My Office/Craft Space In My Living Room
This post may contain affiliate links. If you purchase through links on my site, I may earn a commission at no cost to you. For more information, please see my disclosure policy.
I’ve arranged my office/craft space in my living room. I don’t have a second bedroom for an office or craft room.
Since my desk was next to the green cabinet holding the TV, I might as well go with the theme inside the green cabinet. It’s where I store craft supplies.
Color, Color Everywhere:
No one can say that there isn’t enough color in this space. There is color everywhere along this particular wall in my office/craft space.
I had my two Singer Featherweights in the closet and never saw them unless I was digging around for something. So I brought them out to gaze at and maybe even use them.
I bought them both when I lived in Texas. Quilters prize these little beauties—or at least they did when I was quilting.
They are durable workhorses. Someone who sells sewing machines told me these old ones will be around long after the newer ones bite the dust.
A Blast From The Past:
These old sewing machines are oldies but goodies. They don’t make them like this anymore. There isn’t a bit of plastic anywhere on these old sewing machines. And they are pretty heavy.
I purchased the black one at a sewing machine repair shop in Tyler, Texas. I ordered the white one on eBay. They cost about $350 each, I think. I love how they look in my office/craft space in my office/craft space in my living room.
A Special Painting:
Artist Nancy Medina created this painting for me some years ago. We met through the blogging world.
She knew I loved flowers and the color red, so she painted a red geranium painting for me. I cherish it.
Singer featherweights fit perfectly into a small house. Small spaces and small sewing machines go together.
The Unexpected:
As you can see, I hung a red frame on the wall, secured with nails. Then, I used push pins to tack up a photo I took some years ago. I photographed red flowers from my patio in a white pitcher from my white pitcher collection.
It’s just fun sometimes to do the unexpected when you’re decorating. When someone sees it for the first time, they might say: “Oh! I didn’t expect that!”
Shopping My Home:
I dug around until I found all this stuff you now see in my office/craft space.
The red-framed bulletin board was purchased from Etsy when I lived in Texas. It was a neutral color when I got it, so I painted it red.
The top photo is of Andrew on vacation. It’s one of my favorite photos of him.
And the photo at the bottom is of a male cardinal at a bird feeder on my patio. I like to use my own photos when possible.
The old red car in the middle is a postcard.
You can order and enlarge photos cheaply through Walgreens. Sometimes, I get small sizes, but I’ve framed bigger photos and used them in my decor.
Shifting Things Around:
This little red bowl (a Tuesday Morning find) was in the kitchen. I brought it in here and put old photos in it. You know how much I like to move things around and repurpose them.
Below the red bowl is my planner. It’s too pretty to tuck away in a drawer somewhere. If I remember, I will jot down appointments in it!
Here’s a pretty paperweight that I brought with me from Texas. Amazingly, I haven’t managed to break it!
I brought many things from Texas and also sold a lot, so when I got to Tulsa, I had a little money in my pocket.
A retired school teacher lived a few houses down. I sold her almost everything I was willing to part with. Sometimes, I regret that decision, but you do what you have to do to move forward.
Storing Ribbon & Lace:
This basket in my office/craft space contains wide ribbon that’s hard to fit in other containers.
There’s one beige lacy glove, because I can only find one of the pair. I must have lost the other one somewhere along the way.
I’ve tied up various leftover pieces of ribbon and tucked them in the front. Ivy keeps sneaking off with them when I’m not looking. I find them everywhere, untied and strung across the floor.
Prettier Than A TV:
I’d rather look at my sewing/craft supplies than a big TV. I don’t miss it, and I don’t need extra noise. There was never much I wanted to watch on TV anyway.
I’m big on organization. I keep colored and regular pencils in Mason jars, and envelopes in the old rectangular box.
I’ve had the round yellow, blue, and green ceramic containers for years. I use them now to house small office items like paper clips and push pins.
I’ve collected these red, blue, and green dresses over time. They’re very sweet, and they’re easy to hang on the wall as alternative art.
Embroidery Hoop Art:
I hung up the three red and white embroidery hoops I made years ago. They’re fun to hang in a small area on the wall, like in my office/craft space. Embroidery hoop art brightens up a small area.
Whimsical Pin Cushions:
Did you notice that I added my cute little pin cushions? They are so adorable and whimsical, they almost beg to be displayed in my office/craft space in my living room!
I bought several of them from an Etsy shop years ago. And one was a gift with the monogrammed first letter of my name: “B.”
Vintage Ephemera:
I love displaying vintage paper ephemera in my office/craft space in my living room.
When I had a printer, I’d print them off the Internet. Some sites let you do that. Have you heard of The Graphics Fairy? She has great vintage graphics.
Several of the vintage photos on the corkboard are actual photos I found somewhere. Probably an antique mall. I call them “flea market relatives.”
Mason Jar Storage & Organization:
I love to store things in Mason jars. I love being able to see what’s inside through the glass. And anything stored in a Mason jar is just prettier!
I’ve always thought it would be a fun job to go into someone’s home as a decorator and see what they already have. Check out stuff in their garage, basement, attic, or closets and decorate with what they already own.
They wouldn’t have to buy anything. I’d repurpose what they had and see what I could do with it—my dream job!
It would be an interesting challenge to see what you could devise from what you might find already in their home.
Don’t you love the concept of “shopping the house?”
Sorting Pencils:
I enjoy looking at my pencils, which are all gathered in jars. There is a method to my color-coded madness in this office/craft space.
All the pencils are sharp and ready to use, should I figure out how to draw something other than a squiggle.
I like looking at my old Featherweight sewing machines, too. I missed them. They’re a wonderful piece of history.
Not that I sew, but those old sewing machines are gorgeous. Love seeing how you rearranged your new space. I love shopping the house, too…I rearrange things all the time! I go down into my basement and see what goodies I can find that I have stashed away down there.
Hi Brenda,
I love everything that you did. Kudos to you for taking an ordinary little apartment and making it so warm, cozy and inviting. You have the touch for putting things together Those Featherweights are so sweet. At a recent fiber arts show I saw a booth selling them – quite pricey. I love the entire wall of “stuff”!
I thoroughly enjoyed sitting here tonight before going to bed looking at all your lovely things. Just amazing and simply charming. Nice job Brenda!
I am jealous of your Featherweights. They are just as you described. They are all metal and can be used for many projects.
Brenda your space looks fabulous! You have such a great eye for putting things together… I know gazing upon all these lovely treasures would be inspiring… the Featherweight sewing machines are still prized in the quilting community. In case you were wondering… the white one would bring anywhere from $400 to $700 in the current market like ebay or etsy. I hope you have many enjoyable hours playing with all the bits and bobs.
Your office/craft space is amazing. I have a very small living room and have a hard time deciding how to decorate it. Nothing I do seems to turn out looking right. Your decorating ideas are wonderful. I love your Farm house/Country look. Some day I will find the right look.
Love the pictures of Charlie and Ivy Lou. Charlie is so cute and sweet. Ivy seems to be always looking for something to get into.
I hope you are feeling better now.
Love reading your Blog everyday.
Marilynn and Hayley
Brenda, I could never get tired of looking at the things you use for decor in your home. It’s always just fascinating to me to see what others collect and form attachments to. Some of the things you like are ones that I like, too. Old photographs, Mason jars, flower art, pencils, paper of various kinds, odds and ends of fabric and lace and ribbon, vintage just about anything! I could go on and on. Anyway, post away, girl, I’ll have a ball looking!
And I think it would be SO much fun to have you come and “shop my house” and rearrange it all! I think we would just have a fabulous time! But, alas, it’s a long trip from you there in the West to Michigan! So, I guess I’ll just have to channel your spirit and try to do it on my own. I would send you pictures but I haven’t been able to get most of my photos onto my computer because I am so technology-challenged! That is one of my goals for 2019–to get my tech-savvy daughter to help me learn what I need to do.
Thanks for the fun post and love to you and the fur babies.
Brenda, you out did yourself on This project! It is my favorite
decorating of all???
Oh, how I wish you would come and visit me. I’ll get you a ticket
& have fun decorating.
You will have a bed. Bring the
little puppy Charlie & little miss
Ivy Lou.
I have never seen a featherweight sewing machine. I have an ancient portable Singer sewing machine in a domed wooden carrying case that I plan to display in my sewing room. I really like your very colorful arrangement of your supplies. It’s nice having things organized and within reach when working on projects.
Everything looks fabulous, delightful, beautiful, wonderful, etc. Can you tell I love it? 🙂
I love the way you decorate your small home. Mine is much too large. That sounds funny but it’s true. You need so MUCH stuff to have an impact. I don’t want any more stuff. Looking forward to downsizing. I’m not as talented as you but you give me great ideas!
Love all the colors and the sewing items. I had a friend with a cat and she swallowed a pin or needle and had to have expensive surgery; so be careful. Your pets are just precious.
I love the way you have arranged everything. Those sewing machines are beauties. The photos are precious. Thank You for sharing.
Marilyn
Quilters still highly treasure and use Featherweights. They are excellent work horses for classes, smaller and less complicated than a lot of today’s electronic/computerized sewing machines.
I love the blk featherweight Singer! It reminded me of the one my Mom had. I never liked to ask for things or for help and I finally did ask for it, it was too late. It was the sewing machine that I learned on.
The McCall’s pattern of the aprons that you have on your corkboard, my Mom made a bunch of those when she was young. She just gave a few of them to me. ?
I love the chicken pin cushion too! I have alot of chickens, roosters, cows, and pig crafts in my kitchen. If I get sick of them, then I just put them away for awhile. I’ll never get rid of them though.
I just love your new space Brenda! That will get your creative juices flowing even more now!
Brenda, I hope this cheerfully decorated area brings you a lot of satisfaction. Too often such work areas are tucked in a back room, but yours is in a place where you can enjoy working in it and then just enjoy looking at it when you are doing other things in the dining and living areas. I like seeing that geranium picture again — a real favorite of mine — and there are so many other delightful touches in different spots that are fun to seek out. You do have a way of arranging such things so that they don’t seem like clutter. Thank you for sharing this pleasant area with us.
You did a great job love everything much better than having the TV there .
I especially love the red .
I also decorate with things I already have and pick up others at thrift stores .The fun is in the hunt .
Hugs to your babies and you .
Hi Brenda,
I love how you surround yourself with things you love in your work space. Your office is full of color and charm. Love it. I love that I smile every time I go into my office area because it feels so great to be on the computer and blogging etc. in this space. I can see that for you too with your pretty space.
Kris
That Singer sewing machine brings back memories. I still have my mother’s machine in its original cabinet and just have it in a corner in my dining room. You better not let Miss Ivy Lou spot that lacy glove, I can just see her now tearing down the hall and you in hot pursuit. How is little Charlie today? I too love mason jars because I’m a “visual” person, I need to see what I have or I will forget that I own something and go and buy a replacement (that always makes me so mad when that happens!). I love your decorating style Brenda. Have a lovely evening with the Charlie and Ivy Lou.
Carol and Molly
xoxoxo
I absolutely LOVE the jar of unsharpened pencils!! Mine are stashed away in a drawer until I need one. Gorgeous pop of color and I might just steal the idea.
Wonderful post today!
This all looks so great what you did. Very inspiring. I hope you use the featherweights as they are gems to stitch with. I like to use a large bowl and put all my pincushions in it to view and admire their uniqueness.
My planner has lists of books I hear about or need to check out when I am off to the library or Barnes and Nobles. I like keeping them all listed versus on pieces of paper as I see them reviewed. Also a good place to jot down ideas I want to remember or they get forgotten. You have a very nice space to keep you quite inspired. Stack a few books and add a plant and it says Brenda all the way!!
Brenda, I love it! The pops of color are so cheery and I like the way you have styled and organized everything. Beautiful to look at! You’ve encouraged me to start changing some things around! Love and hugs!
I have my mother’s Featherweight that she bought in 1950 (my birth year), and it still works wonderfully! Love the new look! I would never have thought to display my Featherweight, but it looks great! You have such talent!
Looks so beautiful. I wish I had half the talent you do with the way you put things together! I’m a quilter and those Featherweights are still much loved!
Wow!!! Well done! I, too, shop the house, although I must admit I have a lot more things than I should. I’ve been downsizing and getting ready for another large yard sale in the spring. It’s lot of fun, make a little money and donate the unsold. Your color combinations and arrangements are just so pretty and so much fun. As Ivy Lou will testify to, I bet!!!!
I love seeing your home, you are such a talented decorator/designer. I wish you could come to my house and shop it with me! But seeing yours has given us all some ideas for implementing what we already have. I’ll be coming back and studying these photos again. Thank you!!
Nicely done. ?
Brenda this is so much better than a TV! I love the pops of color and all of your treasures! I am sure that it feels great to have them out so that you can see them!
Thank you for the inspiration.
Have a wonderful day!
Oh Brenda, I love it all. Just makes me want to come over and chat with you and take it all in. Love the old black sewing machine.
It looks amazing, Brenda, but of course I had no doubt it would! That geranium painting is amazing, I absolutely adore it. I’ve seen one on Wayfair I liked as well, but it’s not nearly as vibrant as yours is. What a special gift!
Love those sewing machines. I have not seen a white Featherweighte.
I have a black one, made in 1954, I need to get it put and display it with some sewing related items. Mine waa a gift from a friend.