Huzzah! A newly updated workspace for the new year! I'm ashamed to say how bad my workspace had gotten during the holidays a few weeks back. My computer went untouched, my desk became a catch-all for every discarded piece of paper, and I could
maybe find my keyboard or mouse if I searched long and hard enough. It was bad. Like,
bad bad. Don't get me started on how dingy my desk had become thanks to the far-too-matte white paint! I wanted to spruce the place up so I'd be more motivated to keep it clean and be productive with the new year. It was sort of perfect timing for my January Michaels Makers challenge because the theme was "New Year's Craft Resolutions." I had resolved to organize (!!! there's that magic word!) my work area and
keep. it. clean! I had put it off long enough, right?
I went from having an entire bedroom as my "studio" to a mere 8 foot by 3 foot corner of the kitchen. (Yes... that picture directly above is the "before"... except it has totally been a lot worse... So embarrassing!) It took some getting used to, but generally speaking it's been a good change. I had so much fun decorating the nursery that I didn't mind giving it up for Linden. And I'm also the type of gal who can't really have drawers on her desk because I'll stuff them full of useless clutter and junk. Anyway, Mike built my desk last year and even though this wasn't it's original home or purpose, it fits perfectly in my little nook. I knew I wanted to liven the space up a bit by painting the desk, but I had the hardest time deciding what color. I fell in love with a color on a spray paint can at Michaels and that's what I ultimately matched it with. (The desk color is "Blushing" by Valspar). I knew I needed a high gloss sheen to keep it clean and wiped down, so I topped the pink paint off with some high gloss clear spray paint. So far so good! It's shiny and smooth and perfect! Did you catch the hot pink paint-dipped legs?! I think that's my favorite part! The hot pink matches the color on the backside of the honeycomb shelf.
Organizing my space was the next challenge. I opted to lose the dry erase board and cork board because there was no balance for me. It was either full blown explosion of stuff pinned to them, or bareness. Instead I asked Mike to build me some thick floating shelves and a matching honeycomb shelf so it'd visually match our living room (which you can see from my workspace). I also took advantage of a 50% off sale at Michaels to load up on a few organizational pieces like
this super cute honeycomb lazy Susan and the hanging tier that goes in the center.
That lazy Susan is probably my favorite new storage solution for the space because it holds
so much stuff! Prismacolor markets, Sharpies, scissors, cards, glitter... you name it! It's incredibly functional. I also picked up
this wire basket drawer set that sits underneath my desk and it gives my printer the perfect boost so it's easy to reach and use.
I have a few berry baskets hanging around on the desk and shelves and they hold various things like my post-it notes, alphabet stamps, and mini ink pads. The little pop of blue makes a small but sweet impact, but provides the perfect amount of hidden storage.
And my absolute favorite "totally can't live without it now" thing is my Cricut Explore! Holy moly, I'm going to be doing ALL THE PROJECTS!
It fits perfectly up on my first shelf and it's so easy to bring down to use. I've already made a handful of car window decals and I can't get enough! You know those people with an insane amount of bumper stickers on the backs of their cars?! That's going to be me with vinyl decals. They are SO MUCH FUN to make! (If you have any awesome Cricut projects to share, let me know! I've started a board on Pinterest and I've gone Cricut crazy haha)
I still have a few bits and bobs that I want to work on like finding homes for a few things and hanging a few prints, but overall I'm so happy with the space! We finished it up earlier this week and I've been so insanely productive ever since. It's nice to have a space that feels cozy and purposeful. My trusty lava lamp made the cull and it bears repeating: It's like my silly little productivity secret. I turn that baby on when it's time to get to work and then I flick it off when I'm done. I don't know why it works but it's made the cut for the last several workspaces.
This has been the perfect first challenge for the new year because I feel like it's really set me up to do awesome things from here on out. My space may be super tiny, but I love it and it's mine! Can't argue with that!
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If you're looking for a project to help kick off 2015, drop by the Michaels' blog
The Glue String for inspiration from all 30 of the Michaels Makers! If one of your New Year's resolutions is to clean out your closet, office or even your bedroom, check out these fun and creative DIY
storage ideas. If you just need a place to store scrapbook paper, paint, markets and yarn, these
craft storage systems might be perfect for you!
Thanks for letting me share my new space! Maybe this will motivate me to finish the rest of the house and share it soon. You know, we've only been living here for two years... ha!
