Last week, I gave a mini tutorial on the FREE desk I rescued for my “office”.
Isn’t it purdy??
My trash-to-treasure adventure was a success and I love my desk! I blogged about it, and thought I was finished…
However, I was inspired to show you the rest of these pictures after receiving so many emails regarding your own home offices.
Several of you mentioned that you can’t devote an entire room to your office and would like some tips for creating a home office in a less-than-desirable location.
Well, you are in luck — I have JUST the home to show you…
My own!
OK, so here’s my little desk and “office” one more time…
…but, if you take a little wider angle, you can see that I really don’t have a traditional office…just a nook between our entryway and our den.
And did I mention that our den is right off our dinning area and kitchen??
Yup, that’s my “office” — and it works wonderfully for me!
Believe it or not, we actually DO have an extra bedroom that I could use as my office, but I choose not to. I LOVE my “out in the open” office.
WHY? For two simple reasons:
- I’m always in all the action — I can work in the kitchen, watch TV, fold laundry, and sit in the warm sun — all while working away at my desk. {I’m a multi-tasking addict!}
- I’m forced to be neat and organized — I can’t ever shut the door so I always keep my office area neat and tidy.
What about you?
Is your perfect office location already in your home?
1. Can you “steal” part of a room…or an unused room {like your formal dining room} and make it into your office?
— See how Emily a.k.a. Decorchick turned her dinning room into a gorgeous “Mom Cave”
Photo Credit: Decorchick
2. Do you have an unused closet you can turn into your office hub?
— Check out this “mini closet office” over at YoungHouseLove
Photo Credit: Young House Love
3. If you have a laptop, could you create an office nook in your kitchen or living room?
— I love how Melissa from The Inspired Room simply uses a comfy living room chair as her “office”!
Photo Credit: The Inspired Room
4. Could you create an office inside an armoire?
— Here’s a pretty amoire make-over by The Nester {she’s using it for her TV… but you get the idea}
Photo Credit: The Nester
5. Or just do what I do — and plop a desk right in the middle of your entryway!
I’m convinced that you really CAN have an office anywhere in your home!
Where is your “office”? What works for you?
TANYA says
oh girl- i need help! i have a very small desk that is a cluttered mess that everytime i use, it drives me insane! i can not replace it right and needs some ideas! my pc is on the top long with my phone, 2 internet modems, speakers, mouse and keyboard! to the left is a small cabinet i use for the tower and printer to sit on! You would horrified if i was to send a pic! i cant not work on this thing because it is narrow and wont allow me space to use keyboard and have anything up there also! HELP!!!!!!!!!! THANKS@
Andrea says
Hey Tanya, If you’d like to set up a “pick my brain” coaching session, we can definitely arrange that some time soon. You can send me some pictures of your desk and what your biggest issues are and I can give you specific ideas and solutions for your space.
Let me know if you’re interested.
Thanks!
Ria M. Said says
Hi Andrea! This is my so-called office 🙂
Your space is to die for! Hey, come over and link up HERE and share your space with my readers.
xoxo,
Ria
jessica says
just curious what you do for a printer and do you file any bills or other things? Love your style so much!
Andrea says
Thanks Jessica!
My husband actually has an office in one of our extra bedrooms, so the filing cabinet is in that closet. And we have an HP wireless printer which means I can print from anywhere in the house. It’s really nice.
Also, the desk drawers are deceiving because the bottom 2 drawers are actually just one very deep drawer with metal rods for hanging files! It is an awesome desk. I’m so lucky to have snagged it for free!!
Tina Portis says
So simple! I used to have my desk in an area between my kitchen and living room against the wall, yet it became too cluttered with mail. After seeing your pics I just may try it again. Right now my desk is in the bedroom and I don’t like it there (hubby moved it there.)
Kathy H says
It looks very nice and tidy. I envy you for having such a tidy home. 🙂
Can you tell me what your wall covering is? It looks like painted paneling and I really like the look. I’ve been looking into painting our living room paneling but am scared because of the lines and cracks where the paneling meets. It looks very nice.
Andrea says
Thanks Kathy,
…and yes, our den was ALL very ugly, very dark wood paneling that we painted a light beige color! It looks like a completely new room now that we painted it.
And if you are worried about the “seems” between each piece of paneling, just use a little painter’s caulk!
Kathy says
I know exactly what that dark walnut paneling looks like. 😀 It was in my spare bedroom that we converted to a nursery. I did paint the walls in that room and was pleasantly surprised. It’s amazing how much it brightened up a small dark room. My living room is a much bigger space, so I am a little more hesitant.
Did you sand the walls or use a primer first?
Andrea says
No, we did not sand the walls first, but ours were very smooth. We did wipe them down with denatured alcohol…and used oil-base primer.
After we primed, it only took 2 quick coats of paint. I guarantee it will be worth it!!
Just use it as your January project after the holidays!!
'Becca says
I have an L-shaped computer desk with room on the ends for my stacking bins and for spreading out some papers.
Our dining room is 15 feet square–huge!–so there’s lots of space around the dining table in the middle. In one corner of the dining room is a small closet only 11 inches deep, with a cheap replacement door that’s nothing special to look at.
I put my desk with one leg of the L against the side wall of the dining room and the outer corner of the L at the center of that wall. I put a bookcase with its back against the other leg of the L, and then I put another bookcase with its back against the wall so that the two bookcases form an L. The L-shaped desk and L of bookcases create two nooks (about 4 feet deep) at the side of the room. My office has its own space while still being part of the room.
That small closet is behind me when I sit at my desk. I bought some shelving units that stack on the floor of the closet, and I put some of my files and supplies in there. I put a nail into the outside of the closet door to hang my calendar, and I tape up my to-do list next to it. I use the inside of the closet door like a bulletin board where I can tape up important papers.
Andrea says
Wow Becca,
Sounds like you got really creative with your office space.
Great job turning the unused space in your dinning room into an organized office space!
Suzanne says
I’m trying to figure out how to make something in my kitchen/dining area, and my desk has suddenly become a corner on the kitchen counter. I love doing projects, but don’t have a place to spread out or leave something. Creativity and thinking really do work wonders! Love your space!
Jeni says
I would love to have an office of my own! I have an ugly old desk in storage that I want to fix up – I’m thinking a nice, bright coat of paint and some pretty, girly drawer pulls will go a long way towards making it appealing. Then I might be able to get myself organized!
Andrea says
Jeni…paint goes a LONG way towards making a piece of furniture look new again. Believe me, I’ve painted just about anything you can paint!!
Sara says
My desk is in the bedroom not ideal but the only safe place in the house. I find the dinning room table becomes my workspace more than often and my teenager uses my too
for revision x