house tour / my pseudo-studio

Yesterday, you all got a look at my fantastic DIY Chevron Bulletin board, and a bit of sneak peek at my new shelving unit, but today we take a full tour of my new desk space (which I am affectionately referring to as my "pseudo-studio" or "pseudio."

My dear mom is a painter, and growing up, she always had a studio in our house to work in. For most of my life, I thought studio's were pretty normal, standard rooms to have in homes. Obviously not. It was so special! I love that I was exposed to art on a daily basis, and the importance of a special creative space in an artist's life.

Now, you know that since we live in a loft, there isn't much space for a studio. There is an office, but it doesn't have windows. This is Spencer's man cave, and it literally feels like a cave. I love having my desk by the huge patio doors that overlook the creek and the mountains, but hadn't designed it into a special, intentional creative space.

This is what it looked like before:

What a mess!

Now, I wanted to work mainly with items I already have, but desperately needed a few key items, including more shelving and storage for my many, many books. Places that needed the most touch ups: the knot of cords exposed below the desktop, the empty space below the cathedral prints, and the overuse of sticky notes...

Here's the after:

The more I look at this space, the happier I become. It really does feel like "me." The new bookcase helps so much with storage and has given me room to grow my collection without feeling like I'm drowning in space. It also adds a great console feature to set the lamp on and display some art (including the small "Birds of a feather..." piece that my cousin did! Check her out!).

The chevron bulletin board encapsulates that artist feel I was going for, since my mom always had inspiration boards in her studio. I'm excited to keep it's contents grow, and to see it ebb and flow over time and as inspirations change. The sheer size of it all ties the corner together nicely.

The chair was an absolute must. That stool was a relic of my mom's studio, and has no ergonomic value. In fact, I'm pretty sure she used it to set her palettes on (see paint splatters all over it above). The white/chrome chair from IKEA accents my color palette, and because of it's height, we had to raise up my drafting table a bit. This has actually been great because now I can stand at my desk and type without as much ergonomic issue. My chiropractor would be so proud!

The cable management system from IKEA is awesome, as well. No more mess of cords beneath my desk. It's clean and simple.

I loved styling my shelves and desk, too. I found a ceramic frog that my dad made in junior high the other day in my parent's garage, and stole it to add to my shelves! I also have some wine bottles that mean a lot to Spencer and I - an Italian blend from our wedding reception, some table wine from our honeymoon in Napa, and a Zin from Grgich Hills, also from our honeymoon. And ever the organizer, I set themes for my bookshelves above my desk with titles that I will need to grab the most (or love to look at), including my women's history shelf, spirituality shelf, favorite fiction shelf, and creative inspiration shelf.

I am so happy with the way it all came together, and how it makes me feel when I am working now. It really feels like my own special corner of our home, where I can work intentionally and be inspired.

Featured items:

IKEA EXPEDIT bookcase - $89.99
IKEA GLENN Bar stool, white/chrome plated - $69.99
IKEA GALANT cable management - $5.00