Office Organization; Resolution Time!
Okay, I have a confession to make, my desk is a TOTAL disaster- I am not exaggerating. We’ve been living in this house for a year, with several MAJOR projects going on at all times and I will admit, getting my desk organized (meaning a home for everything) just hasn’t happened yet. (It is totally embarrassing! So of course I will show you pictures, because I am the type that will point out how bad the zit on my nose is, just so you know, I know, it is bad… I guess it is a personal problem and I should keep that type of stuff too myself #oversharer)
The other day I got invited by Home Goods to participate in a super quick $250 budget makeover in a competition with some other great bloggers. I hemmed and hawed because they literally gave me about 5 days until I had to post it, and the nearest Home Goods is an hour’s drive away! I was scared, but I said yes, cuz it sounded fun and I must be a glutton for punishment. Also, I have never been to Home Goods (I’ve never lived close enough to go to one)… I know, I know my instagram blew up when I admitted it was my first time… Now that I’ve been there, I know it won’t be my last! My bank account is breathing a sigh of relief it is so far away, maybe the distance will save my account from utter desolation. Because a girl, who loves design, could get into some serious trouble in that store!
Okay, so here is the thing, they assigned me a topic: Organization.
Cue scary music, Dun, Dun DUNNNN!!!!
Well the desk came to mind of course, or my bedside table (not bad, but needing sprucing…) and a nook in my bathroom (storage issues as well!)…
However, before I got to the store to scope out what was available, I couldn’t commit to what I was even working on. I got to the store and made a couple laps, seriously, the nerves were killing me! I only had 45 minutes to decide what I was doing, find what would work and keep it in budget, because I had an appointment I had to get back to right after shopping.
After a couple laps, I spotted these two Tolix style, distressed metal chairs, for only $69.99 bucks a pop. I really wanted one major piece for my projects, since I needed 2 chairs, and these were such a great deal, it meant that I could still afford to do a little decorating. That cliched it! I stacked those two babies haphazardly in my already half full basket, and I began hatching a plan for what I was going to do.
A circled the store like a hawk looking for a poor innocent rabbit to pounce on, and here is what I found:
- 3 frames, $5.99, $7.99 and $9.99
- Set of 4 orange ramekins… $9.99 (I have a thing for dishes, I use them everywhere)
- 1 small blue art glass vase $2.99
- 1 walnut cutout owl art piece… $16.99 (Love him! Whoo, Whoo knew?)
- 1 blue rustic metal framed chalkboard $15.99
- 1 mail sorter $5.99
- 1 orange chevron fabric covered storage box $14.99
Grand Total $230.89
Check me out coming in under budget! Go Cass!
The sad news is that everything that was in my basket didn’t get to come home with me. Last minute I had to go through and hone down to the budget… So some items I really loved, are still at Home Goods as we speak… run fast! They had some metal baskets that basically had Cassity etched into the side of them, it hurt putting them back.
Getting home, I knew I was in trouble by the sheer amount of stuff that need to be organized! It was nothing short of scary. And I needed some actual storage space to put the stuff. Here is the (humbling) before:
Please just love me for showing you this MESS in it’s full glory and not sparing you any of the gory details… Besides now you can feel better about yourselves, and your not half as messy desks! (You are welcome) And somehow this picture isn’t as bad as it really was!
When we first moved in, to give myself some storage, we put our little Craig’s list bookshelf next to the desk. The main problem is that it made our already small (shared bedroom/office) even smaller. What I really wanted to do was use the space on the wall. So I searched around on pinterest, and when I saw this picture I knew what I wanted to do.
(It wasn’t pinned properly, so I am not sure of the source!)
I love how the image above has the welded shelf supports and rustic wood selves, SO cool! But I don’t weld, and that would be UBER expensive. Instead, I grabbed a sample of grey paint, and some blue painters tape and painted three small grey stripes on the wall, that matched these shelving brackets from Home Depot $1.67 a piece. Those, some wood and stain we had on hand… Voila! Rustic wall storage! (UPDATE: You can get the full tutorial for the shelves here.)
When we first built our 2 person computer desk, (free plans here) we had been planning on building a hutch, but with the move, we just hadn’t done it. In order to save our necks, from looking down at our computer screens all day. We jimmy-rigged our computers up on an old closet door and some 2 x 4’s, cuz I am classy like that (I kid you not). But, now that we were cleaning up, we still needed the lifted up portion, when I realized, heck we should just put in on a shelf on the wall. That way we will have the storage space underneath it and the storage above. ( I will show you how we did the shelves tomorrow.)
But I know you want to see the rest of the desk, newly organized and wonderful! This is definitely a happy HOME resolution if you ask me!
My husband officially loves me more than ever! He keeps coming in the room and uttering Amazing, So Awesome… its the little things like that that make my day! But seriously, can I admit how much I love the space now? It is AMAZING, especially when you look at the awful before!
AND, as part of the Happy Home Resolutions contest, HomeGoods is giving the winner of the contest gift cards to give away to our readers! Please help me win by repinning this pin — I’d love to win and give all of you a chance to win and have a great shopping trip to HomeGoods!
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*Thank you to Home Goods for providing the gift card for this project! All opinions are my own.
Cassity Kmetzsch started Remodelaholic after graduating from Utah State University with a degree in Interior Design. Remodelaholic is the place to share her love for knocking out walls, and building everything back up again to not only add function but beauty to her home. Together with her husband Justin, they have remodeled 6 homes and are working on a seventh. She is a mother of four amazing girls. Making a house a home is her favorite hobby.
Loved the remodel. quite a space saver and I can imagine what it felt to work in the new space.
Totally impressed.
I love your organized office! The shelves, painted stripe, and lamps are great ideas. I use these lamps for other areas in my house and have put led bulbs in them all so the metal doesn’t get hot – could just imagine a fire it the wrong thing fell on top of the hot shade. Keep the great ideas coming – I take something away from every project.
Thanks, Shirley — smart tip about the led bulbs!
Just one more thought…I hope you had another place for those wicker chairs….I love them too!