our family workspace
We finally finished our family workspace. Well, I still need to add plants to my pots and tame the wire mess, but other than that: done! Robert and I tossed around about 2 million ideas on this one. In the end, we found something that we could accomplish fairly easily without braking the bank that is fun to look at and fun to work in. It did turn out to be much more work than anticipated (what isn't, right?) and took way longer than planned. But we learned a ton and our marriage survived! : D
Before
I spent some time back in Sept organizing our files and office "stuff", but that folding table sure wasn't pretty or big enough to meet our needs.
After
This actually is the eat-in area of our kitchen, but we have an island with stools as well and we eat our dinners at our dinning table. So, we didn't need another table to eat at. We needed a family workspace. An area for our home computer. A place for Robert to work on his laptop for work and to study. Radley also needed a place to do homework and the girls to work on preschool activities.
I wanted to do a custom built-in workspace, but Robert was firmly against it. Now, I am so happy we didn't because we can bring these two desks with us when we move and they can work in any room. I think they have built in feel to them, though!
We used Ana White's plans for the narrow open file base and then the modular office desk. We customized the dimensions for our space and the kids' and my "shortness" ; D
Gotta love a man who builds furniture in funky socks and slippers.
Robert did most of the building. I did get to use the nail gun. But I primed (2 coats) and painted (3 coats in Valspar Dove White high gloss) both desks and the table.
The left side (or desk) is our "home office"
I kept the shoe rack as my printer shelf, but moved it from the floor to the desktop. The shelf was a bit too short for the printer on the bottom and I was not putting that big, ugly black box on the top. So, I painted some scrap wood and "lifted" the shelf.
(the wax paper is because I am impatient and the paint had not fully cured on the scrap wood)
Ikea shelf and pots. The little green bird is from Michael's. I can't wait to get some plants in those pots. I think succulents. I love succulents.
The other desk is for Robert or Radley to work at. That desk's open file base is where we keep our curriculum books and preschool activities.
The big teal tub holds all the play-dough and supplies. I have a few of those tubs around our house and garage. I got them at the end of last summer for $2.50 a piece at Walmart.
My kids draw and color and paint and cut out and glue a ton of things everyday. I was so tired of the paper piles. Now they put them in the teal magazine/file rack. About once a week, I take out a select few and toss the rest into recycling.
They needed a place for drying projects and to display. I found these giant clothes pins at Michael's, added some scrapbook paper and used command strips to attach them to the wall.
I used that same paper to make a fun mousepad (a pinterest pin, original tutorial found here). But I used paper and modge podge instead of fabric, then added contact paper for a smooth surface.
The wall art is a mix of my kids' artwork and some free printables that I found on pinterest. It is a collection of things that make me smile. The frames were taken from my stash of random frames and spray-painted. Oh, and I used Command picture hanging strips to hang all those frames. Not one nail hole in that wall. And if I hung one crooked a bit, I just lifted and straightened. I am in love!
My lefty
Our workspace in action.
Those chair, oh those chairs. I bought a green one about 6 months ago from Target when they did their "dorm room" stuff. Then I saw them on clearance for $15 each. I bought 4 of them because the colors worked and the height adjustment would come in handy. Well, apparently I let the excitement of that amazing deal on those fun colored chairs cloud my judgment. Who buys spinning chairs with wheels for 4 and 6 year olds?!?! Oh well, they get their wiggles out while they work. : D
All that hard work was worth it! It functions so well for us, the kids love it, and everything is so organized! I could not be happier about how it turned out.
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