Our Office: Worthy of a Magazine

While Brian was still on tour I started a massive undertaking of cleaning the house pretty much top to bottom. The final room was the office. It hasn't been cleaned top to bottom in recent memory. Pretty gross. We used to spend a lot of time in there when I was making cards and the weather was bad. And then it became a disaster. 


The interesting thing about the office is that it is also our closet. We live in an old house and it has those little bitty "closets" that aren't good for anything but shoes (and a litterbox in our case). [Also, if anyone else likes history, here's why there's no closets in old houses: people used to be taxed on how many rooms they had/size of the rooms, etc. Closets counted!! That's why they had so many dressers [with locks] to store all their things in instead. Brilliant.] We went to IKEA and had a LOT of fun. And then during my cleaning spree I went to IKEA again and had even more fun. :) 


So I'll show you the closet portion of it for now, perhaps the desk parts later. (I'm tired and cranky and it's time for bed!!!)

Yay organization!!!!!

There are places for my shoes, odds and ends of office stuff, magazines, tshirts, winter clothes, sweaters, etc. And one of the huge boxes on the top right is even completely EMPTY! 

This thing is floor to ceiling. We're not messing around.

If clothes are going to be out they have to be in proper rainbow order!!

New shoe cubbies for my most favorite work shoes so I can get ready all in one place!

One of the best parts about this project: busting out the label maker. Love that thing.

There you have it. It still looks exactly like this and I plan to keep it that way! 


P.S. All those boxes came flat and you assemble them (duh...from IKEA) kind of like pizza boxes. I highly enjoyed it. Plus, they were REALLY cheap. 

Dream Room

So we did major cleaning this past weekend, and as I was using approximately 25 lint roller sheets to clean cat hair off the couch (that is not a joke or exaggeration), and a million paper towels to windex the glass top end tables and coffee table (that is an exaggeration) I got to thinking about what our next living room furniture will be like. Our grown up living room furniture. 

I hope it's this room!! 

We currently have everything from IKEA. Practically our entire place is from IKEA, every room. We love that place. It's perfect for what we need right now. It's functional and cheap and holds up really well. The problem is that some of the fabrics (like all the ones we purchased) just collect cat hair like crazy (and the fabric is black--a never again for sure!!). Plus, all the tables in the living room have glass tops.  I will NEVER have glass-top tables again either. Wow are those a pain to keep up with. You see every smudge. And when the glass part is inlaid into the top and can be removed, stuff gets stuck down under the top too. 


These are all things you find out from trial and error. I'm glad we tested it all out on IKEA furniture before investing in the room above that I love from Pottery Barn. Soft, big cushions are also a must. And I would say no shelves on the coffee table because they get dusty so fast, but the one above (and below!) is beautiful. 

Perfect height! (via)

Here's a lovely alternative without a shelf. (via)

What really intrigues me about this room is the little side table. 

Holds almost everything you need! (via)

I say almost because there isn't really room for a lamp. And I think it would probably ruin the quaintness of it anyway. I'm not sure what kind of lamp you'd put with this actually. Perhaps another big arm lamp like the one on the left arm of the sofa in the first picture? 


I think couches that go all the way to the floor make rooms look a little heavier. So I liked this one below a bit better with its open legs. 

It's also think it's a bit more modern but still plenty of fluffy pillows! (via)

And there you have it--what a cozy little room! Someday. :) 

Home Library Inspiration

I am obsessed with books. I have a "to-read" list of books that has no less than 20 titles on it. And yet, I compulsively buy more books that I don't need, and may not read for years! I am waiting excitedly for the day when we have a house with room for a wonderful library. A real, grownup, beautiful, inspirational room that people just want to be in. Following are some beautiful library inspirations I've found around the interwebs, but first, a look at our current library, which is also in our dining room. 

The scary part? I have boxes of books at my dad's house, waiting for a bookcase to fit on!!

We have some games on one shelf, photos and knickknacks interspersed throughout the books. I'm very happy with them--especially how we got them to fit on the strange curved walls. In the middle on top of the shelves is the sand we poured together from our wedding, and a framed photo of us pouring the sand together during the ceremony. I really like that it's up there on display (and so brightly colored--blue, green and plum) and especially that it's safe from the kitties who destroy everything fragile in their paths. (P.S. the bookcases are from IKEA. Fairly economical and endless combinations / colors / fun!)


Now on to the REAL inspiration you've been waiting for. This is the most beautiful and impractical way to organize a library I've ever seen. You'd never be able to find anything you were looking for, but I'd almost rather sit in the room and stare instead of read anyways. 

*via*

I really appreciate creative uses of space (especially small ones). Have bookcases built into areas of your home that would otherwise be lost or unusable: under staircases, in oddly-shaped bedrooms of older cottage homes (you know, the ones with the sloped, awkward walls in the gigantic second-floor bedrooms?). This bookcase just seems to be an extension of the wall; something that has always been there and feels just right. 

*via*

I really like the idea of a room that feels Victorian, sumptuous, elegant and regal. (Maybe I read too much historical fiction?) This room comes pretty close to my visions of that! I think it's the light fixture that does it--chandelier in my library? Yes, please! 

*via*

Along the same lines as the photo above, this amazing study is from designer Badgley Mischka's home. At first, I thought it was a dining room (The table has place settings...I'm still not convinced it isn't a dining room). The photo is from the book American Fashion Designers at Home. What a fascinating thing, to see how fashion designers translate their style into home decor. Look at the little antlers hanging on the wall! What on earth are they from? A jackalope or something? :) 

*via*

So since I was convinced this was a dining room, it got me to thinking how nice it would be to actually dine in a library. Maybe like this, with a more rustic feel. Then I'd get my chandelier in the library for sure! The blog where I found this photo has now decided that they must have their dining room in a library, and I can't say it's a bad idea. I've even played with the idea of adding more shelves to our dining room.

*via*

I think that libraries can and should be places where work is accomplished. Whether it's a small desk or writing surface, or an easy place to put your laptop when you're feeling inspired, there needs to be some functionality to the room. This designer took it one step further and created a beautiful workspace--for many people at once! Doesn't it make you want to do some research out of old texts? Or maybe some experiments?

*via*

Now this next one is a little bit out of the realm of my personal design tastes, but it's so visually pleasing anyways I had to share. This blogger might want a home library even more than I do. I believe there are no less than 3 separate posts on her blog about different library designs. What is really neat about this ultra-modern library is that the bookcase isn't one continuous unit--the top part is in a loft area! You may have figured that out right away, but it wasn't until I noticed that there was a desk "floating" in the top right of the photo that I realized that was a second floor! What a great idea to have something visually line up for two stories--even with a separation of floors in between. 

*via*

And finally, the library room that may have all my favorite things in one photo.

*via*

I'm right in line with the blogger whose site I found this on: I love libraries, spiral staircases, lofts and little cozy spaces. And this one has it all. I like the idea of having a guest room tucked away in the library. Can you imagine what it would feel like to visit someone's house and sleep in their awesome library? The pillars are beautiful and make the space feel grand. The clock hanging from the ceiling adds whimsy. The lights in the loft are industrial. How could you ever get bored here with so many elements to look at and process? I'd add more touches of color (maybe with paint to the backs of the bookshelves in the loft and in the curtains and bedding in the nook area?) and then we'd have perfection.