4 more ways to organize your office with style

Yesterday, we talked about 4 ways to upgrade your organization and accessories in your home office, today, I have a couple more tips for accessories, and then some office furniture advice.  As I requested yesterday, please stay out of the office supply store, it will rarely make your office a cozy and inspiring place to work.

1. Use a small tray to corral all the little things that end up on the desk. Now, just because I said tray, that doesn’t mean it has to be an actual tray. I use a cute vintage ash tray.  It could be a framed family photo laid down on it’s back, one of those great paper trays from Target’s dollar bins, or an actual small wooden tray.                                               (My Zanhouse, Twin Wood Carving, Metal ash tray)
2. Make a more attractive filing cabinet.  Because those metal filing cabinets just aren’t very attractive.  You can make one out of a thrift store end table, or you can get really fancy and make one out of an old chest and include a bulletin board and sliding drawer, or if you already have an metal cabinet, you can dress it up with paint or wallpaper (follow the links below for tutorials).                                                             (BHG, Martha Stewart, Apartment Therapy)
3. Attractive cork/dry erase boards. There are so many options now that there is no need to buy the cheap kind with the thin, flimsy wooden frame.  (And I just might know somebody who makes some cute ones if you’re interested in purchasing some.  wink, wink.)                                                                                      (See Jane Work)
4. Don’t use a “desk chair” unless it’s vintage or just really cool. Instead, try a any chair that you think is good looking and comfortable enough to sit at your desk in. If you like to roll around in your chair, just add casters to the legs.  Wouldn’t an old leather wingback be great? (Simple tutorial for adding casters here.)                                                           (Century Furniture, Riverview Galleries)

And a bonus tip: While the functional office pieces in your office should look like accessories, you should still have some real accessories to bring in some warmth and coziness. Use a rug, drape a pretty blanket over the arm of your chair or use a throw pillow, put a piece of art on the wall and have some window coverings. Personally, for a home office, I prefer the more structured varieties like Roman blinds, but whatever fits into your decor scheme will work.

Any furniture in your home office that wasn’t sold as “office furniture?”

P.S. We’ve been busy purging for an upcoming yard sale and trying to finish up my own office.  Still saving for the rug, but I have some window treatments underway and we have a plan for more wall shelves.  We should be finishing up at least one or two projects this weekend and I’m determined to show you something from all our work this past week on Monday.