Visit At Daddy’s School

Todd’s been asking me to help him fix up his office at school ever since he started his new job last year.  Up to this point, his idea of decorating was hanging a dry erase board on the wall and putting a framed photograph of Grace on his desk. 

Interestingly enough, he asked me to make him some curtains, although he specifically asked me to NOT make them “girly.”  When I asked him what “non-girly” curtains looked like, he gave me a blank stare.  Of course, Grace chimed in and told him he should paint his walls pink like her bedroom, but he vetoed that pretty quickly.

I helped him brainstorm decorating ideas and we basically came up with a manly-fishing-hunting-golf-outdoorsy-nothing-girly theme.  Perfect.  Armed with that vision, Grace and I went to my favorite store, Hobby Lobby.  Our inspiration piece was Todd’s favorite picture in our home that we agreed belonged in his office…a large framed print of a man fly-fishing in the streams of the Smoky Mountains.  It’s very nice and reminds him of growing up in Tennessee.

For the curtains (I forgot…I’m supposed to use the term ‘window treatment’ to make it seem less girly), I found a beautiful plaid with browns and greens.  I also found a nice pine cone curtain rod to use after I sewed it into a valance.  Then I went to the frame section to find new mats for his diplomas in browns/greens.  Grace helped me pick out some fishing paraphernalia in the home decor section. 

At home, I went through the house and picked out a few things to re-use in his office including a lamp, leather box, wooden pen holder, decorative plant, and picture frame.  

Yesterday, we loaded everything in the car and drove to his school.  Grace entertained his co-workers while I hammered and hung and moved and re-organized his office.  When it was all done, he loved it!  I even got an offer to decorate another office!  By re-using items from our home and catching the 1/2 price sales at Hobby Lobby, I spent a grand total of $37.43. 

A word about the lighting…I can’t stand florescent lighting, and that’s all you find in most schools.  His office is obnoxiously bright.  But, thankfully, he has two light switches, so I suggested that he leave 1/2 of the lights off.  Now that he has a nice lamp on his desk, it gives his space a warm, welcoming feel.  Of course, he had to throw some jokes out there about the “mood” lighting, but I assured him it looked so much better.

Actually, softer lighting might help him in his job, too.  Since he’s an Asst. Principal, he deals with student discipline a lot.  Often, he has upset and emotional students and/or parents in his office.  Softer lighting will make for a more comfortable setting and facilitate a calmer atmosphere for those tense times. 

I would post a picture of the final results, but I’m a little paranoid about protecting his privacy.  All-in-all, it was a fun day.  We even went out to lunch with the other two principals, who I really like.  It was nice for me (and Grace) to visit the people and places that shape Daddy’s daytime world!