My Office/Sewing/Craft Room
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It seems like months that I’ve been working on my office/sewing/craft room. I could only do a little bit at a time. And then wait for someone strong to come over to move furniture for me.
Maria and her husband helped quite a bit in exchange for the other desk and chair.
I purchased a set of two lamps from Amazon and put them together. (Why do we have to put lamps together these days?)
Below is one corner of the room.
I like this setup with a desk on each side of the tall shelf. It seems to be more me for some reason, with the bolder colors and the comfy dining room chairs.
Having A Two Desk Office:
My daughters got one of the desks for my birthday in February. Then I decided to get another one. I had almost $20 in rewards points to use which brought the price down.
I wanted one desk to be used for a laptop and printer and office stuff, etc. And I wanted the other one to hold the sewing machine and other sewing items.
Craft supplies are stored here in the bookcase as well as in shelves in the closet.
The beige bookcase is one I had at the old apartment, and its been in here from the get-go after I moved.
It’s not a great bookcase. Even though I paid over $200 for it, it started to fall apart even before it was put together. I gingerly put things on the bookshelves!
I am storing fabric in the wooden box on the bookshelves. Beads are in the jars. And as you can see, button cards are in the red ramekin from the kitchen.
Do you recall my little niche office I created at the old apartment? I loved that spot!
What I Did With Images From Old Magazines:
Remember how we all used to have a binder and we pasted pretty pictures from magazines in them? Well, this is my new version of that I suppose.
I cut images out of magazines of things that appeal to me and put them on bulletin boards.
The images from the magazine are of course thin. So I glued them to thick card stock, then cut out around the image attached to the card stock.
That way it’s strong enough to pin up on the bulletin boards.
Ivy helped of course. Which means she dug and pawed around in my boxes on the table while I worked.
Ivy Staring Out The Window:
Here is Ivy staring out the window.
My Ten Dollar Table:
This yellow table that you’ve seen many times has been with me for around 10 years now. The table was only $10 at a garage sale.
It’s been my dining table and it’s been an end table and it’s very sturdy. Unlike so many pieces of furniture we buy today.
My Old Vintage Cart:
My old vintage cart is holding house plants on top and craft supplies down below. I painted it green years ago.
It has really been handy over the years and I’ve rolled it from room to room. It is between the two closet doors now.
The Artwork I Used:
Here you can see some of the artwork I used on the walls. I already had all the wall decor I used.
Two Bulletin Boards For Two Desks:
You may have noticed that there’s a bulletin board above each desk.
That original bulletin board is what I designed my whole office around last year. I loved its curves and the distressed look.
Just after I had ankle surgery the jute holding the bulletin board broke and it fell to the floor. It was during the night and scared both me and Ivy half to death.
So it sat on the floor until I was able to attach something else to hang it with. I put many layers of jute together and hopefully it won’t fall again.
The New Bulletin Board I Ordered:
So then I ordered the other bulletin board from Amazon. I looked and compared for weeks before I chose one.
I’d planned on buying a simple bulletin board and embellishing it myself. But the price for me to do that would have exceeded what I paid for this one.
Here it is at Amazon. It’s around $55 now and I think I paid just over $50. You know how prices change all the time there.
It’s much prettier than anything I could have come up with.
I fell in love with it the minute I saw it, but still shopped around a while before I ordered it.
The Red Storage Cart:
This red cart is new as well. I can just roll this cart over to the table when necessary.
When not in use it is behind the closet door that goes into the guest bathroom. That door is never opened, so it’s a good spot for it.
The Floor Task Lamp:
When I worked on the paper project last week I found that it was a bit hard to see things closely as the afternoon wore on.
So I ordered this floor task lamp and it is perfect. It even has a remote. You can see it in the photo above of Ivy on the yellow table.
Here it is at Amazon.
It was delivered Saturday and was quite easy to put together. The battery came with it for the remote.
I really wanted the white task lamp. But it was $10 more and didn’t have a coupon like this one did.
So yes, the black is more glaring than the white one would be. But I just couldn’t make myself rationalize the extra price.
The big open space is easy to navigate with my walker. Hopefully soon I won’t have to use it. But even if I do, this set up works wonderfully.
What The New Look Cost:
So let’s look at what I spent on this newly decorated room:
- Desk – My price was around $100 with the reward points and the coupon
- Bulletin board – $56
- Two lamps – $100 with a $10 coupon, so $90
- Red rolling cart – $30
- Task lamp – $39.99 plus a coupon for 20% off
Not bad for an entirely different look! Having to only purchase one piece of furniture (the second desk) really helped keep the cost down. And I just really love these desks. Amazon has many colors of them to choose from.
When the girls asked what I wanted for my birthday in February, I said the desk. Then I ordered a second one.
They are quite sturdy. Thick tops and heavy duty steel legs. Each desk can hold up to 900 pounds. I doubt that will ever happen!
My old office was pretty and feminine, but not as user-friendly. This new one is much more functional and easy to get around in.
So what do you think?
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I love your functional and pretty space, Brenda! Just like the rest of your apartment, it’s cozy, warm, and attractive!
You are such a talented designer! I love what you did and it seems like it will be so serviceable. Enjoy. Enjoy.
Very cute and I love that little yellow table. It has so much charm! I do wonder however, if I’m the only one in the world that requires a drawer for billing and cash receipts for insurance, medical, purchases this year, staplers, scissors, pencils, clips, calculator, etc? Every office I see has none of that and no desk with drawers. I even have two file cabinets, which I probably could get by with one, but where’s the bills, taxes, warranty, bank account info, vehicle, insurance stuff housed?
Beautiful! I love all the red. That’s my favorite part, but the double desk area is genius. I would adore a space like that in my home for my computer work and my crafty pursuits. Form and function in perfect harmony…enjoy it!
Replying late because all the ads come through but no pics..finally they came through…it is a beautiful space…love how you use things from the other parts of your house …the art is beautiful too…and the plants and of course Ivy…enjoy it all…💕
I really value the fact that you took the time to share the information with others. I had been doing research on a certain subject for quite some time when I came across this topic, and I realized that it was really relevant to that subject.
Your new craft room looks great, Brenda! Warm, charming, functional and oh so wonderfully organized! Hope you and Ivy enjoy it to the fullest.
I’m always impressed with how neat and tidy your home is! I’ve always wanted to be a better housekeeper than I am. I think I was just born lazy.
What a fantastic set-up! I would’ve never thought to put identical work tables/desk by each other to have two work stations. Great idea. I have a desk task lamp, not a floor one.
I absolutely love that yellow table, especially in front of the window. And paired with the red chairs – so charming.
Love it Brenda! I love the two desks with the shelf in between! And a wish/idea board above each desk is great. I also loved the idea of putting your magazine picture on some cardstock, so is easier to hang and put a pin in. Duh… now why didn’t I think of that??? 🙂 The sweet yellow table is perfect there, with the red rolling cart. I’m so tempted to get one of those carts, but really have nowhere to push it out of the way, as my closets are all full! It would be so handy. Looking forward to seeing some sewing projects! AND paper projects! Also I enjoy your floral canvas art.. so pretty on both walls. I can see what a fun and relaxing place it is now for you to spend hours creating! Marilyn
Oh my stars! This is fabulous!
And I adore the red cart so much I linked over to Amazon and ordered one.
Thank you so much for your blog. I have enjoyed it for many, many years.
Oh Brenda – it’s wonderful and beautiful. I love the black tables with the bookshelf between them. Designated spots near each other. I’ve loved your bulletin board since you first purchased it.
My favorite thing in the entire room is the yellow table in front of the window. A perfect spot to either work on or prep a project to work on. I’d thoroughly enjoy that spot!
What do I think? I’m crazy about it and would love to come play! LOL
Your decorating is awesome. The black lamp was a smart choice for a couple of reasons. I think your room needs more black. I have two closets that are side by side. I needed more storage so I had shelves made for each side. One is for cookbooks; the other is for my off season decorations. There is space on the floor of each side for suitcases or tall things.
I keep getting knocked off your blog.
The room looks great! I think the black floor lamp fits in just fine, because you have other black accents in the room as well (picture frames, for instance). Accent colors (like the black and the touches of red) add some spice to the room which is otherwise very neutral. I love the floral prints you’ve got on the walls beside each of the desks, and that the desks and the (dining) chairs match.
I think it is great and Ivy seems to give the room her stamp of approval. That sewing machine will come in handy for lots of projects which I can’t wait to see. Wish I had a sewing machine..Enjoy your day!
Ooh–love the new craft/sewing room! A fun place to play and create. The reveal was a fun thing to see today as my Monday is in full swing. I am inspired to do some organizing 🙂
The room is just wonderful. I think I like it more now not so feminine but a room that is dedicated to
crafting with love.
Your work areas are so inviting! You get more done when you can just glide into a space that’s got everything handy, well lit, and comfortable. I love your red cart, preloaded with accessible goodies for sewing or crafting. I’m forever bopping back up to grab scissors or a hole puncher. Annoying and counter productive! I hope you’ll soon be making some nice things to show us from your fabric stash.
Thank you for the explanation about ad income in yesterday’s post. I’ve learned that a return visit or two helps when ads load. I return when I comment because I look forward to your personal replies. You’ve built such a warm, friendly community here that it feels like a gathering of friends for coffee….without having to remove my lap cat and get off the couch!
What a wonderful and beautiful room, Brenda. I LOVE it!!!!! I bet you will be spending lots of time in this new decorated space. We have three bedrooms, so I am able to use one of them, as my “art” space, and I also have two different areas. One table for artwork, stamping, and painting, and a small TV, and the other for the desktop computer and a key board (piano). The other end of the room is bookshelves and recliner.
I spend a great deal of time in this room.
You and Ivy will certainly enjoy it all, how nice Ivy has a large window, and your sweet yellow table (just for her, grin) to spy on the birds.
Beautiful day in Wisconsin today, 67 degrees, and we are able to start on yard work. Little by little…. the weather is warming up.
Love it! Looks great and looks very functional!
I really like the look, very smart to use 2 work stations. I love seeing the decor in your apartment, you have a good eye for decorating!
Aren’t u glad that u got a two bedroom apt instead of a one bedroom apt Brenda? Love all the colors bc I think just wte and tan are to blah! Lol
Love what you have done with your office/craft room. It looks like a great place to work. I have a cart similar to yours, I bought mine from Ikea a while ago but it is so handy to wheel it from room to room.
Love the picture of Ivy, yes she is a big girl, all the more to love.
It looks like a great work space. I’m trying to come with ideas for a doll room/play room/craft room. I’m reducing my doll collection which is a room in itself. This is going to take some time. Thanks for the ideas. I love that bulletin board.
Great job! Love the different work areas and everything is at hand and organized! Love it!
Well done! I really like the two work areas. When you are sewing something, it’s so great to have the option to leave it all there and come back to it each time you have a few minutes to work on a project. I imagine the more open furniture arrangement makes it easier for you to navigate the room. Love the table in front of the window.
How great to have space for two work areas. Fabulous. Love it all.
Nice!! I see many happy hours at these desks.
Brenda, Your room is gorgeous and I love that you have 2 work desks, each with a specific task. The idea of 2 desks prevents you from having to lift and move heavy and bulky items like the sewing machine. I like that you grouped the floral pictures together and since seeing yours on the walls I’ve been looking more at floral for myself. Thanks for the inspiration!!! Oh, by the way, I don’t remember seeing the yellow table previously but I LOVE it! Such a multi-purpose item.
I love it…you have two different stations and it looks so balanced and pretty.