Winter Renovation: le bureau

I'm not sure if it is the winter cabin fever, or all of the design blogs I read daily, or my continuing obsession with redesigning my living spaces, but every year around this time I get the itch to decorate.

Last year it was my spare bedroom. And this year...
...it is my office, or "le bureau" as the French say.

Above and below are some photos that I snapped earlier this week to capture the "before." As you can see, the room is rather lackluster and disheveled. Sorta like a lady who went out of the house in her dress robe with bedhead...
What I want is shimmer and sparkle. I want the room to be elegant and feminine, but not too girly (no pink walls allowed!). I want it to glow in the morning, beckoning me warmly to work... (or at the very least, distract me from work because it is so pretty).
Since I'll be working on a Very Limited Budget, I will have to get innovative with my resources and ideas. There's no room in the wallet for crown molding or a new sofa or a fancy rug. Therefore I'll be making a lot of my updates by hand, and sharing my projects with you during the Saturdays this season.

From new art to new floor coverings to new window treatments and more, I'm eager to see how the room transforms from sloppy to sparkly gem.

Come back next Saturday to see details of my first renovation endeavor!