I was recently directed toward an old New York Magazine feature called Room to Work. The captured office spaces of famous working folks sparked my interest. It's so imperative to what we do; the space we produce from. I think it is so important to have some space to call your own. Someplace that you can keep it all together - a more 3D version of a daily planner. A personal home office can truly be created from any void space (think: wall, corner, closet, cabinet!).
I thought I'd share the joy in my little desk; it went from empty niche to energetic nook in a matter of minutes (with a husband + a hammer). We had an (almost non-existant) niche in the space between the bedrooms in our apartment. A wicker laundry hamper occupied this spot for almost a year, until I finally decided to it was time to upgrade from the dining room table; I needed some serious space of my own, and it would just have to fit in that little walled-up corner! I ordered the Sloan Leaning Desk from Crate and Barrel (the dimensions read a perfect fit), and once installed, the fit made it look like a custom built-in (it's all about the actual space, the circumference). I found the vintage Singer chair in my mother-in-laws garage up-for-grabs (it was her grandma's sewing chair!), and the industrial-style drawers in the alley up our block. I installed a hook from Anthropologie directly into the side of the wooden desk beam - I love having my bag and it's (otherwise missing) contents at hand, and slowly personalized with some (but not too many) desktop objects and colorful journals. I keep the family filing box underneath, and have one drawer dedicated to user guides and manuals, making this a teeny-tiny, one-stop, drop-box office.
Bottom line, you can create an "office" almost anywhere! I especially love working from this desk because of it's location directly outside and facing Freida's room; lending me the ability to give her the impression that I am watching her play. :)
(Credits: Pixie poster. Freida's birthday invites. Beautiful painting of the Rebbe.)
Also, here's a peek at some famous American desks:
JFK
Martha Stewart
Albert Einstein
Tina Fey
Marc Jacobs
Woody Allen
Your home is your own, and your bedroom may be personal, but there is something special to be said for having a little office-zone all your own. These images make me wonder... What about you? Do you think your workspace expresses who you are?
