Goal #3 - ORGANIZE MORE
When I decided to make goal #3 to organize more, there was NO question where I wanted (ummm... NEEDED) to start - my office! I am going to let you peek inside the doors that are ALWAYS closed when I have company over... and for good reason!
Here is my desk area. I am a medical transcriptionist, as well as a Stampin' Up! Independent Demonstrator, so you will notice my transcribing equipment and my desktop computer.
My office is what was originally intended to be a dining room, which means there is NO STORAGE in this room. Just walls and windows.
I have utilized lots of storage tubs and boxes to contain the contents of the room, but it is now overflowing into the floor.... and, quite honestly, the rest of the house!
Mountains of must-haves and no place to store them! What is a girl to do? Look for inspiration, of course! As I mentioned yesterday, one of my goals is to spend less, so repurposing is a must! I have a few good pieces - an old dresser that belonged to my grandparents and a couple of laminate shelves. I also have a butcher block dining table that I would like to replace with something else eventually. I stumbled upon Karen's blog and WOWZA her new sewing room is GORGEOUS!!!
Take a look at what Karen at
Sew Many Ways has done with a space very similar to mine...
Karen painted old furniture black to bring all the pieces together.
Would you believe this was a set of 3 old laminate bookshelves?? A little moulding across the top tied them together and the flimsy backings were replaced with beadboard before painting. Oh how I love beadboard!
This gorgeous piece of organizing used to be an old piece of teakwood furniture and the cute boxes on the middle shelves are made out of old cardboard water bottle holders and the ones on the top shelf are cereal boxes! What a beautiful way to re-purpose!
Would you believe that the beautiful black cabinets/shelves mentioned above started life looking like these??? Visit
SEW MANY WAYS for all of the details on how she brought this amazing room to life!
Karen, thanks for sharing!
Let me share with you my filing challenge... It is an old 2-drawer filing cabinet. The bottom drawer is misaligned so it won't open and close properly and neither drawer will hold hanging folders because the inside mechanics have given up the ghost. Needless to say, I don't file much!
Now, look at this pretty piece. It was a toy box that my daughter used when she was itty-bitty. Now that she is older, it is sitting in our foyer holding my Vermont Teddy Bears and a basket with the dog's leashes in it. Not very exciting or useful. Don't ask me what is inside. I am afraid to look.
When I came across the following furniture repurposing, I knew I had to transform that toy box bench! I have no idea who this photo belongs to. I saved it in my inspiration folder on my desktop and neglected to record who the owner was. If you know who it is, please let me know so that I can give proper credit!
Look at the filing system inside!! So clever and useful!
I could paint it to match the other (soon to be) re-purposed pieces in my office. Still pondering a color, but I know it will have to be a Stampin' Up!® color! I am looking to also add a cushion to the top so that my constant companion will have a place to hang out... meet Minnie!
Well, there you have it! My office and my aspirations for organization in 2011. I will be on the lookout for awesome junky old furniture to paint and transform into storage and work surfaces like Karen did and I can't wait to try out the toy box renovation for my filing solution! Wessie, if you are reading this, get ready to teach me how to use power tools!
Have a Blessed Day!!
Katie Burke
Stampin' Up!® Independent Demonstrator
Pine Mountain / LaGrange, Georgia
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