Workspace Inspiration

Can I just say, YAY! We are done painting the living room (and I am very pleased with the color)! I apologize for these late-in-the-day posts, but now that the painting is over, I should be back on a normal schedule. So, what I would like to talk about today is the home office or workspace – do you have one? At the moment, my “home office” is a complete joke, because I am literally sitting at my desk squashed in the middle of the room surrounded by all of the living room furniture including the sofa! Not a pretty sight, let me tell you. So, perhaps that is what inspired me to go hunting for fun, creative images of fantabulous home offices and inspiring desk arrangements…

…like this, for instance! I really like how this studio/desk space from Canadian House & Home feels warm and inviting, yet not too cluttered. And with that cozy chair, lush textiles, and gigantic inspiration board - swoon!

Ah, but I am also really drawn to this more clean, neat space (also from Canadian House & Home) – I love all of the cute storage boxes, and the petite tulip table and sofa make me want to settle in with a cool art book and a cup of tea! Let’s look at a few more pictures, and then you can tell me which is your favorite, okay?

Domino Mag

Domino Mag

Canadian House & Home

Domino Mag

Hm, so what do you think so far? Anything striking your fancy? I love the chair and shiny filing cabinet in the last photo, but I do prefer to have something a little quirky or personal near my desk, so I would never want a desk that was quite so stark and bare. A unique lamp, a piece of art, a pretty cushion, or even a cool pencil cup can make a difference. And of course having sufficient places to store things is essential! I have a few more ideas to share, and then I would love to hear about what you would love your home office to look like…

1. Hang a row of patterned (use wallpaper scraps or wrapping paper to cover) clipboards to organize notices, cards, and small artwork; from Martha Stewart Living.
2. Paint a wide stripe of a color you love on the wall behind your desk, and use the area to arrange inspiration images (use something like sticky tack or double sided tape); from The Nest.
3. Use colored Plexiglas to divide two desks if you and your better half both work from home; from Blueprint Magazine.
4. Color-coordinate your office and stationary supplies, so it will look good sitting out on open shelves; from Country Home (this magazine is kaput, right? Their website is still up for now, though…)

I am going to have my desk area out in the open (in my living room), so it is especially important to me that I find a way to keep everything I need nearby and yet cute and clutter-free at the same time. At least they make so many cute desk accessories these days (like from See Jane Work, for example) that there is no reason to have an ugly/junky looking desk. And there are also tons of ways to jazz up plain-Jane Ikea organizers, just by using scraps of pretty papers, decorative tapes, handmade stamps, etc. And a pretty, organized workspace is just so much more inspiring, don’t you agree?

{images: linked to individual sources above}

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