presenting...my polka-squared workspace!

i am ECSTATIC with how my bright yellow polka-squared dining-room-turned-workspace turned out!! 

this is what it looked like on the day we closed:

there was absolutely nothing wrong with it...but the walls were dirty and scuffed -- they definitely needed freshening up. however, we couldn't find the color the previous owners used in the paint collection in the basement.

sooo...i started researching wallpaper. i found one i adored...

but sadly, couldn't afford. 

farrow&ball polka square {bp 1063}

i decided to try to replicate the simple pattern using paint and a stencil.

yellow paint.

bright-a$$ yellow paint.

i admit i was initially scared.

three coats later...i knew i liked it, but i was still nervous.

then, i started polka-squaring.

i started to feel a bit overwhelmed at this point...

...but i proceeded little by little, ten minutes here and there...

this took WEEKS, people.

but i'm sooo in love with the end result:

these walls perfectly capture what i want our whole house to be:

sophisticated...but also fun and whimsical.

here's the washi-taped switchplate with the polka squares:

it might be overkill, but i still love it.
(( psst! see how to fancy up your own switchplates here! ))

my actual workspace:

i'm not this neat. i pushed all the desk clutter out of the camera's view.

i can say without hesitation: i love my polka-squared walls. 

...and fish loves that i spent less than $100 for them.

i am slightly befuddled how to proceed from here though. i'd love a new (well, new to me, via craigslist) desk...however i'm not sure what style to look for. i think everything else in the room must be kept simple...but my desk now is extremely simple and i don't think it works at all. i debated painting it...maybe white? black? navy?

i'm set on the ripple ivory leather office chair from crate & barrel:

...just waiting on a 90% off coupon to come out...

ALTHOUGH.

will it look dirty-white next to my white-white moulding?

argh.

* mari