Friday
Jun052009
« Tour of My Home: Office »
June 5, 2009 52 Comments
Today the featured room is the office ~
This is my desk that I found in a very rural consignment shop in Iowa. I was with my brother and he was looking for something and I spied this and had to have it. I paid $75 for the desk and glass top. I then had to store it in my brother's garage, drive home, rent a truck and drive back to his house to pick it up. It has character I think, even if it looks like it is falling apart. This desk weighs a bloody ton and is almost impossible to move. I love it!
This is my desk that I found in a very rural consignment shop in Iowa. I was with my brother and he was looking for something and I spied this and had to have it. I paid $75 for the desk and glass top. I then had to store it in my brother's garage, drive home, rent a truck and drive back to his house to pick it up. It has character I think, even if it looks like it is falling apart. This desk weighs a bloody ton and is almost impossible to move. I love it!
This is the view looking into the office, which is directly off the foyer.we just moved that table in here . . . it used to be in the kitchen, but we just purchased a new kitchen table and chairs. This table does not "fit" in here in any way, but I don't want the children crafting on my new table and I need to stop using my dining room table for my crafting. It will have to work for now. The stained glass window is from an old church and the horse prints are from Korea.
This is an antique table that my MIL refinished years and years ago. It is quite a lovely table, but we really don't have anywhere to put it where sticky little fingers will not possibly ruin it. So it sits in this corner. The horse is from China as well as the little cabinet underneath. The little table is one of a set. I have one in black (this one) and one in red. I went shopping at Yashow Market in Beijing one afternoon and was walking back to our apt pushing my children in a double stroller. I spied these in this tiny little shop and I went in to inquiry about the price and the owner was just sleeping on the floor (I am not kidding). We haggled for a bit and he wouldn't come down in price so I walked away, but I ended up turning around and paying what he was asking, which I know was way too much. But I really wanted them(I actually bought another one too). I ended up putting the small cabinets in the stroller and my hubbie carried my son and I carried my daughter.
These are the window treatments that I made/sewed . . . I don't like them any longer and am on the lookout for different fabric.
This wall is hand sponged with 5 different colors and it took for-ever! It is only painted this way on the one wall. Two walls have wallpaper and one wall is painted light brown. While I was sponging this wall I fell off the ladder . . . I was 5 months pregnant with my daughter and I don't think I have ever been that frighten in my life!The swords and such are hubbies, all from China!
This MESS is under the desk and Drives me INSANE!
this is the view inside the office looking out to the foyer
These shelves are for all my scrapbooking "stuff" - please excuse the ripped wallpaper . . . my girls like to pull on it. I bought that wallpaper border and hung it in the office so it would look like rows and rows of books.
See all my magazines up there
This is the desk area in my kitchen that serves no purpose except to annoy me with all the clutter that seems to amass here! I have an entire wall unit picked out to go here in place of this desk . . . but the lady at the store really annoyed me and I have not been back. I never sit here, the chair to primarily hold my handbag! The builder, for some reason, installed this desk at a height that is not the normal desk height. Whatever chair I put here is too short and it is quite uncomfortable to sit at this desk.
Reader Comments (52)
You have the coolest rooms and house!
okay, a few things...
i am impressed that there is no dust down by all the cords.
i love all of your unique pieces. you definitely have an advantage from your years in china, but i love the desk from iowa, too!
i have paned doors between some of my rooms, too. it's one of my favorite features of my house.
the sponged wall is really cool, but sounds like a total pain in the ass.
I love it! What a great space to be creative!
So here's a weird question, but how did you get all that fantastic stuff back from China? (And didn't you live elsewhere abroad?) Do you ship it and cross your fingers?
I have the paned doors too... love them... and I love the tables... not sure I could manage the sponged walls... too much work for me!
Love the desk - and looking through the rest of the pictures of your home I have to say I just love it! Gorgeous... you've got great taste. I love how much space you have in your backyard, too! :)
I love it especially the little cabinet from china and the desk. The sponged wall is totally cool. I just love seeing how your house is decorated:)
Wow! Your house has been so finished and decorated and planned. I feel like I'm living in a dorm room by comparison! This was one neat room!
love it! wish i had an office/scrap space. *sigh*
I love, love, love and want your desk! It is GORGEOUS!
Great room...love all your unique pieces!
Thanks for stopping by my office blog tonight. The furniture in your office is so elegant. Thanks for sharing and come back soon!
-Emily (timelesspaper.com/blog)
Looks amazing! My brother has a bunch of swords like that. He collects them.
A desk that isn't at just the right height can be extremely annoying. I feel for ya!
i love that you have a crafting table in there! super idea! thanks for sharing!
i love your international collection! And nothing like a nice sturdy solid desk...
I would totally have thought that wall paper was rows of books if you hadn't mentioned it!
I just love that desk! WOW!
Thanks for stopping by my blog.
I love your home. It looks very cozy.
I especially love that desk.
Hello, :)
Your office is so pretty! Love the unique wall treatment and color.
You're right! The plaid drapes from Target would match beautifully in here. I just bought them less than a week ago.
Have a blessed evening.
~Melissa :)
Oh, I love your door and your magazine holders--they are soo colorful! Such a nice room!
Thanks for the nice comment you left me!
Thanks for leaving me a comment!! I LOVE how you've decorated and organized, and I checked out your kitchen while visiting- Fabulous!!
And I hear you about that mess o' wires, yikes!!
I really like the desk. It has a ton of character and a great story to go with it. The stained glass is great too.
It's so fun to see where you live! I love your wallpaper. it's perfect for an office!
I'm super impressed by how organized you are! No part of my house would ever look that good. Sigh.
I cannot believe you did that wall by hand...WOW! That is so awesome - your creativity never ceases to amaze me!
Have a wonderful weekend!!
~K
Thanks for the tour, that is a really neat desk. Of course it's so heavy, they just don't make desks like that anymore.. such character.
Oh, yeah, under my desk and the kitchen clutter looks JUST like mine :)
Isn't amazing that empty counters and desks in kitchens become such junk magnets!
Love the big desk!
Your house is so beautiful. And $75 for that desk? That's amazing!!
I really like those horse prints on the wall. I need something like that for my daughter's room.
Love your organization! I need to get better at it! Yes I have lots of fab! Such a terrible addiction!:)
That desk is awesome! And what a steal for that price.
Looks like you have a wonderful setup there, and you are so organized!
I love all those storage boxes! Adorable and functional!
Thanks for the comment! I love how organized you are!
Thanks for stopping by my blog! I love getting visitors. I am still new at all of this so it's great getting comments!
I like your antiques.....so much character.
Amanda
I have a major soft spot for any kind of antiques - which probably explains why we bought a house that was built in 1817! :)
LOVE your house - I just went back and looked at all the pictures in your previous posts, too - you have a great eye for decorating and I love what you've done throughout!
That desk from Iowa? It's perfect! I'm very jealous of your office space - that's something that's on my 'wish list' for our next house! (grin!!)
Hi...thanks for stopping by to see me today!
I love your desk! And those doors! :)
Have a great weekend!
I LOVE the fact that you have a table in your work space! I would kill to have one in mine! I bet your children (and you) use it a lot! Great idea!
Your office is very cozy... and everyone has that MESS under their desks!! I love you picture blog! You kids are adorable!!
Thanks for stopping by and leaving such wonderful compliments regarding my office back home in Indiana. You asked why we weren't there...well we are actually away for the summer. We spend our summers down South in Florida so we are currenty here in Naples until August 4th. I do miss home in Indy though too. However, I sure do love the beach house as well. :) Hope you are enjoying your Friday. Thanks again for sharing your office too. Love those old books. Beautiful!
Blessings, Angie Seaman
www.angelicagracedesigns.com/blog
www.angieseamanphotography.blogspot.com
I love the desk and have a smaller, similar one myself.
I enjoyed this walk around your rooms with you! I am a bit nosy & like to peep into lit windows of houses who have not drawn their curtains, as I am walking by!
Thank you for stopping by my office nook! You were asking where it's located & it's outside my laundryroom in our downstairs area. It's sort of the end of a hallway & the perfect size for my office space. I was happy to carve out a little space just for me.
Love your thrifted desk, it's so pretty. I'm a big yardsaler & thrifter too. Hope you'll drop back by to see me.
Oh! I have to say that I really like this meme. This is the first one I have come across in a long time that really captured my attention. I mean, what is cooler than getting a sneak peek inside someone's home?
Yours is lovely. :)
-Francesca
love the desk!
Im going to be in the market for a good (secondhand) desk soon. please send some of your great desk-finding Karma my way. thanks!!
I love your decorating talent!
love how organized you are! and all your great finds too!!!
Thanks for stopping by my blog! I love finding new blogs and I'm def gonna check yours out now. Happy Saturday...
I am a container freak, I love all your cute containers!!! And that desk is beautiful! I love old furniture that tells a story :)
It looks like a great place for all your creative work!! Good for you for having a place for it all. And my messes under the desk drive me crazy as well!!
LOL
:)
~Tabitha
Ps, hope you join in on Sunday Citar tomorrow!!
The desk is very cool! The sponge painting on the wall is soooo awesome!
Oh the cord thing drives me crazy too!!! Not the one at your house....the one at my house! Don't you wish everything could be wireless??? And being married to a computer geek...I don't think my wires are going away any time soon. sigh.
Just stopping by to wish you a happy weekend!!!
:)
~Tab
very cool, loved taking a peek you reminded me that I need to get scrapbooking I am so behind yet find it hard to find the time.