create a home office

Inspired by an article I have just read in March's edition of Country Living I have decided to redesign my Winter cozy office at home and introduce some Spring light and style to the area. As it's the area I seem to spend most of my time I think it's only right that although there is a need for practicality its also a need for it to feel comfortable, stylish & inviting. So my first thoughts were the position of the furniture in the room. As my office is in the small room off the kitchen, it has a lot light owing to the french doors that look out onto the garden. Perfectly positioned for losing myself in creative though during the day. So with this in mind I repositioned my desk, (the cream shabby chic desk). This desk has a fantastic amount of desk top surface area which I have customised with a piece of inexpensive glass that I got from our local glass merchants to protect the surface and stuck photo's & images that I find inspiring between the glass & desk to really personalise.

As I am limited to space in the area I have the weathered oak fold away chair with a lovely linen cushion on for extra comfort. Instead of the usual industrial looking filing drawers I have used the shabby chic small boy chest for all my paper work & propped a round diamond mirror, pail for my pens, a relaxing aromatherapy candle & glass lotion dispenser filled with my favourite hand cream on the top (got to keep a bit of girly glamour close to hand).

For keeping notes I have adopted two methods, one is that I have popped up a selection of different hooks, I have added a few of the single heart hooks, the cream triple hook & a rustic grey distressed triple hook. I use these to add info sheets & files to using dog clips. I also have a selection of hanging jam pots that I use for popping in a few staple office stationary accessories such as paper clips, string, pins etc. Secondly I have a selection of notice memo boards. I use the different designs as a system of office organisation (although I'm sure it doesn't look like organisation to anyone else). I have the fabric damask pin board for all things that need dealing with urgently, the fabric memo board for tickets, show information & suppliers details & the new picture magnetic notice board for my calender, stamps, bits of inspiration that I come across etc. I also have the pink postcard vintage inspired magnetic memo board for receipts......... It really is a post modern, vintage look that I find works well and looks inspirational & intriguing.

Finally I have added a cream french clock, to inspire good time keeping, a cream pillar lamp so that it really does create an ambiance of country chic and a rattan traditional basket on the floor as a paper bin to complete the look. Add my trusted radio and away I go.............