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Thursday, April 29, 2010

My Office-in-a-Closet

Our house is not very big, so when it came time to look around and find a spot for a home office, the only place I could think of was a closet on the stair landing.   So this is where I log my blogging hours - in a closet!


It has worked out well, although it is really small.   I put some little wooden animals along the door frame, that my Grandmother brought back from Zambia when she lived there in the 1970s (I had a very cool Grandmother).

 
I painted the walls cream and wallpapered the backwall with blue toile.  I happened to have an old office table that was a pefect fit for the closet.  I actually had to take the legs off to get it in, but it works beautifully.

Let's take a tour:

You can see part of my little house tin collection along the back of the desk.  I use some of them for storing cords and things.


This is one of my favourite little house tins that Kate brought back from France. Do you recognize the house - it is Giverny, Monet's house.



Now we move on to the messier side of my desk on the left.  Lets just say I'm a piler not a filer and leave it at that, okay? Okay.


Yep, not too pretty.  Sorry about that.  When I'm sitting down I can't actually see the mess, as the piles are mostly above eye level, which is a relief.  I get to gaze at some of my lovelies on my magnet board instead.



My daughter, Kate, bought me this print from a brocante in France when she visited last summer.  I have yet to get it framed because it is an unusual size, but I'm enjoying it on my magnet board anyway.  Aren't those mademoiselles just so french and so divine.


I also have my calendar that I made using Smilebox (I wrote a post about it here back before anyone was reading my blog).  I look forward to each new month, but at the same time am sad when I turn the page  - very conflicting.


Then on the upper shelf I have some games - what do you think - too many games???  Yeah, I probably do need to get rid of some, but we are a game-loving family and I use games at work to make speech therapy fun.


My younger son, William, made this pencil holder cup for me at nursery school, when he was about 3 years old.


The fish print at the top is a batik card from Indonsia that a friend gave me years ago.  The owl on the bottom was a sketch my older son, Malcolm, did when he was in Grade 9 or 10.



So there you go - my little office.  Now when I blog, you can picture where I am.


I'll let you in on a little secret, though, it usually doesn't look like this.  I tidied and sorted so I could invite you over to visit my little office-in-a-closet.  Just keeping it real!


Linked to the Parade of Homes Linky Party at Poppies at Play
and Where Do You Blog? Party at Centsational Girl

26 comments:

  1. Hi Grace...what a fabulous space and you're much tidier than me. I really, really love toile yet I don't have any...must fix that. Yours is beautiful. And I really like the way you've placed the animals on the door frame..like a little welcome.

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  2. I love the animals, too. What a cute place to display them!

    I want an office closet, too!

    :) Laura

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  3. Love the animals above the door, very clever! I also love that you use your children's artwork in your office. We do that too! You managed to get quite a lot in that space. I'm impressed. (Yes, it's hard to get rid of the games. I understand.)

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  4. Great office space Grace! And I love all of the personal touches you've incorporated into such a small space, it's perfect! I'd have to agree that your grandmother was very cool!

    Kat :)

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  5. Oy my goodness, what a cute space. I love the animals above the door...nice touch.

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  6. Hi Grace,
    What a cute office space and well use of the small space.I love the toile and your cute accents. Very well done!
    Joy

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  7. That is a cute little space, Grace. I love the blue toile and the personal touches from your family. I use some of our kid's school crafts and gifts in my hobby room for storage too. Makes me smile to look at them.

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  8. What a tiny perfect space. I just love the toile.

    I'm sitting in my home office/craft room at the moment ...let me tell you it is definitely not camera ready!!!

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  9. That little closet is full of memories! And I am also a piler, pilers unite!

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  10. This is a great space. Love the little animals.

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  11. Grace i love it! I really love the wallpaper. You did such a good job - i wish i could do that - my house and kevins house are both very old (mine was born in 1917) so we have very small closets :( You are so creative!

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  12. Hi Grace, great job on the home office! I have a bolt of that same toile and I'm just waiting for the right place to use it. Great idea, and it makes such an impact in a small area like this. I'm a piler too so long live the pilers! K xx

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  13. Okay, you are brillant. What a clever use of space! LOVE LOVE LOVE the toile!

    Krystal
    sassysanctuary.blogspot.com

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  14. Very cool idea for an office room! It doesn't have to be huge and I really enjoyed how you've decorated it. The wall paper was a great idea! I'm glad to hear that it doesn't always look that tidy:) For some reason clutter is DRAWN to my computer. It's always a mess!

    Thanks so much for linking to the parade!
    XOXO,
    Andy

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  15. o my goodness, I'm looking at all your pics and just love it! love love love the wallpaper in the closet, laundry room, etc.
    I'm getting another idea for my hallway closet....lol

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  16. I love the wallpaper in your closet and all the items that mean so much to you. The desk looks great in there too.

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  17. I love all the little home tins and I really like the toile in the back. Very nice. I'm in a closet office now blogging away too! I'm still working on decorating it though! Thanks for sharing your space.

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  18. Pretty! I love the space you've made...the wallpaper, all the pretty details -- it's just lovely! Thank you for sharing*

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  19. What a sweet spot! I love the blue toile wallpaper...it gives the space a real punch of fab!!

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  20. What a cute/practical/efficient use of space! Love it!

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  21. Grace I LOVE your SWEET little space, it's DELICIOUS! ;-) That toile is fabulous and I love how you've taken an intimate little area and made it YOURS! I'm your newest follower! OH, BTW, I LOVE SMILEBOX too!

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  22. Lovely, Grace. Your blogging closet appears to have everything you need, and it's done with great style.

    Connie

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  23. I like your little office! Those wood animals are such a cool touch, and the wallpaper is really pretty, too.

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  24. I love, love, love this!! It is amazing what you can do to a space any size!

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  25. I love the portraits that you took. I love the wallpaper. I wish I had your creativity and skills.

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