steal-worthy office organization

by | Oct 1, 2015 | All Things Home, Decorating, Organizing, Tips and Tricks | 13 comments

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If you missed it earlier this week, I finally finished Megan’s office and revealed all of the details.  You can see the full post and series HERE.  But, in this post, I wanted to share some of the amazing office organization happening in this space…

As I shared in the post, Kriste and I worked together to develop an overall floor plan and feel for the space.  We worked on the specific pieces of furniture, the Craig’s List wardrobe, the revamped desk chair, slipcovered arm chair, etc.  I shopped and selected accessories for the room, like the rug and antiques.

When it came to really pulling it all together and making it personal and functional, that was all Megan.  Other than nudging something in one direction or fluffing a skirt, we left things as she put them.   And I think she made some very clever choices that were both pretty and functional.

Here are some ideas that are steal-worthy from her space…

office organization idea 1 | a magnetic pin-board

I actually borrowed this idea from Barb of Knack.

magnetic inspiration board | knack studios | miss mustard seed

I think it looks a lot cooler than corkboard.

I was originally planning to put one large sheet of metal into one frame, but I found this chippy old window frame that was only $3.00 and thought it would add a perfect farmhouse feel to this idea that is a bit more industrial.

Kriste cleaned up the window frame and finished it with Hemp Oil.  My dad had some pieces of galvanized metal cut to the dimensions of each pane opening…

And I tacked each piece of metal in with small nails to secure them in place.

I love how it almost looks like a frosted window.

office organization idea 2 | DIY clothespin magnets

I thought this idea was so simple…functional and looks great.  Megan hot glued mini wooden clothespins to magnets…

Obviously, these won’t hold a ton of weight, but they’re great for little notes and pictures.

office organization idea 3 | brown paper-wrapped archive boxes

This is a smart and inexpensive way to reuse any kind of lidded box.  I think the tag-holder detail on the front is what really makes it special.

 

office organization idea 4 | the details matter

Just because things are utilitarian doesn’t mean they need to be boring.  I love how this vintage trash can doesn’t just serve a function need, but makes a design statement.

idea 5 | contain the clutter

I bought a few vintage pieces with lids that Megan could use for storage…an enamel refrigerator box and a metal cake tin.  She expanded on that idea of used a vintage crate, some woven baskets, and paper magazine holders.  Again, the pretty and the practical are in perfect harmony.

idea 6 | how you organize & work with it

Megan and I talked about how she lives in and uses her space.  She needs a simple organizational system that isn’t too much to keep up with.  We settled on having two large baskets, one for each of her boys, so she has a place to drop art and school papers she thinks she might want to keep.  A couple times each year, she can go through the baskets, weeding out things that aren’t keepers, and move the rest into plastic bins for long-term storage.  It’s a simple, low maintenance system that keeps piles from getting too large.

 (That’s the theory, anyway.)

Workspaces in general, have a natural tendency to get messy. Office organization ideas like these can at least help delay the inevitable!

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    13 Comments

    1. Heather

      I love how the room turned out! Great ideas for making utilitarian items beautiful and decorative!

    2. Lauren

      The baskets reminded me of a brilliant app my sister uses for her kids school work. Its called Artkive… you take pictures of their school work, and artkive will store them for you and then you can print a book at the end of the year. Not really design related except it helps cut down on the clutter and still save all those precious memories. I adore Megan’s office, and I’m really enjoying the renewed sense of joy in your posts! thank you for continuing to share with us!

    3. MaryLisa Noyes

      The window frame as a magnet board is awesome! I need to find one of those adorable lidded trash bins too…

    4. Elizabeth

      What a beautiful work space 🙂 I’m now going to be on the hunt for a window without glass so I can recreate that magnetic board. LOVE IT! Liz http://www.4evermysweetpea.com

    5. Trish Tokar

      Love everything you do, Miss Mustard Seed! Great make-over. I have a window pane just like that sitting out in the garage. Can’t wait to copy your idea!!! thank you!

    6. Tracey

      Wow…that wardrobe is swoon worthy!! <3

    7. Laurie

      the details were interesting & appreciated!

    8. Sue P.

      Great idea to put the metal sheets in the window frame. We did something similar with a large, antique mirror frame. Sprayed the sheet metal with chalkboard paint so we can use it as a chalkboard and magnetic board. I put small round magnets on a little metal box to attach it to the chalkboard to hold chalk and a little eraser.

    9. Debra

      Love it!

    10. Sally Hanselman

      I have a window shutter in my garage that came from my parents’ house. I wanted to do a chalkboard but now am thinking of that metal magnet idea. One thing I wondered about was the paint on the shutter, which I think might have lead in it. This piece has paint flakes all over it. Do you ever worry about that when you work with old architectural pieces?

    11. Lauren Baxter

      Great tips and Great office I love looking at this space 🙂

      Lauren Baxter | Lovely Decor
      xx

    12. Karen Stuart

      Oh to have you pull my tiny office together!

    13. Lisa

      Beautiful! Love the chalkboard wall with trees and the green cabinet. Thanks to this post, I can now get started on that old window with the broken pane.

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