If you’d like to catch a glimpse into something that makes me deeply happy- scroll through the following:
If you are curious about any of these beautiful images above, click over to my pinterest account where you can find these pins and more from my Mommy’s Desk Hideout board.
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Nothing makes me smile quite a perfectly styled desk. Clean spaces, inspiring objects, moleskin journals, Apple computers, pretty shelves. I can’t decide if a desk nook or an organized craft room are higher on my figure-out-how-to-do-it list. While the craft room (which was originally a playroom- yeah, I stole it from my kids, talk about Mom guilt) would be so much more functional and useful if it was cleaned out, reorganized, and arranged to be a really nice work room, I can’t escape the need for a little {tiny} desk space that’s all my own. A spot where I can write, read, blog, pay bills- whatever I need to do by. my. self.
One could argue that I could do those things in the craft room. I have a beautiful desk in there that could be used for just that purpose. But I really consider it my sewing table and it houses my two machines, cutting matts, fabric etc. etc. Plus, the craft room is the one and only path through our house into the garage. It inescapably becomes a dumping ground for any and everything no matter how hard I try to keep it clean or tidy it up. There are those inevitable times that we come in from the car, with arm fulls of stuff that just get dropped and left right in the middle of that room. Dropped and left right in the middle of the sewing table, the window bench, the desk nook in there, on top of the dog crate in there… It’s constant shifting chaos and definitely not a clean, quiet, work space. I could lie to everyone (including myself), take an oath to keep it beautifully clean and functional, but that’s just not me and I know that at least for now- that’s not ever going to consistently happen.
Enter this lovely little landing at the top of our stairs.
It often houses it’s own collection of items, usually en route to the attic right above. Lately, it’s been home to our beloved handed-down-from-my-Mom glider that used to be in my girls’ nursery. As much as it pains me to say it, I really don’t need to rock anyone anymore. I think I’m ready to let go and tuck it away in the attic until the baby bug hits again and there’s a new little nursling to claim it. I’m finding more ways to be creative in the little spaces of our home and I’m excited to attempt a quickie makeover for MYSELF. I’m operating in a 27″ wide space on an even smaller $0.00 budget so this whole idea will have to be fairly crafty. Ok, so maybe not ZERO dollars, but as close to the big 0 as I can get.
Take a look at some of my glorious inspiration:
The meat of this project will be (would be?) the desk pictured above. It’s an HGTV creation made from a slab of plywood and two stair banister posts. I’d make this a full on table, though, and give it four legs. Less holes in the wall, less honey-can-you-please-help-me-with-another-project-pestering that maybe kinda possibly starts to bother my overworked honey after awhile… ha! Considering enlisting the help of my Dad to build it (how hard could it be?) and bring it out here for me to paint.
Next up are those adorable right anchor shelves. Mine would be anchored on the left but you get the idea. Fairly certain I could snag something similar from IKEA for a reasonable amount of money. They could be adorned with pretty CD binders to contain client photo files, or just house my special DIY/Art/Photo books that currently don’t have an appropriately pretty home. Plus, this would be the perfect place for me to display MY treasures in MY space without fear of little hands grabbing, borrowing, stealing, claiming. Remember those times when you actually owned your own stuff?
Pretty light, right? Unfortunately it costs a pretty penny too- ringing up at a whopping $400 or something like that. Thanks Apartment Therapy. Don’t small spaces generally equal small budgets too? Ok, so maybe not always. But I’d appreciate a few more beautiful treasures that won’t cost me my left ovary. I’m not worried. I bet I can find something similar. I think I’m set on a real “desk” lamp though with the bendy arm and all so I can move the light when I need to. Tre importante.
I love the texture of this chair (another IKEA fav) and think it would look great against a bright or white desk. I can’t decide if I want to go bright and BOLD for the desk (it would be the same phenomenal shade of teal that our picnic table is since we have leftover paint from that project last summer), or super glossy white. Either way. It totally works.
Succulents and cacti have been calling my name this season. Probably because they are laid out so beautifully right at the entrance of Whole Foods. I have to walk by each darling little plant every. single. time. I pop in there en route to the Goat Milk. I love the idea of hanging a cute little plant like this on the wall instead of allowing it precious desktop space. I only have 27″ after all. With Brandon’s help (I’m coming to terms with the realization that I actually can’t do anything without Brandon’s help ha…), I could probably re-create this rather pricey deco option by attaching any glass bowl/vase/planter to some sort of metal hook on the wall.
And ultimately, someday, this beautiful piece of electronic mastery will sit atop my desk- ready for photo files galore and all the editing power I can possibly imagine. But for now, Little Mommy Desk will house little mommy ipad which will do just fine.
Sometime in the NEAR future I will repost with an update of this space. I am determined to whip it into shape and excited to see it happen.
-J
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