I’m in the thick of it with our study: desk, shelving, fireplace, everything. Progress is messy, though, so I’m glad to take a moment and look at other peoples’ beautiful workspaces instead of my own, what with its stripped-back desk and patched-up fireplace. I love seeing the brilliant ideas people come up with for maximising form and function.
I know what I want for my desk and workbench, and I’m happy with the cozy rug corner, so here’s a few ideas I found for other areas that are easy to customise.
Display (larger)
This was the genius answer to not being able to hang posters in a rental house. I just think it’s a cool-looking way to display posters and prints. Even without the backing grid, the wooden hangers are still a neat idea.
Display (smaller)
This mesh grid works well for pinning up postcards and clippings and other small bits of inspiration. I may have to crib this idea myself, possibly in white to make the grid itself less of a focal point.
Shelving (wall mounted)
At first it felt like I had two options for wall-mounted shelving. I could invest in gloriously modern, well-beyond-my-budget modular shelving, like string shelving or the Vitsoe shelving system, which are best suited for a full wall. (Even the IKEA options were getting up there with freight taken into account, although I really like the PS 2014 bamboo-and-steel modular units.) The other option would be to go with track shelving and brackets, which would do the job, but could look a little too basic, if you catch my drift.
And then there’s the other other option, which is to build your own timber-framed shelving system like SFgirlbybay and Deuce Cities Henhouse (pictured above), who used cantilevering wizardry to support the shelves. The light birch wood fits right in with the pared-down Scandinavian aesthetic.
Shelving (free-standing)
Ultimately I went for a free-standing unit, due to their flexibility and our paranoid worries concerning the weight load on wall-mounted shelves. This one pictured is the IKEA VITTSJO unit, which is so versatile that various ‘hacks’ are all over the internet to tailor it to an individual style. I wanted shelving that was sturdy without looking too industrial, and this was a good reference point.
(The Merrythought, via Poppytalk)
Desk organisation
The best way to go about it varies from person to person, of course. All my office stationery crap lives in the top drawer of my desk, since I’d rather leave as much room as possible on the desk surface for the inevitable spread of paper and sketchbooks. Other people would rather have everything they need within arm’s reach, clearly labelled.
However, I really like the simplicity of this desk organiser from The Merrythought. It’s just plywood and dowel cut to the sizes you like and then superglued into place. Humble yet stylish.
Any other cool ideas out there that you’re into? Props for DIY/custom/not costing boatloads.
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