Decorating: Office Space

No, this post has nothing to do with staplers or TPS reports. At work I'm never sure how to refer to my desk area. I don't have my own office; my desk isn't in the middle of an open room (think Mad Men ); and we also don't use cubicles. Work space? Niche? Officette?
I digress... The actual purpose of this post is to:
1) Share a glimpse of my work life with my readers and
2) Illustrate the point that art and decor can come from anywhere or anything.

First let me say I love my office building. I am fortunate to work downtown, so I am able to walk to restaurants, shops and services on my lunch hour or after work. My office is located in an old building* and the original character is evident in every space.

our office, as seen from our front door

I have a large tackboard at my desk and I have pinned up items I have collected over time. A blank wall is not a pleasant environment for me so I like to see photos and images that inspire me or bring me joy. I have some of my own photos, postcards from local events, art** and even retail packaging. My motto is: if I enjoy looking at it, then it goes on the board.


One of my favorite details is my collection of lapel pins. I am not awake enough in the morning to even think about lapel pins - seriously I am doing good to make it out the door with make-up on - but I don't like wasting things, so I had no idea what to do with them. Then one day I realized lapel pins look and act a lot like thumb tacks, so here we are. I could have used them as tacks, but I already had a good thing going with my map tacks so I grouped them together as a feature.
Next up is the shelf above my computer. It's bright and cheery and the red + aqua color scheme ties in to the typewriter photo on the tack board. The red bucket was part of a gift basket but I kept it to store lotion, cough drops and other small items I need close at hand. My business card holder is a vintage Coca-Cola bottle opener that I found at the flea market. I love my little blue bird because my best friend bought one just like it and when I see it I think of her.

So, dear readers, do you have any favorite decor pieces that were intended to be something else? Do you have any great upcycling tips? Do tell!
*I have no idea what the building used to be. We are near the warehouse district, so I would guess the building was used to store stuff at some point in its history.
**If you have never seen the Free Art Project, go now. Every month artists upload digital scans of their original work available for free download. There's no fee, no membership, just free art! The user gets free wall candy and the artist gets their name and their work in circulation. It's win-win.

2 comments:

Blake said...

I certainly believe that a good office environment is very beneficial because it inspires the workforce to be productive. I am in the process of reconstructing my wife’s office space at home. She is an excellent businesswoman and whenever she’s in another state what she do is to reserve a reputable office area like the meeting space, Washington DC. She told me that in Washington DC, meeting rooms are incomparable. They have incredible facilities which utilize advanced communication systems. Well, I know that she travels a lot. But she still deserves a decent workplace in our home that is why I’m surprising her with one. And I agree with you that a blank wall is uninspiring, I've arranged our kids’ photos in her wall to motivate her.

Thanks for sharing this incredible blog. I certainly enjoy reading your posts.

Unknown said...

We all have our own style when it comes to decorating an office space. For me, I like to have a decent working space with a relaxing chair, a computer, a printer, a desk, and inspirational pictures and figurines!
- Clayton Steadham

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