.
How to stage an office refresh without losing control of the paint work
Linauer’s list shows why sequencing matters when several projects overlap. A practical order for a comparable room is:
- Record the room as it is. Photograph the walls, window, lighting and existing furniture before demolition or construction. Note what must remain accessible.
- Separate fixed work from movable work. Decide whether shelves, cabinets or window treatments affect wall access. Paint walls before installing items that would make cutting in difficult.
- Complete dusty construction first. Cutting, drilling and sanding can contaminate fresh paint. Finish those operations, vacuum thoroughly and let dust settle before coating.
- Test the color in context. Place samples near the window, desk and planned white elements. Review them in daylight and after dark.
- Paint large surfaces before detail work. Walls and broad desk components are easier to coat before hardware, trim pieces or decorative treatments are installed.
- Install shelves and cabinets only after the finish is ready. Allow the paint to dry and cure according to its product directions before loading storage.
- Finish textiles and lighting last. Draperies and a chandelier can conceal access points and collect dust during construction, so they belong near the end.
This order is a general planning framework. The original post does not document Linauer’s exact sequence beyond describing the desks, their painting and the other ideas she was considering.
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What readers can reasonably recreate
The most reproducible part of the update is the principle rather than a measured plan: build a pair of desks to suit the room, budget roughly according to your own materials, and allow separate time for construction and painting. Because no drawings, dimensions or parts list are supplied, copying the appearance exactly would require information outside this post.
If you prefer not to build, a ready-made desk is a valid alternative to the reported DIY route. The post does not name or test a commercial model, and it provides no specifications for dimensions, storage, assembly or current price. Choose one based on the space you measured, the equipment you need to support and whether its existing finish can be repainted safely; those are decisions the source leaves open.
Why the unfinished status is part of the story
The office sneak peek is valuable precisely because it captures decisions in motion. Two desks were done, but the room still had possible shelves, cabinets, draperies, a window treatment, a stencil and a repainted chandelier ahead. The darker paint was not the result of a perfectly predicted first choice; it came from recognizing that the first shade failed and correcting it.
For readers planning their own office, that is a more useful model than a staged reveal. Set a clear scope for the current phase, leave room to revise color after seeing it in place, and label future ideas as future ideas. A room can be functional while its decorative layers are still evolving.
Source and dating note
The account is attributed to Addicted 2 Decorating under the title “A Sneak Peek Of My Office (Because I’m Not Just About Kitchens!).” The indexed result displays January 15, 2010 and February 11, 2019; the available text does not clarify the relationship between those dates. Read the desk costs, timing and planned features as Linauer’s own report, not as independently verified measurements or a current price guide.
Read the original office sneak peek on Addicted 2 Decorating.
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