Goodness, I’m so happy with my little corner of our shared office space! Yesterday, I put it all together and except for a piece of that plastic stuff to put under the chair (it doesn’t roll around easily on the carpet) and a bulletin/pin board, I’m open for business.

The days have been dreary and cloudy, so I did the best I could with my picture-taking.

Let’s take a little tour:

It’s the classic work triangle. I pictured this in my mind for several months and it’s all come to life beautifully. The desk is the Malm from IKEA. You can place the drawers on the left or the right. I chose the left because I knew I would be moving back and forth between the desk and the work table. The desk has a very large work surface, which was number one on my list of requirements. I do a lot of research when I’m coaching which involves a lot of books and paper and I need space for it all. Part of the impetus for this space was the fact that I was so sick of trying to do that work within the confines of the kitchen table. It was incredibly frustrating.

The chair is also from IKEA – the Lillhöjden in a gray check. How could I resist those ties on the back?

The pink cabinet moved from the hallway into the new space. The girls maintained their perch on the top of the cabinet.

My birdie wall pockets are hanging on the side of the cabinet.

Framed program from the Broadway production of “Claudia” circa the Forties. Shelf unit full of miniature pottery. Lots of supplies stashed against the wall.

The wicker flower basket holds wood trims for mini making.

The vintage pink glove box was a birthday gift from Don. He thought it would be a neat bit of storage. It is.

The pottery holding pens and pencils was a gift from my friend Tina. The framed Friends motto was a gift from Lori, my friend who owns Vignettes in San Diego. And you recognize the Roseville piece, right? It’s the one that arrived in pieces and has been glued back together.

The other side of the chair.

The desk lamp is Ranarp from IKEA. I have the white version on the table by my chair in the den. It’s a great utility lamp and provides a lot of light.

Yes, we have sloping ceilings upstairs – in both rooms. So we have to work around them and every piece of furniture has to be measured within an inch of its life.

The other side of the triangle. This is the sewing machine table that was formerly in the niche in the hallway. When we decided to open up this space by getting rid of the bed, I immediately envisioned it as an extension of the desk. I can move it in to the wall when I don’t want it taking up as much space and I can move it even further out than it is in this picture, as well. The cart is the Råskog Utility Cart from IKEA. It somehow manages to corral almost everything I need when I’m working on the TSP.

I should add that normally the TSP is covered with a remnant of barkcloth so it remains hidden from my husband. I took advantage of his absence and unveiled it for the photos.

The plant is one of my overwintering impatiens.

Don’s guitars in the distance.

The view from the other side of the TSP.

The mantel and eggcups have also moved from the hallway niche to this new space. They make me smile. The card with the word Heaven on it was the birthday card from my parents that Don gave to me.

The calendar you see hanging above the desk was a $3 find from Target.

And let’s see who joined me in the office:

The lamb with the party hat. Now the space is complete!

If we ever get a sunny day again, I’ll take more photos for you. I promise.

This was done on a budget, of course. Is there any other way? Not for yours truly!

The Malm desk: $159.00
The Lillhöjden chair: $79.99
The Ranarp desk lamp: $39.99
The Råskog Utility Cart: $29.99

Total cost: $308.97

I assembled the chair, lamp, and cart. Don and I assembled the desk – it was definitely a two person job, as was moving the big pieces into the room from the hallway.

To say I’m thrilled is an understatement. I’ve wanted this sort of arrangement for the ten years we’ve lived here. The rest of the room? Still under construction. We moved out my grandmother’s trunk and some other pieces. They are now in our storage space (huzzah!) so we have much more room to play with. Don has to rethink his part of the space. He wants to clear some clutter.

And we’re thinking a vintage loveseat would be really cool in this space. We have all sorts of plans!

I hope you like the new space! Something tells me you’ll be seeing it fairly frequently.

Happy Wednesday.