Woman ‘Fed Up’ with Working in Her Bedroom Makes Controversial Choice to Convert Foyer into Office Space for $7K (Exclusive)

Sarah Daugherty never expected the unused space above her foyer to solve one of the biggest frustrations inside her home.

After Daugherty began working remotely in 2019 following the birth of her first child, she tells PEOPLE the balance between work and family life quickly became more complicated. 

By the time her second child arrived a year later, the extra room she once used as an office was gone, forcing her to work out of her bedroom while her husband used the remaining spare room for his own remote job. Eventually, Daugherty says the cramped setup led her to rethink the space her family already had rather than take on the cost of a major home addition. 

Everything clicked when, one day, she walked in her front door and looked up at the high ceilings above the foyer.

“What if I turned it into a loft?” she remembers thinking. “Once my brain has a solution and I figure out how I will pay for it, there is no stopping me!”

Daugherty’s bright idea came after years of frustration trying to separate work from home life. 

“I finally got so fed up with not only working and sleeping in the same room every day, but taking up so much space in my bedroom,” she explains, adding that once she committed to the idea, the process moved fairly quickly. 

The family began working with a contractor in March 2024, submitted permits by June, and officially began construction in early July, before wrapping up about a month later.

For Daugherty, the biggest factor was cost. Rather than pursuing a full-scale addition, she focused on making better use of the square footage her family already had. 

“A full home addition that adds an additional office space could be upwards of $100,000,” she says.

In contrast, converting the foyer cost around $7,000, which she says “was much more manageable for a young family, and a huge difference for the same ultimate goal of getting a dedicated workspace.”

The renovation itself, however, came with plenty of disruption. With both Daugherty and her husband working remotely, construction noise filled the 2,000-square-foot house for weeks. 

Because the loft was built directly above the entryway, the family had to weave through plastic barriers, laddersand workers to move through the home. 

The project also required shrinking the large front window to accommodate the loft floor, a decision that later sparked debate online, as some users were shocked by her choice to make the space seem more “cramped.”

Still, once the space was complete, the impact was immediate. 

“Having a dedicated workspace has vastly improved my working life,” Daugherty reveals. “I feel much more comfortable and confident working and participating in on-camera meetings when not having to worry about people seeing where I sleep!” 

The loft has also become more than just an office. A daybed transformed it into a guest space for visiting family members, while the window view quickly turned it into a favorite hangout spot for her children and cats alike.

Online reactions to the renovation were split, especially over the altered window and the removal of the original chandelier, but Daugherty says she never regretted prioritizing function over aesthetics. 

“Choosing between a dedicated workspace over natural light only in one part of the house was a no-brainer for me,” she emphasizes.

While the internet had plenty to say, she found most of the backlash entertaining, not upsetting. 

“If people don’t like it, that’s fine, certainly my tastes are not for everyone,” Daugherty shares. “It seemed half of the comments loved what I did, and the other half absolutely hated it! I think seeing the intense back and forth made me laugh more than anything.”

Never miss a story — sign up for PEOPLE’s free daily newsletter to stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer​​, from celebrity news to compelling human interest stories.

Looking back now, she says the experience ultimately reinforced one thing: homeowners should build spaces that work for their own lives, not for strangers online. 

“Do what makes sense for you and your family!” Daugherty tells PEOPLE. “There will always be someone who wouldn’t do something the same way, or might not like it. Just as many people will, and either way, it doesn’t matter as long as you are happy with it and it is done safely.”