Tag: secretary desk

A Night In
I’m not one for all white walls trend, but I am guilty of waiting for maximum daylight to take photos of my home so it’s as light and bright as possible. Bloggers don’t usually photograph their homes at night — not if it can be helped! But we do then miss out on sharing what everything looks like as the day goes on. Julia from Chris Loves Julia and Kim of Yellow Brick Home, in partnership with Rejuvenation, have organized ‘A Night In’ so we can see a cozy nook in some of the homes we know and love in blogland after the sun has set. There’s a full list of everyone that’s participating at the end of the post.

Here I am standing in the doorway of my library, just casually holding a mug, color coordinating with my decor and blog design. Hi!

My home is a Victorian with a double parlor, and I swapped out the existing lights in both spaces last year with a matching pair of Rejuvenation’s Hood Pendants. I actually did share a few photos of the space at night after the fixtures went up, but that’s a rarity. Here’s one from that post.

A few things have been shuffled and changed around since then, so it’s good to revisit the space. The vintage rug has been sold and replaced with the one from the library, and we’re using a coffee table from a local consignment store with a wood top instead of stone (Brandon was always nervous that the kids would fall and chip a tooth). And in that previous post, I didn’t share any photos of the corner with my secretary desk, which is a shame because it’s one of my favorite spots in the house! I even gave it a floral crown recently, like it’s enjoying its very own Snapchat filter.

It can get a bit dark over there, so a floor lamp helps. Want a peek behind closed doors? There are some bills and paperwork, and the rest is all crayons, markers, colored pencils, coloring books, paper, drawings, and sketchbooks.

I like to sit at the desk while the kids play or color at the table. It’s a good way to sneak in a few minutes for myself, either to sketch, flip through a magazine, or join them in coloring (I’m into the adult coloring book trend, yep). We all hang out in the library together most mornings before I start working, or in the evening while Brandon makes dinner.

There’s usually some background noise, either news or music on the radio, or maybe a podcast streaming, but I don’t like to see the devices. Please tell me I’m not the only one who hides our electronics? The kids’ smooth rocks and random little key? Sure, pride of place! But I spy with my little eye a cordless phone hidden behind that vase, and next to it is a wireless speaker. (I need a fluffy plant there for better camouflaging.)

Anyway, I hope I did the place justice. I’m definitely not used to taking nighttime photos! We’ve been here for three years. This space has changed over that time, sometimes all at once and sometimes not as quickly as I would like, but it has always felt comfortable and right for my family. I’m so in love with this house, and as always, happy that I get to share it here with you guys.

Ready to see more design bloggers’ homes at night? Read on!

A Night In
- Julia & Chris Marcum, Chris Loves Julia
- Kim & Scott Vargo, Yellow Brick Home
- Dana Miller, House Tweaking
- Gwen Hefner, The Makerista
- Melissa Coleman, The Faux Martha
- Brittany Cramer, BrittanyMakes
August 17, 2016
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
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