The tiniest home office: before and after

My desk area is finished up, so today is picture time. Just a review about this space: A few things needed to stay as they were, including my computer, my desk, and my chair. Everything else was subject to change, and I shared a few ideas here. This is the before picture:

And here it is now:

One thing I knew I wanted was something big behind the computer monitor. I love art, so I seriously considered a large art piece or three medium-sized pieces. But I have an oil painting above my bed, and my room is so small that I didn’t know if I really wanted another painting in a similar size over the desk. You can see the painting on the left side of this photo:

Also, my desk sits opposite our French doors, so a mirror seemed like a good option since it would help bounce light around the room during the day.

The mirror I found is an antique with aged glass, and it’s a new favorite piece. The frame has carved flowers but also an animal-skin texture.

I also knew I wanted to incorporate more family photos in the space. I want to make a better effort to print recent snapshots, some of them candids, and display them in my house. But I also knew a bulletin board in the open would drive me nuts. I have one in my closet, and I like seeing it when I get dressed in the morning, but I wouldn’t want it on display 24/7.

So it occurred to me that I could tack up little photos around the mirror’s frame, and that’s what I did. I love that it doesn’t look messy because the frame keeps everything contained visually. I printed a bunch of extra photos in the same size so I can switch them out in a few months.

Of course I wanted a new lamp, and this pharmacy-style one is a nice contrast to the feminine mirror. I put a vintage tray under the lamp, and it holds my mouse and mouse pad too.

On the other side, I put a low-light prayer plant in a tart tin—my new favorite drip tray for plants. The fluted edge is so pretty, and you don’t have to worry about water seeping through like you do with terracotta.

This space is pretty simple, but that’s the way I wanted it. I like how tidy it feels and hope it will inspire me to keep my desk cleaned up too. I also love how this space proves you don’t have to dedicate an entire room to an “office space.” Mine fills one wall, and it’s plenty.

P.S. If you want the same screensaver I have, click here. It’s free, but I make no guarantees about viruses! I downloaded from the same site, so if you get infected, I will too. 🙂 •