A Little Desk Refresh

We recently shared that we installed a wall of cabinets and a counter in the back of my work studio.  The idea was to use the back workspace for crafting and my desk for work and home office related items.  Because the cabinets are about done, it was recently time to assess the items going into the craft area and the items that should be stored at my desk.  That meant sorting down all of my office items by type, and keeping paperwork and office supplies at the office desk, and craft supplies such as glue, punches, papers, etc... in the back setup.

This was already the way the area was functioning for the most part, but a few things got moved around.  For me, it was more of an excuse to freshen things up and finish adding some of the details I have been dreaming up for awhile now.

When I last left y'all with a desk update, I had added a bunch of my favorite Instagram prints under the plexi topper.

Overall, the desk was pretty functional, but I ultimately realized a few things as I used the space that needed a little tweaking.

Once we added a wall of cabinets in the back, all of the concealed storage I added to the Expedit bookcases flanking the desk, left the entire room feeling really closed off.  I thought I would love the concealed storage as it would provide a clean look, but it ultimately left the space a little sterile.   

The best part of being an extreme Expedit enthusiast combined with the optional door and drawer inserts, is that I could easily remove the doors and pop them into the bottom row of the Expedit in our laundry room.

I still wanted some concealed storage, however, also loved the lack of doors, so the natural woven milk crate baskets {found on clearance from Target last year}, were the perfect solution!

On the opposite side, one of my most favorite updates to the desk was the addition of a bright pink unicorn hook.  Every girl should have a pink unicorn in their space right?

OK, so probably not for everyone, but I am truly, madly, deeply in love with it, Savage Garden style.  And it is functional by holding my headphones, since I love to listen to tunes while working on late night emails.

The little blue knobs were upgraded to some pretty acrylic knobs I found at Target.  One night I was looking at them and got the weird desire to attack them with my gold Sharpie marker...

The insides of the drawers are still smiling big with their cereal box dividers holding up strong!

On the shelf above, I added a wire basket to hold all of my fabric samples.  I have fabric sample collecting tendencies, as I have big girl dreams of sewing up curtains, pillows and even picnic blankets someday...

I also created a new piece of art with some gold foil and my Silhouette craft cutter.  This space is all about inspiring words to keep me motivated in the place I work each day.  I actually used this quote on a different piece of DIY art earlier this year, however, I received the gift of some purchased Etsy prints for Mother's day, so that DIY art has since been replaced.

Speaking of motivational quotes.  Have you seen Lara Casey's website?  She has some really beautiful and brilliant quotes available to download for your desktop.  I did just that.

I moved my striped magazine files upstairs to our living room, and replaced them with herringbone ones from the See Jane Work collection.  The pattern sings to me and the color was just too perfect for the space.  Not to mention, I needed twice as many as I originally had since I have magazine collecting issues too.  What can I say?  I love me some glossy inspiration.

I also added a task lamp that I have had in our storage closet for the past year.  It was just too perfect.

Sometimes it is all of the really little details that add up to create a really happy, organized place to work.

I have been trying to do my best to mix and match metal finishes and bring in natural elements into each space, whether an entire room or a smaller nook such as this.  I am really smitten with the combination of serious storage and whimsical joy and I really look forward to sitting down and working in this space each and every day. 

What small updates are you making to your spaces, to add storage or make them special, unique and simply YOU?  Anyone else attack items with a Sharpie in the middle of the night?