Small Changes, Happy Differences — Home Office Renovation

One of my favorite parts of being a copywriter is how much I learn from each client. Last year, I began working with a company in the interior design business. In just a few months, I had learned so much, and I couldn’t wait to implement what I learned at home.

That said, I am not a designer. I was scared of changing big things like carpet and furniture, only to end up not liking the result. (That happened with our flooring in the main living area. I still regret how dark it made the entire apartment.)

Well, right around the time Vini and I decided we would spruce up our home office, we published Evellyn’s the “Modern Woman of Proverbs” series here on The Girl Writes. When I promoted the “Entrepreneur” article from that series on Instagram, I asked the girls to tag their businesses in the comments.

Enter Sara Dazzi.

Sara left her interior design company’s Instagram handle (@dazzi_interiores) in the comments and reached out to me via DM. She said she’d been wanting to reach out for a while, offering to work with me to create a special space in my home for The Girl Writes.

It was perfect timing and a Godsend. I truly thought interior designers come into a space and tell you what to do with it. But Sara helped me understand what I actually wanted for our office. She helped me understand my references and how to use the Pinterest inspiration I had pinned. She studied my tastes to have a better idea of what I’d like, and she nailed it!

She presented three options, which Vini and I studied carefully. After some adaptations, she presented the final project. I couldn’t start fast enough!

Renovating takes time, but everything went faster and smoother because we had a clear vision of what we wanted and a project with the exact measurements and furniture sourced from stores near us. It actually made the entire project fun and enjoyable!

Vini wanted to scrape the awful old popcorn ceilings, and I couldn’t wait to get rid of the ancient carpet. He did the prep work, and I got the easy job: painting. I selected the paint with Sara’s guidance, and from there it was just brushwork. Ceilings, baseboard heaters, walls. It already looked like a different place.

Vini ripped up the carpet, and we selected a new one with Sara’s guidance again. Once the carpet and baseboards were installed, it felt like living in a new house!

The most beautiful part of our office, in my humble opinion, is the custom desk Vini built. It perfectly fits into our office and is full of custom nooks and hidden compartments for storage and function. It’s perfect.

One of the issues with the office layout we chose was that Sara and I wanted to create a background for when I participate in live events. Instead of having Vini’s desk in the background (like it was before) or having to move my office to the living room for a better-ish background, Sara wanted to create a space where I could easily turn on the camera and participate without a hassle and without compromise.

Vini built an insert into the table that serves as a computer support when I need it and allows me to comfortably switch to the wall background. He worked hard to get it finished in time for our live TGW Event, and I was so glad to participate in our own events with a decent background.

The office still isn’t finished. It’s missing the shelves, we need to hang the frame, we’d like to get matching chairs, and there are other details that will continue making a difference. But it’s such a brighter, happier place to work in! I spend most of my day in this space. It’s incredibly satisfying to work and live in a place that feels more “me” than if I had put it together myself.

I thought design would come in and dictate, but it actually came in and helped me learn more about who I am. It didn’t just transform my home; it helped me become more self-aware.

If you’re looking to renovate your home (whether small changes like we did or bigger projects) Sara is a pro at online consults. She’s incredibly efficient, timely, and dedicated to helping you find and realize your vision. I have zero qualms about recommending her to international friends, as we worked together completely online and in different countries. She did her research and found things that would be accessible to me. All I had to do was go to the store! You can contact her at @dazzi_interiores on Instagram or via email: saradazzidesign@gmail.com Mention that you read this article for a 10% discount on your project!