Splash of Something

life's a splash!

The make-do desk

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Have you ever put together a wish list of all the things you would buy for your home if you had super deep pockets and never-ending storage space? Jared and I have an ongoing list of things we’d like to get for our apartment at some point in the future. It’s a long list, and odds are a lot of items will be scratched out long before we get around to making any purchases. That’s partly because it’s a wish list (seriously, where in the world would we put that big-enough-to-be-a-bed leather couch from Restoration Hardware?); and it’s partly because in the time it would take to save for all those things we’re digging right now, our tastes will have inevitably evolved.

As of now, we’ve left the newlywed, not-quite-adults decorating phase that was marked by hand-me-downs and college leftovers and are embarking upon the mid-20s era, which so far has encompassed a handful of frivolous purchases and a whole lot of list-making, prioritizing, waiting and saving. Don’t get me wrong; I definitely make my fair share of in-the-moment purchases when it comes to things like vases, flowers, accessories and throw pillows. But when it comes to the bigger ticket items (furniture and rugs mostly), Jared and I are more concerned with finding something we love and sticking it on our save-for-it wish list than buying something now just to fill the spot. Which brings me to my decor dilemma as of late: I have a bad case of desk envy.

Here’s the deal: I’m in the market for a new desk for my home office setup, and I keep flip-flopping between these two choices.

Option 1 is the Pottery Barn Bedford Desk, which I’ve been loving for years (which means I’d keep on loving it years after buying, right?). It’s simple, classic and has tons of built in storage space. Groovy. Option 2 is the Parsons Desk from West Elm (it’s brown in the photo, but I’d go with the white finish). The obvious downside is that it doesn’t bank the same storage as the Pottery Barn desk; however, it’s clean and streamlined and could fit well just about anywhere. I do love versatility.

So I’m stuck here in desk-choosing limbo until I figure out which one is the one. In the meantime, however, a girl’s gotta work. So Jared and I tackled this mini-makeover of my home office setup to make my old desk (a table that used to live in my parents’ kitchen) feel a little less hand-me-down and a little more custom. My biggest concerns were space, storage and style. Here’s a run-down of what we came up with (see opening photo for full shot):

Because it’s actually a table, my makeshift desk has zero built-in storage. To make it more usable, we grabbed this three-drawer box from Target for less than $15. It’s intended for 12-by-12 scrapbook paper, so I can fit tons of stuff in the extra-wide drawers.

This under-desk setup was part two of the I-need-storage solution. The frame is actually part of a stackable storage cube meant to be used in a closet. The baskets (a.k.a. my makeshift drawers) just happened to fit in perfectly and hide all those unattractive knick-knacks like rulers, CDs, chargers and cords. And the printer fits on top, too. Woot!

Here are two of my beloved ceramic containers put to good use on the desk. One holds pencils; the other holds office supplies. Both catch clutter like nobody’s business.

And finally, a touch of happy for those long working hours. Daisies are my absolute favorite flower (I carried pink gerber daisies at our wedding. Aww.), so why not throw in a splash of something you love in a space you’ll spend so much time in? Their sole purpose is the happy factor. And that’s just fine with me.

There you have it! A make-do desk to keep the working wheels turning while I deal with my design indecision. I’m still itching for a the new desk, but I’m loving this space in the meantime.

So what about you? Do you style your space with make-do items before swinging for the big purchase? What are the must-haves for your home office? Are you swooning for something new but can’t quite decide if it’s right for you? And while we’re asking questions, which desk do you like better?

XO,
Katrina

Pottery Barn Bedford Desk image from PotteryBarn.com. West Elm Parsons Desk image from WestElm.com.

Comments

  1. I would do the pottery barn option. It has storage space, which in a apt you need a lot of. Also, it is very you and Jared.

    • You’re totally right, Cassie. Storage is a big deal. I think I’m leaning that way, too, but there is something fun about the West Elm one. Decisions, decisions.

  2. My husband and I also have a “Someday Wishlist” for our house. Right now on it is a new couch, recliner and desk. We also want an upholstered headboard for our bed, but that’s more of a “When I can learn to DIY-it” than a purchase.

  3. In my tiny apartment, I’ve also had to be super creative in storage. In my “dining room” (which for this single gal is my craft room) I have a huge (4×8 foot!) oak table for crafting, but it’s completely open underneath. I used sticky velcro to attach fabric around the perimeter to hid all my clutter- which is pretty great because I change out fabric whenever I get bored (right now the craft room is all God-Bless-America with red, white and blue… It’s about to go lime green and hot pink for Christmas!) I just stuff all my storage bins, boxes, sewing machine, etc. under there and my dirty little secrets are all hidden. I used panels of fabric so I can still get to things easily. I’ve also seen folks do the same idea using curtain tension rods on the underside so there is no sticky-stuff that could ruin your desk down the road. This could be an option for you if you went with the open desk… Happy Shopping Katrina!

    • Your craft table sounds AMAZING!!! I wish I had that much space for projects. The tension rod and fabric trick is a great idea for hiding all that clutter. Thanks for the tip, Michelle!

  4. I’ve just discovered your blog and love it! How did the desk upgrade go? I’d be inclined to the Pottery Barn version for all the storage space, but when it came for me to buy a new desk, I got one from Ikea, very similar to the West Elm. The more storage for me equals more stuff to collect, so the streamlined desk prevents me from keeping anything I don’t need and sticking to the essentials.

    Hope the desk upgrade goes/went well!!

    • Well not long after this post, we discovered we’d be moving soon, so I still haven’t bit the bullet on a new desk. We’re moving into our new digs next month though, so I think all systems are go for the West Elm one. The more I thought about it, the more I came back to the same conclusion as you: More storages means more spaces for me to cram unnecessary knick-knacks. Streamlined it is!