Adding some color to your workspace

After a week in the sun, I am having a hard transition back to my beige cubicle and windowless view. So I was hunting for some accessories to brighten up my workspace. Here’s what I found:

A bright chair cushion or an accent wall in a bright color would go a long way to spicing up my work area.

Fancy, fun hanging pieces like the paper and fabric chandeliers here would enliven a dreary corner. Colorful framed art would also help.

A colorful light fixture, rug and guest chair would definitely add a little punch.

Framed art, large signage letters and a bookcase would be a great addition to a workspace if I had the space.

Colorful storage boxes are a quick way to clean up clutter and unify the space. Now, if they’d just open the Ikea in Kansas City, I’d jump all over this.

Find more inspiration at Rue Magazine art director Maia MacDonald Smith‘s Office Space Pinterest board. Or visit the Well-Appointed Desk Pinterest board.

(click on the photos to visit the sources)

Wood You Look at That?

I’m loving reclaimed wood or deep stained wood desks lately. Whether the look is rustic, mid-century or ladylike, I love them all. Maybe its a desire to have a work surface that’s not made of MDF or faux wood veneer.

Click on the photos to link to the original posts.

(via An Open Sketchbook)

(via aESTHETICa)

(via Homedit)

(via My Old Country House)

(via Funky Junk Interiors)

(via Corey Russell on Etsy)

(via Urban Wood Goods on Etsy)

(via Brunch At Saks)

(via Fashion Clue)

(via Jen Serafini)

Is your desk wood, metal or some other material? Are you thinking about upgrading?

Evergreen Office Spaces

Links, clockwise from top left: myinteriordesign.it, Pinterest, tyylijakoti.fi, Afflante, LHJ.com, Ilaria Sadun, and Brigitte.de.

With all the grey, bleak weather around these days, I got the itch to redesign my office speace with lush greens and natural woods. I want to create an oasis of greenery, woodsy beauty indoors.

(via Macs Magazine)

Putting a desk near the window takes advantage of natural light without being distracting.

(via Design*Sponge)

I love how functional this space is – and crammed to the gills. The Vitra vintage plastic wall (available new from Design Within Reach for a mere $475) caddy is a great way to keep tools handy and makes an office space feel more like a workshop.

(via Real Simple)

Vanity Fair Desks

Each month, in Vanity Fair magazine (and on their website) there is an annotated photo of a famous person’s desk. For the pen geek, its a treat to see that Jerry Bruckheimer collects ornate fountain pens, that Lorne Michaels office looks just like the set created for Sutdio 60 on the Sunset Strip, and Trey Parker and Mat Stone’s office is just as messy as you thought it would be. I love Aaron Sorkin’s vintage Pen & Pencil ashtray shown in the photo above.

They also have a digital version of the My Desk column called My Phone that shows digerati’s home screens and they discuss their favorite apps.

(via Vanity Fair)

The Desk Looks Good On European Paper

The folks over at European Paper, an online paper goods shop located in Colorado (not really Europe at all!), have taken some of my desk and office pins from Pinterest and combined them with some of their lovely paper goods and featured them on their blog. Click on the images to see EP’s product recommendations that coordinate with these work spaces.

And stay tuned, their shall be more collaborations between The Desk and European Paper. Are you excited? I am!

Lucky Office Indeed

Not to usurp the awesomeness of Lucky Magazine’s editor-in-chief Eva Chen’s new office but the once hallowed home decor magazine Domino is back as an online magazine and shopping portal. Just so you know.

Now, back to Ms. Chen’s office. Its a lovely light, bright, colorful space complete with sofas to lounge upon and flowers galore. Its a bit of an ideal ideal but I do love the nice clean, white desk for all the computer equipment. And I really need to keep more flowers and greenery in my workspace. I do think it cheers things up immensely.

I would, however, have put a large wooden table and chairs where the couches and coffee table are. I prefer a good working area to meet or spread out all those pages for review and editing, then couches to veg out on.

I’d recommend a good work table like this wood table with vintage metal school chairs. (via Alison Milne)

Or this beautiful blonde wood table with Bend Lucy side chairs (via The Place Home)

(via Domino)

Flexible Workspaces

As working becomes more mobile, more wireless and more collaborative, do we still need a desk, a cubicle or an office? The Public Landscape Office suite by Yves Behar from fuseproject for Herman Miller addresses just this question.

Do you prefer a flexible, open workspace or a more traditional desk, office or cubicle?

I’ve posted a couple other articles about the new less-office-y office. Check them out here and here.

Because Its Awesome…ly Well-Appointed!

My co-worker, Tobe, featured a post on her site, Because It’s Awesome.  The article was written by Guest Blogger Emily from Recently the Blog about her home office. The content was so “Well-Appointed Desk”, I just had to share.

Visit Because It’s Awesome for more details about how Emily turned a 70s built-in into a fresh, modern workspace including links to resources.

Corporate office with flair: Meghan Goulette at Rockit Ranch Productions

A peek inside the office of Meghan Goulette, Director of Marketing at Rockit Ranch Productions shows a space with traditional modern office furniture with her own aesthetic touches to make it feel more personal and luxe. She keeps a vase of fresh flowers and a vase of oranges to give a joyous pop of color. She added some in-box trays in lime and a black ceramic dish to hold her personal items. On the wall, she added zig zag striped fabric panels for notes and inspiration. Hot pink storage boxes on the shelf help hide any additional clutter.

Do you have any techniques for jazzing up corporate office basics?

(via The Every Girl, photos by Jennifer Kathryn Photography)

Collage-apolooza

Interior design team and brothers Doug and Gene Meyer shared images on their blog of their desks and the massive collage walls of inspiration in their Miami studio. They actual employ a collage technique in a lot of the spaces they design for clients. Its a feast for the eyes and a great way to brighten the space over your desk if you don’t have a window view.

PS: I love the steel tables (make your own at Ikea or buy a colorful metal desk at CB2) on wheels with the green upholstered Eames aluminum side group chairs and citrus yellow filing cabinets (the Bisley drawers or the CB2 TPS file cabinet are similar). What would you cover the walls with?

(via Doug and Gene Meyer blog)

Mad Men Modernist

Even Don Draper needs to upgrade his office furniture every season or so. The set designers for Mad Men worked hard to make the office furniture appropriate for the time period using both vintage and reproduction pieces. The article on Midcentry Modernist goes into extensive detail about the specific pieces used and the subtle upgrades made throughout the series.

(via Midcentury Modernist)

Link Love: Pinning away for it

From my Well-Appointed Desk board (clockwise from top left): A homey workspace, a very elegant workspace, a desk transformed from Martha Stewart, and a workspace from Design Sponge

This week, I thought I’d cull through all my desk, pen and office supply boards on Pinterest and give you some visual Link Love. Check the sidebar to find me on Pinterest and follow the boards that interest you.

From my Pens and Pencils Board (clockwise from top left): Pantone marker set, beautiful Edison Encore pen dipped into water for a rinse from Goulet Pens and Pelikan Edelstein ink swabs from JetPens.

From my Digital Office Board (clockwise from top left): iPhone cases from Ampersand Shop, stackable USB cords and Kate Spade desktop wallpaper

From my Timekeepers Board (clockwise from top left): large number flip clock, LED digital clock, color coding pages in a planner with washi tape and washi tape accents on a paper planner

From my Desk Accessories board (clockwise from top left): Doane 3-ring notebook paper, pencil cup dispenser, office supplies from Restoration Hardware and a desktop screensaver clock

Other folks to follow on Pinterest:

• Goulet Pens
• JetPens
• Greer Chicago
• Office Supply Junkie
• Present + Correct
• Discover Paper
• Paper Pastries

Bluetiful Desks

(via My Norfolk Nest)

From aqua to navy, blue is a soothing color and a great backdrop for those shiny silver and black computers we all use. I have collected, from all over the internet, an array of bluetiful desks from tres feminine to manly and retro.

(via Decoist)

(via Design Milk)

(via HGTV Remodels)

(via House To Home)

(via Pinterest)

(via Pinterest)

(via Apartments I Like)

Do you prefer a natural work surface or would you consider using getting a can of paint and having a more whimsical desk? If not blue, what color would you choose?

(via BHG)

The Workspaces of Famous Men

I love seeing he workspaces of authors and other famous folks. So finding this treasure trove of photos of workspaces totally made my day.

William F. Buckley at the eye of his personal paper storm.

This is cluttered space where writer William F. Buckley is a converted garage. He spent a lot of his life and even died here.

Neil Gaiman’s writing hut

The writing hut used by Neil Gaiman is one of the most amazing little places. I would love to have a place like this someday thought I doubt I would write anything as loved or amazing as The Anansi Boys, Neverwhere, or American Gods.

Churchill at his standing desk.

The new focus on standing desks and treadmill desks aren’t a new thing. Winston Churchill was a believer in a standing desk fifty years before the Nike FuelBand.

There are a dozen other workspaces to see on Art of Manliness. Enjoy!

(all photos via The Art of Manliness)

Day of the Desks

Beatriz Macias’s home work space via Apartment Therapy

Today I want to share some home office inspiration, from feminine and floral to sparse and even a dark, dramatic option. Enjoy!

A black and white minimal space (via A Merry Mishap)

Abigail Ahern’s tropical drama from Interiorator

Organized clutter via Photo Forum

Shabby French glam via This Ivy House on Tumblr

Built-ins with patterned paper via The Decoist, by Jessica Lagrange

Mid Century made modern with vibrant wallpaper and metal work surfaces via The Decoist, by Charles DeLisle / photo by Art Gray

Glam and sophisticated space via The Decoist, by Cynthia Mason Interiors

Books, books and more books

This lovely office belongs to Karena Schuessler, former shoe designer. She lives in Berlin and now collects and sells unique design pieces.

(more information can be found at Freunde von Freunden. Link via Decor8)

Urban Outfitters Offices

 

 

 

 

While researching for the Free People office post the other day, I also found images of the neighboring Urban Outfitters office space and thought it would be fun to share this space as well. This is part of the old Philadelphia shipbuilding yard, a series of massive old buildings with some unusual elements that create a striking, grand space.

Lots of the original architectural details of the building was preserved while adding some modern and urban looking additions. There are even koi ponds in pits previous used for bending steel.

 

There is a wonderful video on the MS&R site that goes into more detail, with more images of the space, that is really quite moving. I’m not a huge fan of the Urban Outfitters brand in general but I think their workspace is hugely inspiring.

Oh, all those windows! I work in a cavelike space at the moment and have serious window-envy!

You can see more images of the Urban Outfitters office at Decor8.

(via MS&R Ltd)

Kelle Howard-Deane’s Home Office

Kelle Howard-Deane, from Habitat + Beyond Kids:

One of the great things about owning my own business is that I get to work from home. So it was very important to me as an Interior Designer that I have a space that reflects my style and is an inspiring and energizing place to come to work! I love everything about my office, it has all the essentials… flowers, candles, pink walls, my iMac, a skull and, of course, some animal print!

(Image Source: Kelle Howard-Deane, via Belle Maison)

Free People Offices

 

 

The offices of Free People are in Philadelphia in the navy yard alongside the office for Anthropologie and Urban Outfitters. There is a bohemian bazaar feeling to the Free People space that mirrors the fashions that they sell.

I like that they covered the Eames Aluminum Group Chairs with ethnic print fabrics in one of their conference rooms. The natural wood conference tables are such a nice change from the laminate tables found in most conference rooms.

 

The work spaces are definitely not cubicles in the traditional sense. There’s lots of exposed, natural materials and natural light give the space a studio feel.

(via Garance Dore)

Inside JCrew President Jenna Lyons Office

(Photos by Matt Furman for Fast Company)

Fast Company featured the new, young president of JCrew, Jenna Lyons in its most recent issue with photos of her office. Her space looks more boho than corner office executive. Its quirky and artsy and totally couture which seems only fitting.

(Photos by Matt Furman for Fast Company)

The article about Lyons rise to the top of the JCrew ladder is also a great story about how passion and creativity make for better products that corporate strategies and cost-cutting.

(Photos by Matt Furman for Fast Company)

You can even view her office with a 360 degree viewer on photographer Sam Rohn’s site.

(Photos by Matt Furman for Fast Company)

Real Kansas City Workspaces

Nate Lewis’s North Kansas City home office. Photo by Jennifer Hack/Ink)

(Grace Townley’s tiny workspace. Photo by Jennifer Hack/Ink)

(Angela and Nick Snyder’s River Market loft space. Photo by Jennifer Hack/Ink)

In this week’s issue of the free weekly, Ink, there was a photo story of local KC workspaces. I love it when other people collect stories for me!

There are more real workspaces to view in the article but these were my favorites.

Instagram Loves Office Supplies

I have been following lots of office supply geeks and letter writers, artists and designers and I just thought I’d share some of my favorite Instagram photos from the last few weeks.

Clockwise from top right: Uppercase’s Crafting Supplies, Pencil drawing of Sug-ums by Eabaddeley, Caran D’ache candy colored mechanical pencils found at Greer Chicago by DovBee and Vintage Airmail Envelopes by Scoutshonorco

Clockwise from top right: Canadian protractor ruler by Rad + Hungry, Paper Delivery by IvanR, Notemaker J. Herbin ink bottles, and Pencil Pal Pencils from LetterLoves(I sent them to her)

Clockwise from top right: Vitagum erasers captured at Hammerpress by HelloBF, Portuguese wax crayons from Rad + Hungry, Office work space by Pugly Pixel and New-to-her Smith-Corona typewriter from Adamihasegawa

The Dainty Squid’s Closet/Office

Over the years, I’ve seen some unique workspaces but this is one of the best yet. The well-known blogger The Dainty Squid shares her home office/workspace with her closet. You read that correctly. Not to say that she works in a closet but that her office is also her wardrobe. If I had a rainbow of dresses, shoes and handbags, I might want to stare at them while working as well.

(via The Dainty Squid)

Hyper-organize with A Bowl Full of Lemons

A Bowl Full of Lemons shows off her hyper-organized home office and even offers details of the steps she took to get her office and her clutter in order. She’s got great tips and lots of inspiring photos. Oh, to be this organized!

Textile-icious Workspace

(Produced by Anita Sarsidi; Photography by William Waldron)

Textile Designer John Robshaw combines his textile love with bold bright colors to create a a bright, inspiring workspace. The space has a Middle Eastern flair that I imagine would smell of chai spices.

(via Elle Decor)