I'm always so inspired when I see where other people work.
Ink & Peat's shop (see previous post) certainly was inspirational – Pam has created a fabulous work space for herself! So I thought I'd share with you my own work space, which I happen to love.
I'm one of those people who is influenced by her physical surroundings. When I was in college, I always found it really hard to study in a cluttered apartment. While those college years are decades past (yes, decades!), I still find it hard to concentrate in a messy office.
So when I moved my home office for my design studio
Defteling Design from the attic to the basement, I decided I had to have a nice view. A little hard to do when you're six feet underground, but I nevertheless achieved success: I look out on a beautiful, calm collection of various objects and photos while the messes pile up behind me.
Above: view behind me (desk was a great find at the Portland Antique Expo a few years back)
Below: view in front of me (the display ledge above the bead board was my hubby's idea and it turned out great!)
The view to my right: I started collecting old type back when I was studying graphic design. That then expanded into old enamel signs (I picked up the vintage document clip from a Dutch grocery on my last trip to the Netherlands). And my wall of fame, if you will: a sampling of logos that have won design awards over the years.
The view to my left: these simple Ikea magazine boxes store printed samples of various client projects from the past five years. Love the great Pottery Barn clock, which was a Christmas present from my sister and her hubby. The built-ins cupboards at the bottom are where I hide all my various computer manuals and software boxes.
One of my favorite things, though, is my entry way. I had my logo recreated in cut vinyl that makes the window look like etched glass. Now my clients can park on the side of the house (we live on a corner) and know they're at the right place before they come knockin' on the door!
And yes, I work in this very same office when designing all my greeting cards and paper products for Cecily Ink! No need to reinvent the wheel, right?
Because of the various house projects this summer, I had to move my Attic Antics studio from a tiny room at the top of the stairs to my original graphic design studio next to our bedroom.
It feels great to be back in my old work space! It looks quite different now with the rough, paint-splattered fir floors and all my vintage treasures. Moving gave me a chance to get organized and now I can't wait to get to work creating some new trash-to-treasure mixed media pieces.
The shelves along the left side of the room are organized by grouping like items together. This way, I see at a glance what I might want to use for any given piece.
I also have a table filled with smaller items right next to my desk. I love being able to just grab little accents and play with the composition this way.
Now I just need to find the time to go play in my new studio!
