My life is to make everything around me beautiful.

Wednesday, April 2, 2008

Redecorating - AGAIN!!

Yeah, yeah, I know, I'm at it again! BUT I saw the most wonderfully organized and beautiful office in a magazine recently and while my office could probably never look like that, at least I can make it look less cluttered (which I've been thinking and thinking on for months now) and a bit more efficient. Of course, I'm not done but I'm recording my progress here. I do have to say it is definitely less crowded and I can actually walk through the room from the doorway to the window without fear of stepping around things or on things and breaking a leg! This is true!! Now, this room isn't large - maybe 10 x 11 ft. or so. The office in the magazine wasn't much bigger but even a couple of feet each way makes a huge difference. But ya work with what ya got! So read on, chickadees...............

This is the cottage style desk. It is very big and VERY VERY heavy so we can't move it around very much. It's pretty much stuck where it is because of all the things I have hooked up to it for my computer "fluff" and access to filing cabinet, printer, etc. In the very lower left hand corner you can start to see the "CLUTTER" that was in that room. Ooooh my, it was ridiculous. Couldn't even see the carpet.


This little bookshelf holds unnecessary items and my much needed computer books and a few other items, but that's pretty much where it's going to sty..............I think. No, I'm pretty sure it'll stay there. It almost has to.


Okay, this is most of the stuff out of that office/computer room. I've "re-put" it in the sewing room. There are 6 sets of shelving in here and all are pretty much full, but I'll be working on de-cluttering in here also soon. It's just a jumbled up mess in here at the moment. I'll have to "think on it" about how to do this room.


Some of the stuff from the other room is on these shelves and I like them because they are steel and are able to hold much more being 5 instead of 4 like the plastic ones that sag.

I took some old quilts and fabric that I don't use much (which are on the floor now waiting for Jack to put them in a box and up in the attic space over the garage) and put more craft supplies on 2 of the shelves, but I'm going to have to free up more space o those shelves also. Will this never end?!?! If the fire dept. ever saw our attic garage they'd probably fine us for "bringing the neighborhood down"!!

This was the room at one point in all this rearranging. Taking shape but still not done.

Now we're getting closer. In the corner is a little melamine shelf I found in my neighbor's garbage pile when she sold her house and was moving out. Daughter and I made a "midnight run" out to the curb in the stealth of night with black clothes on and our faces smudged with black ash...........no, not really true about the clothes and faces, but it really was done late at night stealthily! LOL

Anyway, we got the little shelf and I just had it sitting in the room until I put it in the corner. I stole, oh excuse me, I mean confiscated, a piece of plywood that Jack had in the garage from working on his "model train room" and laid it on top and covered it with a vintage lace cloth. I've tacked the cloth to the wall as the backdrop for my photo shoot for selling my items on ebay or wherever I put them. I still haven't found just the "right" items to use for that space for the photo shoot. I like roses and will use them but I think it needs a bit of greenery also or maybe a teacup? Hmmmm, have to think on it. But more items will be added to the wall. I just love walls with lots of "eye candy" on them!

As you can see it's still not completely decluttered of some items, but I've got to find space in the sewing room. I love my little window seat in this room. It faces the street and I can see my front yard and the rose bushes. It's not especially comfortable to sit in that window seat but it adds so much to the room visually that I truly love it.

Enough about the room now..........I'm tired already. But this is a little antique cake cover/server I found at a garage sale. It's kind of unique in that the bottom has a lever that you move to release the top from the bottom. I'm putting this on to show you the "before" picture because I'm sending it to a friend, Rhea, to paint for me. I just took it down from the soffit in my kitchen and didn't even dust it for this picture. Yep, that is truly dust on it. Rhea, I will dust it before I send it, honey!!

See the little release lever on it? Plus the top looks like copper and the bottom is aluminum. I've never seen one like it but it is in great shape with only one little dent in the cover.

I made this little bird nest about 20 years ago and decided to give you a bit of "eye candy" today. It is adorable! The little teapot in back I got at Macy's probably 20 years ago also and is one of my favorite things.

I'm giving you a preview of a little shelf in my bedroom that will be redone soon also. Will I never stop working on this house?!?! Anyway, there is a little doll that I've had since I was a baby. It's a little indian doll that my parents bought when we were traveling across country and is over 60 years old for sure but I just love displaying things like that. The little basket was made by my son in scout camp so it's over 35 years old because he's 45 tomorrow. I may put this in the office is why I'm showing it to you. But then I'll have to find something else to put on this wall.