Friday, October 29, 2010

A Room of One's Own (even if it's just a closet)...


I hate paperwork, mostly because I push papers everyday in my "real" job.  When I get home, I don't want to see anything that even remotely resembles it. 

I understand this is an ambitious request, but I'll settle for a well-organized way to at least hide it from my sight.  And it has to be pretty. 

So, I began by surveying all the rooms in my house, looking for a fun little space for myself to do the not-so-fun duties such as homework, paying bills, as well as a space to inspire me while I'm working on my creative endeavors.  My old red Ikea secretary desk just wasn't cutting it anymore. 

My search ended at the closet space in my guest bedroom.  For about $100, I was able to create a cozy office nook with just enough space for all the essentials.  When I'm not working, I can close the doors and pretend it doesn't exist.  Just what I need. 

The whole project only took a weekend, and was pretty easy even though I ran into a minor snag with the desktop (the closet walls were not built to square, so I had to make the width of one end slightly smaller).  All it took was a lovely 2x2, a 3/4" thick piece of scrap pine, paint, and a bit of imagination.  Did I mention that I also got to use power tools?  Bonus.

Here's where I started:


After clearing everything out and putting in the desktop:


The result:






I got this little wooden shelf at one of my favorite antique shops for $7.  With just a fresh coat of paint, it makes a great "reading rack" for my current magazines, books, and a handy place to keep my sketchbooks.



Close the door!

My skull paperclip holder, á la Damien Hirst (minus the diamonds). 

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