Since this month’s Organization Challenge is the home office, I thought I'd show you around my office space. Well, part of it anyway since my office is still a work in progress. Nevertheless, it’s been so much fun organizing as we go along.
I'm not an avid scrapbooker or crafter - so I didn't have a bunch of glue, ribbon and stickers to store. Instead, I have things like paper, greeting cards, Sharpies, binders, art prints, files, paper tape and maybe a few "craft things" here and there. After searching high and low for the perfect storage furniture, Greg and I finally bit the bullet and purchased three pieces from the Martha Stewart Living Craft Space Collection. These babies have been around for almost a year now and I love them! Greg does too because they keep me sane, haha!
Let's jump right in and start with the big guy the lives on the right side of my office window...
This piece is actually two separate pieces {the Eight-Drawer-Flat-File Cabinet and the Storage Hutch}. The top section is where I keep the stuff I need to get to on a relatively regular basis. On the inside doors of the cabinet is a chalkboard and cork board. Since I already have an inspiration board in my office, I use this little cork board for stuff on my wish list, family photos and whatnot.
On the left side of the upper cabinet {starting on the top shelf}, I keep one of my favorite belongings - an antique camera given to be by my uncle when I was a teenager. It's fun to have a few sentimental things mixed in with the practical ones. It makes whatever you're working on more fun and easier on the eyes. Next to the camera is a small bowl with a hot glue gun and glue sticks. On the next shelf down is my craft paint stash and paint brushes. On the bottom, our three go-to binders {home maintenance, finances and blogging / Brown & Barkley} along with a utensil caddy {from Target} turned Sharpie/colored pencil caddy. The sliding tray on the bottom is filed with random odds and ends that “might make cool random art one day” or find its way to my inspiration board. I added a bookplate label {spray painted flat black} to the front of the drawer. Bookplate labels are super handy because you can change the label out whenever you want, but still have your nice pretty label in tact.
Now for the right side of the cabinet…
On the top shelf is where we keep all of our blog and Brown & Barkley related receipts. When the box gets a tad on the full side, I just file them away. I used a glass pencil holder {from Pottery Barn a few years back} for my back up paper tape collection {the ones I use daily are stored on my desk}. Clear containers for things like these are neat to use because they're so colorful and fun to look at. Next is a small collection of my favorite home design books, held up by a crazy easy DIY bookend made from a brick and some scrapbook paper. Then, I have a box {from Hobby Lobby} that holds all of our extra phone/camera/battery chargers. Finally, at the bottom is another sliding tray where I keep magazines I need to read.
Then, we have my favorite feature of this furniture: the flat-file drawers. I simply LOVE these crazy deep drawers - 25 inches deep to be exact. Thanks to the dividers that came with the unit, there seems to be a place for everything.
In an effort to keep things tidy and organized, I labeled each drawer using my label maker.
The deep drawers really come in handy when storying our art prints and mailing supplies for Brown & Barkley. I love when it comes time to ship a print, all I have to do is open the drawer labeled "Shipping Supplies" and there's everything I need to get it out to the UPS store.
Now that we've covered every nook and cranny of the big guy, let's talk about the shorter storage cabinet…
This piece isn't as deep as the other cabinet, but it still packs a bunch in the storage capacity department. This is where I keep all of my paper goodies and paper-related items like greeting cards, notepads, the printer, card stock, envelopes and so on.
Like the sliding trays in the other unit, I added some bookplate labels to keep things nice and organized. The bins on the door are where I keep all of our greeting cards. I keep on telling myself that if I have more than what fits in those bins, I have too many. I also added bookplate labels to the sliding trays. I have one tray for card stock, one for envelopes, and one for "pretty paper scraps". They are so convenient because they pull all the way out so you can take them wherever you're working on your project.
The large cubby is where we keep our printer. Greg drilled a small hole in the back of the cabinet for the wires. Under the printer is two baskets - one for printer ink and the other for my notebook collection. Again, I try {very hard} to tell myself if I have more than what fits in the basket, I have too many. I have a thing for notebooks, haha.
Lastly, we have two wide drawers. This is where I keep larger paper products {like contact paper and poster board {and poster markers} and small blank canvases {that I bought like two years ago, but still haven't used!}.
Well, there you have my office organization system. It's a work in progress, but that's the fun part - the progress! When you finally find a system that works for you, it's the best sense of accomplishment and there’s a peace of mind knowing there’s a place for everything. Thanks for letting me show you around!
"I'm Ashley from 7th House on the Left - a blog where my husband, Greg, and I talk about renovating, decorating and living in our first house here in Hanover, Virginia. I’ve been an interior design enthusiast and a long-time fan of all things organizing. Yep, I was the kid with the perfectly arranged Disney stuffed animals, alphabetized coloring books and the categorized and color-coded sticker book. When I'm not busy writing or doing projects around the house, I love classic TV shows (particularly I Love Lucy) and curling up with Greg, Bentley (our 9-pound Pomeranian), a blanket and a good black and white classic movie – I’m a complete sucker for Audrey Hepburn, Doris Day, Katharine Hepburn and Cary Grant films. I'm thrilled and honored to be a part of the IHeart Organizing team and excited to get to work!"
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