my office.

by Allison on January 11, 2010 in cleaning and organizing, Home, home_decorating · 23 comments

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With the flooding, rearranging, and new flooring in our house came a shifting of furniture.

The study, formerly only home to my desk {$30 at a yard sale} and some bookshelves, turned into a major family hub when the sofa from the family room moved in. I had to move my desk over to a blank wall and away from the front window, {a perfect eagle’s eye view to Charming’s daily activities outdoors} a move I wasn’t thrilled about, but am totally in love with now.

The wall was a little blank so I framed a piece of wrapping paper I picked up at Kate’s Paperie {$5} on my last trip to New York City with a great IKEA frame {$30} and a clock I picked up at a thrift store {$4}. The lamp is also from a thrift store {$3} and the chair was salvaged from a friend who was moving & getting rid of furniture {free!}.

I love my happy little office. At least when it’s clean.

Article by Allison Czarnecki

I'm Allison, founder and editor of Petit Elefant. I run the gamut from granola to glamour and love everything in between. I think the beach is always a good idea, as is Diet Dr. Pepper; on ice. Sometimes I put out the fires and sometimes I start them. Sometimes I really do have it all together. Sometimes my children say otherwise. We just like to keep it real around here.

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{ 22 comments }

1 Melanie January 11, 2010 at 3:06 pm: We have an almost identical desk in our office that we refinished and I LOVE it. It has such a wonderful SUBSTANTIAL feeling. Very nice choice.
Of course, I can never see mine. . . does yours really look that clean more than 10% of the time? If so, I need tips.
2 Erin S. January 11, 2010 at 3:08 pm: Looks great! Love the little file folders too!
3 Emily January 11, 2010 at 5:07 pm: I remember that desk rather affectionately. Enjoyed my time spent by its side throwing papers this way and that. Let me know when we can do it again, though by the looks of things you don't need my help any more! (How about my baking?!?!)
4 likeschocolate January 11, 2010 at 5:43 pm: What a great space! Did you get a piece of glass cut for the top of the desk? I love the framed map paper. What a great idea!
5 Lisa Ridgely January 11, 2010 at 5:52 pm: I love your chair! I think you've inspired me actually…I've been searching for a couple of new chairs for my studio. I have some older windsor chairs I could paint white, and I bet I could pick up the swivel bottoms from other chairs at a thrift store. I wonder how tricky it would be to rig it all together?
Love the file folders too!
6 Erin January 11, 2010 at 6:20 pm: what a great space. i love the desk and chair and lamp and well, all of it!
7 Boston Mamas January 11, 2010 at 6:55 pm: Simple and LOVELY. I'm in the midst of office reno too. I have some seriously horrendous before pix that I'm trying to muster the courage to post.
8 Anonymous January 11, 2010 at 9:00 pm: I beleive that I may speak with some authority here when I say that it's more of a hen's perspective than and eagle's eye. Love you.
9 Camille January 12, 2010 at 7:53 am: Exactly how I would picture your office to look! Except it's missing some color on the wall
10 liz stanley January 12, 2010 at 10:14 am: love that desk lamp!
ps my word ver is 'pinis' he he
11 The Dragonfly January 12, 2010 at 12:24 pm: I have the same piece of wrapping paper framed in my 12 year old son's room which is bedecked with vintage globes! Awesome!
12 Heather at Happy Chippy Junk January 12, 2010 at 12:32 pm: I love a good deal!! I dare say the map is hung a tiny bit to high!! Center over desk (not on wall) and move down 3 or 4 inches!!
13 Petit Elefant January 12, 2010 at 12:53 pm: Melanie,
Isn't that desk the best? I think it's circa mid 50's or so, and it's SOLID. And no, my desk is never ever that clean. Maybe once a month.
Erin,
Aren't those file folders darling? Office Max baby!
Emily,
Oh, those were the days alright. Since then I've managed to stay mostly upright in my organization. MOSTLY.
likeschocolate,
I don't have a piece of glass for the top of the desk but I probably should!
Lisa,
I'm so glad you like it! It wouldn't be hard at all to paint a chair and screw some swivels into the bottom, not hard at all, go for it!
Erin,
It came together pretty nicely huh? It was all happenstance, one thrifting piece at a time, of course.
Boston Mamas,
It's always the before pics that are hard right? I won't judge you for the before I promise.
Anonymous,
How have I never heard of *hens perspective*? I love that! Hen indeed.
Camille,
I've wanted to paint it about 40 different colors but keep getting vetoed by the husband. One of these days…..
Liz,
Isn't that lamp the bomb? Totally hidden at D.I. Makes me happy just thinking about it.
The Dragonfly,
That's AWESOME! I have about 3 other pieces of framed paper around my house and I love them. I love that you have vintage globes in your sons room too.
Happy Chippy,
Well, the wall is about 20 feet tall, so I put it a little higher than I might normally.
14 ellen January 12, 2010 at 2:00 pm: I want to visit you in your office; it's very cool. And retro-y.
15 Petit Elefant January 12, 2010 at 3:12 pm: ellen,
Anytime, the door is open!
16 Marie {Make and Takes} January 12, 2010 at 5:19 pm: I love your office. It's so inspiring, I need a better work space. Maybe I need a flood to help get me in shape!
17 Kathleen January 12, 2010 at 7:59 pm: It looks great! Having a nice view is worth the move. And I love those file folders. I have some too.
18 Petit Elefant January 12, 2010 at 11:36 pm: Marie,
Nooooooo, no floods! It might take you 3 months to get a new floor!
Kathleen,
Thank you, I love it! Aren't those folders the best? So darned stylish, I can hardly handle it.
19 jessica January 13, 2010 at 4:38 pm: Love those file folders! I struggle with organization. Did you get the stand (if that's what you call it) that's holding the folders at office max too?
20 Kage January 13, 2010 at 7:19 pm: I didn't believe it, but you DID do a nice job for under 100. And, I have that clock.
21 Petit Elefant January 13, 2010 at 9:31 pm: Jessica,
Yes! Totally cheap, and they organize the whole desk so well, I couldn't live without them.
Kage,
Told you so. I'm a total thriftie/cheapo, so $100 was a lot for me.
22 Cassie January 13, 2010 at 10:23 pm: Love This! Too pretty!