Needing, Wanting, Loving: A Writing Desk

I've been inhabiting my new studio apartment for almost 5 months now, and still haven't done too much in the way of decorating.  I did finally decide on my shade and curtain materials and purchased a small bistro table and chairs.  The chairs I plan to recover in a small printed fabric, and I'm toying with the idea of making a skirt for my table.  I told myself I wasn't going to go so "feminine" this decorating go-round, but I can't help it-- old lady decorating vibes are my favorite.  The one element I'm still trying to figure out is a makeshift desk of sorts.  Since I'm limited on space, a fold-down secretary that could also provide storage sounds appealing:

{Jenny Wolf}

Or, a desk that also functions as a bedside table could be nice: 

{Jenny Wolf}

Or, just a small desk set aside to create a little nook would work fine for me:

{studio mrs}

{brian sawyer}

{Miles Redd}

One of my favorite living room vignettes below:  Black desk + lucite chair + brass Vaughan lamp, and a Marilyn Minter photograph for good measure- designed by the fab Lilly Bunn:

{lilly bunn}

 I need a space to work on my laptop because lying in bed with it just makes me fall asleep! Tackling this desk situation is next on my decor to-do list.  Below are a few small desks I adore.

Home Office Design

Happy Tuesday!  How was your weekend?  Mine was restful and chill. I am excited to be going to ACL this Friday-Sunday, so it felt like a smart idea to relax this past weekend.  Today I thought I'd share a few design boards I created for a friend who is in the process of redesigning her home office.  My friend has been married for a few years now and her and her husband plan to start a family in the not-too-distant future.   She wanted to turn her small home office in to a space that reflected her style a bit more, while also making it work as a functional play room once they had kids.  Since she often works from home, she imagines that one day her children could play in the room while she (tries to) work at her desk.   Here is the space as it stands now (i.e., the before shot):

 

 

My friend has a love for soft colors and traditional pieces that still pack a punch.  We did her dining room last summer, which you can see here.   However, since her office space was smaller and a space that is uniquely "hers", she was willing to push the envelope a bit.  I knew I wanted to give her space a richer wall color just to add dimension, and ended up picking Benjamin Moore's Hale Navy.  I love it because it is simultaneously elegant and rich while remaining timeless.  Next up, I began working on choosing furniture and accessory pieces to give her space a new look.  Most of the office spaces she showed me as her inspiration included touches of brass, blush pink, and neutral hues mixed in.  Her husband and her love to travel, and they had purchased a map they wanted to frame for the wall that included antique hues of blush and gold.  Based off of that as well as my own vision, I created 3 design concept boards for her to choose from:

 

The storage shelves would be perfect for her to store toys and books in for the "playroom" portion of the room, and a soft rug would provide a comfortable space for her kids to play on while also anchoring the space. 

 

Can you guess which concept board she went with?  Which one is your favorite option?

Offices I Covet

Happy Monday! Did you enjoy your 4th of July weekend?!  I hope so.  I am sure today will be a harder Monday than normal to get through, so I thought I'd start the week with a little office eye candy.  I am in the initial planning stages of helping a friend redecorate her home office, so I've been researching ideas and pulling images I find particularly inspiring.  To me, a home office is a great space to show a little more of your personality.  Whether you work from home or only use your office as a place to pay bills and check emails, creating a space that reflects your style will make the room more comfortable and enjoyable to be in! I have always LOVED the look of a wallpapered ceiling, and this home office is no exception:

{Kelly Deck Design}

I love the built-in cabinetry here, highlighted with the swing-arm sconces.  The sofa upholstered in Quadrille fabric and the grasscloth wallpaper add character and comfort:

{Diane Bergeron}

One of my design heroes, Meredith Heron, recently shared her design firm office on Style Me Pretty.  Every detail was incredibly chic:

{Meredith Heron}

{Meredith Heron}

I love this office nook for it's hardware.  From the gorgeous built-in panels that have been enhanced with leather inserts, to the geometric pulls, to the lucite and polished nickel drawer knobs- it's fab!

{Laura Tutun}

I swooned over the black paneled doors in this home office.  Talk about making a statement!

{House and Home}

I hope these gems took your mind temporarily off the fact that it is a Monday and we're all back at work.  ;)

Which office look is your favorite?  

Workspace Nooks

TGIF!  Any big weekend plans? I am excited to be heading up to Dallas to spend a girls' weekend with Lindsay.  We plan to catch up and do a little shopping, consume copious amounts of wine, relax, and meet Albertina (for the first time in person!)   Before signing off for the weekend, I had to share a few workspace nooks that have caught my eye lately.  While I've often talked about my love of home offices- a space to uniquely call your own- I also love the idea (and the practicality) of utilizing a niche or corner in your home as a chic workspace.  Whether it be for writing letters, typing emails on your laptop, or simply organizing your mail- small does not have to equal drab:

{Jennifer Boles via Marcus Design}

{Apartment Therapy}

{The Selby}

{Lonny}

{Lonny}

Now I have an itch to turn a corner of my bedroom in to a functioning desk space.  It'd be perfect for storing my laptop and a convenient place to blog from (rather than my bed)!

I hope you all have a great weekend- and don't forget to submit your entry in the Polyvore giveaway, for a chance to win $500 to Layla Grayce!

The One Room Challenge Reveal!

Happy Wednesday my dears!  Today is a very exciting day- the One Room Challenge reveal.

If you are new to the challenge, let me catch you up to speed.  Myself, along with 19 other bloggers, have spent the last 6 weeks creating or re-creating a room and sharing our progress along the way.   I talked for months about how wonderful it would be to have a home office to blog from and to do my design work.  Mostly I work from a coffee shop, my kitchen table or my sofa!  Not always conducive to productivity.  Despite me dreaming and scheming for months, my extra bedroom remained in a dire state- completely empty:

But this challenge gave me the opportunity to put together an inspiring space.  My typical aesthetic is rather traditional with French influence and a little pattern mixed in.  For the office, I decided to have fun and go with a broad color palette.  Here's the "after" shot:

The blank wall I shared in the first photo became the perfect spot for a fun seating arrangement (thank you to everyone who gave me their input on this purchase last week!).  The leather chairs were purchased from Z Gallerie, and the table lamp was a gift from Lulu & Georgia.  The occasional table was a High Fashion Home find.  

I am a big fan of details and had a fun time accessorizing my desk and console:

Can you tell I've looked at my Allegra Hicks book a few too many times??

This console is very functional and holds my printer/fax, paint samples, and all my fabric baskets. I worked with a friend of mine, Rob Regan, a fellow interior designer and interiors photographer, to shoot the office.  Don't let the clean look here fool you- since getting everything finished and having a chance to work from my new space, I've managed to make  it rather chaotic.  But that's the best way to get inspired, right?

I hope you like my space!  It was definitely a labor of love.  A big thank you to Linda of My Crafty Home Life for inviting me to participate and to Rob Regan for taking time out of his busy schedule to photograph the room.

Now let's go see the other participants' fabulous final reveals!  

Chattafabulous 

Chinoiserie Chic 

Classic Casual Home 

the Cottage Mix 

Cottage & Vine 

Design Indulgence 

Design Manifest 

Everything LEB 

Hodge Podge 

Kim Macumber Interiors 

Little Black Door

Matters of Style 

Calling it Home

Nicole Scott Designs 

Pacific Family Homes 

Pawleys Island Posh 

the Peak of Tres Chic 

the Pink Pagoda 

Powell Brower Home 

Simple Details 

The One Room Challenge: Week 5

Happy Wednesday!  This week is week 5 of The One Room Challenge and we have some big gaps to fill in in the meantime!

I have gotten the big pieces in, added the Robert Abbey gourd lamps, added my file box and a few coffee table books to the desk area.  But right now it's still looking bare:

The corners are needing a little something, the painting still needs to be hung, and I'd like to add a few chairs for guests/clients to sit in. The other 2 main tasks needing to get done are...

The bar area was quickly decorated without much thought right when I first moved in.  I'd like to spruce it up a bit and give it a little personality.

See how my friends are doing in the challenge:

Chattafabulous

Chinoiserie Chic

Classic Casual Home

the Cottage Mix

Cottage & Vine

Design Indulgence

Design Manifest

Everything LEB

Hodge Podge

Kim Macumber Interiors

Little Black Door

Matters of Style

My Crafty Home Life

Nicole Scott Designs

Pacific Family Homes

Pawleys Island Posh

the Pink Pagoda

Powell Brower Home

Simple Details

One Room Challenge: Week 4

Pinch me.  How is it already Week 4 of the ORC? Time flies when you have none.  Am I right?  Don't get me wrong, I thrive in the realm of crazy!  We'll make it.

Today my office gets an inspiration board!  I've needed one forever.  I dedicated a whole post to wanting one here, over a year ago.  And.... it never happened, until now! To create mine, I simply took a linen fabric I liked and wrapped it over a cork board, then staple-gunned it in to place.  I have to keep my DIY's simple.  Remember my X-bench tutorial?  You know I love my staple gun.

Ta-da:

A fun mix of fabric swatches, paint colors, quotes, and pictures that inspire me, this board is both functional and aesthetically-pleasing to me.  All of those samples up are being spec'd for current projects, and I like staring at a mojito while working.  The quote in the center of the board is actually a greeting card that says "I recommend vodka."  The smaller quote says, "I find inspiration everywhere I look.  It often comes when I think I see something and realize it's something else. It can come from a building, a bridge, an object or even a shadow."  And finally, a personal favorite, "Quality is remembered long after the price is forgotten," said by Gucci.

Remember last week when I said I wanted to create a happy mess of objects and books for my desk and console decor?  I am well on my way...

I hope you like!  Happy Wednesday!

See how the other One Room Challenge participants are up to: 

Chattafabulous

Chinoiserie Chic

Classic Casual Home

the Cottage Mix

Cottage & Vine

Design Indulgence

Design Manifest

Everything LEB

Hodge Podge

Kim Macumber Interiors

Little Black Door

Matters of Style

My Crafty Home Life

Nicole Scott Designs

Pacific Family Homes

Pawleys Island Posh

the Pink Pagoda

Powell Brower Home

Simple Details

The View Through My Lens 15 + Worthy Links

I was looking through Kelly Wearster's new coffee table book, Rhapsody, the other day and read that she takes hundreds of photos a week of objects and furniture she finds during her curating process for a client.  They act like visual index cards.  I find it endearing that a multi-million dollar decorator still goes out in the field to get inspired.  It's very authentic. I believe it is so important to get out from behind our computers and go out in to the world to get creatively refreshed.  For me, the process of searching antique stores, showrooms, and furniture boutiques for just the right thing is so fun.  Here's some of my recent finds...

Python wallpaper, anyone?

If this piece of art was anywhere near my price range, it would've come home with me...

Loved this Swedish settee...

Lastly, I have begun working on my home office now that I decided on my desk!  I am probably the most decisive person you will meet.  I said I needed a desk on Tuesday, and as of today I have one!  Throughout the month of February, I will be sharing weekly updates as I transform this space from what it looks like now to what I hope it will become:

Worthy Links:

-So excited to hear that Sarah of Chevron & Stripes will be interning with Bunny Williams.  What a dream!  I can't wait to read about the experience.

-Can't get enough of Bradley's home tour on The Glitter Guide.  Seriously chic.

-Loving this Madewell outfit post from Karla's Closet.  Karla has a unique look that is very 50s pin-up.

-Hampton Hostess made me drool with several vintage Studio 54 images and memorabilia that will be auctioned off in Palm Beach this weekend.    I have always wished I could have experienced the club when it was in it's heyday in the 70s.

Have a fab weekend!!  XO, Sam