Everett King Waldrep turns a dusty garage into a dream office
Lindsay Neidringhaus wanted a creative space to work at home, but the only available spot was dark, dusty, and brimming with boxes, bikes, and toys—a typical family garage.
She had a vision, though, and she knew just the person to see it through: interior designer Everett King Waldrep.
“Lindsay knew she had an opportunity to create something special,” Waldrep says, “and she let me bring the space to life, keeping in mind her love of color and excitement and brightness. It was a joyous project and so unique.”
Neidringhaus is the chief marketing officer and owner of TealHaus Strategies, a marketing firm, and she wanted a bright, art-filled space to retreat for solo work or to host her team on occasion. But solitude is a challenge—the overhaul was so successful that her kids love to sneak in as often as possible to “help Mommy work.”
For solo creativity, family fun, or team brainstorming sessions, Neidringhaus is thrilled with the results, and loves that she can put the garage door up for a truly open feel, weather permitting.
“My office is by far my favorite place in my home,” Neidringhaus says. “Every inch of the space is full of color, life, and energy . . . Everett did an amazing job of knowing my spirit and creating a space that would uplift it daily.”
We asked Waldrep to shed some light on a few of the room’s key features.
- “We wanted a more neutral table, and went with chairs from World Market. I first saw this velvet chair in hunter green, and went to check out the additional colors. They had five or six, so I just picked.”
- The table, from an outlet in Asheville, is brushed gold with a marble top.
- The clear Lucite desk stays in the background, letting the art and color take center stage.
- “Right as we were wrapping up, I spotted these two pieces by Sunny Malarkey. I just went ahead and hung them, and [Neidringhaus] fell in love.”
- The walls are Benjamin Moore Aegean Teal, apt for the owner of a company named TealHaus. “She was a little nervous about it, since most people were going with white walls, but we decided to go with it. It reads blues or greens at different times of day.”
- The built-ins are Hale Navy by Benjamin Moore. Neidringhaus felt a connection with this piece by the artist Lesley Grainger. “She said, ‘I have to have it.’ It’s called “Finding Balance,” so that’s a title that reflects the stages of life we are in.”
- The curtains are by artist Bethany Mabee. “It was another way for us to bring art into the design while we were running low on wall space.”
- The light fixture is by CB2. “Don’t be scared to get the funky chandelier. At the end of the day, what’s the worst that can happen? On the flip side, you won’t have the same thing as everyone else.”
- The garage door: “We were at Double Stamp Brewery, and they have a retractable door. We thought, wouldn’t it be fun to open and close the garage door, but it’s prettier? Lindsay went and stood on her chair to see the manufacturer’s name, and were able to find this guy in Charlotte who came in and did the door.”
- “We made sure there was a bar area and fridge so there is space for entertaining.”
- What happened to all of the former garage contents? “She threw out half of that, and then we repurposed some empty space inside.”
