Tag: desk

A Colorful Pain-in-the…
A new rug has once again entered our house. It’s cute and colorful! August likes it! Tiny Lego pieces get lost where the baby can crawl over and find/eat them or you step on them, ouch! I did not realize what a pain it would be to make sure there aren’t little tiny toys hidden, lying in wait. It’s not an impossible task but it is worth mentioning in case you’re looking for something similar. I imagine this would be a problem with most of the colorful options I was looking at, or with any heavily patterned rug.

The bigger problem is that it’s a cheap rug, and that’s evident in the quality. Basically, it’s just a big 8×10 cotton rag rug, but even among rag rugs, quality varies. The little loops are continuously popping up and I have to tuck them back in or trim them. And of course I can’t use the vacuum’s beater brush, which may or may not be a problem in the long run. Returning a rug by mail is a pain, but the shipping both ways is free and I’m going to replace it with either this one or this one instead. The flat weave should last longer and be easier to keep clean, which is worth the hassle of swapping them out. It’s a disappointment and a minor setback, but it’s easily fixable.

A new desk is here too. (I sold the armchair to make room for it.) August requested red and the one I was going to order (#20 in the roundup) sold out before I grab one, so I went with one of the other options. It’s sturdy and solid and will stand up to little boy wear and tear, and the castors have locks on the front wheels. Plus, obscenely large pet cages fit beneath it, so bonus!

Eventually a chair and some sort of drawers/storage will go where the cage is, but August is happy to have the boy guinea pigs in his room right now and that’s the best place for them.

The new layout with the bed in front of the windows means we couldn’t use the sconce we had again as a bedside light. I spotted the windsor task floor lamp on clearance and I bought the store’s floor model, figuring it would work well as a replacement. The cord is part of its design, but the floor switch is annoying because you have to get out of bed to turn the light on or off. A plug-in dimmer switch will solve the problem.

How’s that old “to do” list shaping up?

To do:
- paint the bed frame
- upholster the headboard
- ~~no more bed rail~~
- ~~new rug~~ return and replace the new rug
- ~~rearrange the furniture~~
- repaint ~~(maybe)~~ (definitely)
- add shelves above the radiator
- more art
- ~~organize (and pare down) the toys~~
- replace the light with a ceiling fan
August 25, 2015
20 Colorful Kids’ Desks and Chairs
The armchair in August’s room will soon be out of there. Nobody is sitting in it much (we read more in bed), and when I asked him if he would rather keep the chair or have a desk instead, he wanted a desk. Eleanor has one in her room, so of course August wants one too.

His bedroom has unpainted wooden trim, a wooden dresser, a black bookshelves. The bed will be upholstered, and the only other soft surface (the armchair) is being removed. I’ll be repainting and I’ve already added a more colorful rug, and I’m looking to bring in more color with the desk and chair. I found twenty options that can mix and match and when I showed them to August, and he said he wanted red. No, light blue. “No, all of them! Stack them up to the roof!”

A lot of help he is!

With the exception of one desk (#3, which is over by ten dollars), everything here is under $200. Much of it is under $100.
1. Commune Chair
  Bent plywood in red, green, blue, or black.
2. Tobias Clear Chair
  This is also available in a clear version, but that lilac is unexpected in a wonderful way.
3. Safavieh Bentley Writing Desk
  Industrial inspiration plus poppy color.
4. Janinge Chair
  Comes in white too, but the yellow is much more fun.
5. Pagoda Blue Evie Molded Dining Chair
  Knock-off Eames shell chairs. There are a million out there, or go for the licensed version in plastic or fiberglass.
6. Homeroom Metal Desk Chair
  Teal, lime, pink, red, or white. The rolled front edge makes the chair more comfortable for longer periods of time.
7. Student Desk with Open Front Metal Book Box
  A primary school classic that also comes in blue, but you have to order at least two.
8. Expound Desk
  That modern trestle base is a fun detail on a well-priced desk. Available in several colors.
9. Public Chair
  Just adorable. Eight wood and accent color combinations.
10. Ideal II Chair
  Bent plywood chairs are always a nice go-to.
11. Lucinda Stacking Chair
  Orange powdercoated iron. Super colorful and sturdy! Also comes in grey.
12. Domino Desk Chair
  Such a great price for a design like this! Similar styles often go for much more from pricier stores. Choose green, gold, navy, or pink.
13. Vilmar Melamine Chair
  These are usually bent wood, but the melamine makes this easier to wipe down and keep clean. Comes in several colors and patterns.
14. Go Cart Mint Rolling Desk
  Similar to the other on this list, but less expensive and in a lovely mint color.
15. Reidar Outdoor Aluminum Chair
  Metal chairs are wonderfully sturdy and indestructible. Choose from black, white, and yellow.
16. Pony Peacock Chair
  I didn’t include a lot of fabric choices here on purpose, but I liked this one too much to pass up. Comes in a gray tweed too if you’re looking for something less colorful.
17. IKEA PS 2014 Secretary Desk
  Toys and display space up top, hide everything else below! The zingy orange and modern design is great, too.
18. Marais A Side Chair
  16 colors! We have these in our dining room, in gunmetal gray.
19. Umbra OH! Arm Chair
  You know where the name comes from? You sit down and exclaim “OH!” when you realize how comfy it is.
20. Red Josephine Desk
  X-bases for the win. Plus a fold-down drawer!
August 12, 2015
Working on My Work Space

This post and giveaway are sponsored by GE reveal^®.

I’ve been making over four spaces in my home over the course of four weeks, using just $100 from Target and GE reveal^® LED light bulbs. I’ve also had a total of $4000 in Target gift cards and plenty of GE reveal^® lighting to give away so that each week, 10 readers win everything they need for their own #100reveal makeovers! The rules and information are at the bottom of this post, so be sure to enter.

This week, I’m working on my work space. I had some difficulty while pregnant with my third baby but I still had to work at my computer, so to limit my going up and down stairs, Brandon helped set up my desk in our bedroom. It was supposed to be a temporary solution, but Calvin is five months old already and I’m still working from the same spot! It was a bit of surprise, how much I would love working here.

Since I see my desk all the time, I figured it was about time I spruced it up a bit. The task lighting needed to be addressed, and I knew I could pick up a handful of things from Target with my $100 makeover budget that would help my cluttered desktop and drawer.

You can see how I put everything to use and the difference that GE reveal^® bulbs made in this week’s #100reveal video.

The drawer needed a lot of help. I know some people are OK with an ‘out of sight, out of mind’ mess, but that kind of thing drives me crazy! I’m far from being neat all the time, but I do like my drawers, cabinets, and closets to be tidy. I picked up a jewelry organizer that fit perfectly inside the desk and separated everything into compartments.

Just about everything that was in the drawer was put back, the only exception being the printer ink refills which went in one of the nesting boxes I picked up at Target.

The room is flooded with beautiful light during the day, but it was less lovely when the sun went down. We rely on lamps in the bedroom rather than overhead lighting, but the bulbs cast a yellow tint that turned our blue/gray walls green. Switching them to GE reveal^® LED bulbs kept the colors true and the room instantly looked better.

I can get pretty hungry throughout the day since I’m nursing, so I’ve been keeping chocolate covered almonds at my desk (yum!). The container isn’t so nice to look at though, so I tucked it inside another of the nesting boxes I picked up. I keep water nearby too, and the occasional cup of coffee.

My desk wasn’t terrible before, but it’s much better now with a little organization and a lighting upgrade.

Giveaway

Do you have a desk or home office in need of some updating? Comment below about creating your perfect work space with GE reveal^® and a $100 gift card to Target, mentioning #100reveal for your chance to win!

There will be ten winners drawn. See the complete rules for more information, and good luck!

I’m so excited to be a GE reveal^® #100reveal sponsored blogger. Opinions are my own, projects have been chosen by me, and additional products used in the project were selected by me and provided by GE reveal^®.

March 3, 2015
Madame Secretary

I mentioned a couple of months ago that I wanted to add a secretary desk to the library because the room needed a piece with height and a desk would be a useful addition. I chose this 19th Century French Iron Secretary. The rooms of our Victorian are all fairly open to one another, so I’ve been keeping that in mind as I decorate each space. The black iron secretary plays nicely off of the black walls in the back parlor and I like its mix of masculine details and feminine curves.

Incoming mail is always one of our biggest sources of clutter, and the secretary is the perfect solution to the problem! In the old house, mail and other paperwork would end up all over the dining room table, and here it usually piled up on the entryway sideboard. I would sort through it, recycling what I could, but the rest stayed put. Magazines and catalogs mixed with bills, invitations, and other correspondence. The kids’ schoolwork was getting mixed up in it too, but now everything has a place within the shelving of the secretary and it can be kept neatly organized behind closed doors.

We have four antique Thonet chairs in the house, passed down to us from Brandon’s mom. Two are in the entryway, one is in the bathroom on the main floor (holding a stack of towels), and the last is here at the desk. I hung a 50¢ tassel on the key in the door, but I wish I had brought one of the beautiful ones I’d seen in Morocco home as a souvenir. I’m kicking myself for passing on them!

I love the secretary though. I wanted it specifically for that spot in the library, but I can see it working in several spots in our house if I ever want to rearrange things a bit. It’s always good to have options, right?

December 3, 2014
One Desk, Three Ways

I shared a few of my favorites from Target’s revamped Room Essentials line a couple of weeks ago and today, I’m showing how their Wood & Metal White Desk can be styled three ways. It’s a little like my Making it Yours series in which I take a piece of furniture through three room designs, so this was a fun post to work on!

This post is sponsored by Target. Shop Room Essentials to make modern life easier.

For Letter Writing, Bill Paying

You may not have need (or space) for a full home office, but many of us could still benefit from a place to sit and respond to mail or work from our laptop. With a cute lamp and some artwork above, this desk would look great in an underused portion of a living room or bedroom.

As an Entryway Console

The desk is small in scale, so it would be great in an entryway with just a little room to spare. A stool can be tucked in beneath, a tray on top collects mail, and I like having a piggy bank there to collect loose change too. Drawers are handy for storing anything you may need near the entryway but that isn’t all that pretty to look at.

In a Kid’s Room

This would make a great desk for kids, too! Next to a bed, it can also serve as a nightstand; just swivel that light over for reading a bedtime story.

The desk is available now, in stores, and it’s a great piece that takes on the personality of what you pair with it. Do you have a favorite look from the three above?

This post is sponsored by Target. Shop Room Essentials to make modern life easier.

August 5, 2014
Cord Management

I posted a a video of Eleanor crawling last month, and a few people had asked about the cords under my desk. Normally you can’t see them, but they were visible because I was filming while sitting on the floor.

I used IKEA’s SIGNUM cable management, installed on its side to leave clearance for the desk drawer. I wanted to get the cords up off of the floor because a tangled mess of cords is such an eyesore, but it’s a good idea for childproofing too.

February 11, 2010