A Texas Inspired Office

Here's a few more pics of Nate's office redo ~ see part one here.  Literally, there was no budget to work with so I had to think creatively and pull from things he already had or from things I had in storage. His primary requests for the space were 1.) It had to reflect his love for Texas.  2.) He wanted it to pay tribute to his mom and dad (Nana and Papa) and 3.) Nate is one sentimental fella, so everything in the space had to have a story or special meaning.   I did my best to fulfill the requests.  The taxidermied bullfrog was a souvenir from Corbin's trip to Honduras.  The framed poem ~ "A Tribute to Nana and Papa" was a Christmas gift to Nate from Gavin. 

 

Texture played a key role in revitalizing the office.  Wonderfully worn rugs, leather, rattan poufs and an iron star, (Reagan displayed this in his home when he lived in South Dakota), go a long way to adding Texas flair.    

Fun Facts:  The American flag flew over the White House and was presented to Papa, while the brass eagle use to reside in Papa's office.  The bookcase was crafted by a friend and was part of his dad's office for years.  The shepherd's staff was gifted to Nate from some guy friends he mentors.  

The oversized map belonged to friends as well ~ a family piece from the 1950's.  They generously passed it on to me.  The handmade rocker belonged to Nate's mom ~ a family heirloom ~ Nana was rocked in it as a baby.  The vintage lamp came from Canton and the uber cool, blue and green chair came from Lula B's. 

I hope you enjoyed a glimpse into Nate's office redo and I hope you stop by again soon!

A Shelf Solution

For the last few days, I've been busying myself with the redo of my hubby's office.  I'm sharing a sneak peak of the space, specifically featuring a shelf I made for one wall.  

I needed a ledge of some sort for display for one side of the room.  I also wanted to infuse some weathered wood in the office.  So I decided to fashion a shelf from a section of an old gate I purchased from a friend about a year ago.

The section of the gate was the exact length I needed and it had a beautiful weathered texture.  For an added bonus, it's original hardware sported a wonderfully aged patina. 

As you will read about in an upcoming post, Nate specifically wanted to incorporate his love for Texas in the space, so I opted to hang the shelf with iron brackets that incorporated the Lone Star of Texas on them.

I didn't snap before pics, but the brackets were originally white.  I spray painted them with a flat black paint to better suit the feel I was wanting to achieve for the office.

*Note the photo below and the angled shot of the finished product ~ allowing you to see the underside of the shelf and brackets as well as a semi view of the display.  

The rest of Nate's office redo will be forthcoming.  I hope you are having a splendid week!  See you soon ~ XO ~ Dana.

An Office in the Making

I've been looking for some key pieces of furniture for an office I'm doing some design work on.  In dealing with a modest budget, it's important to cut costs anyway I can.  Shopping at thrift stores or second hand stores is the perfect way to ensure I stay on budget.

The room I'm tackling is going to pay homage to the mid-century modern era.  Luckily, a few weeks ago I came across this wonderful mid-century modern dresser ~ well maybe wonderful in its former life. 

My plans were to use this as a credenza for the office and although it was a little dingy, to say the least, the lines on this piece were amazing and I knew it was too good to pass up. 

Oftentimes, when I run across a piece like this, the state of disrepair is enough to frighten me or any potential buyer away.  But really, the labor involved is not nearly as daunting as one might think.  You might assume the only option would be to completely strip the piece of furniture.  Fortunately, it only took a few easy steps to transform this soon to be credenza.  *Note above, I did have to scrape off some gooey stuff with a 5-in-1 scraper.  

Then, a good scrub with some warm, soapy water followed by a little Howard's Restor-A-Finish furniture restorer was all this dresser needed to freshen it up.  I applied the restorer with #0000 steel wool.

I think this once dingy and overlooked dresser has transformed quite beautifully into a credenza for this office in the making.  There's lots more to do to complete this office transformation, so I'm off, hoping I can find a few more neglected pieces to breathe a little life into.  Thanks for stopping by Tattered Style!  

My Paris Find

As promised, today I'm sharing my lovely find from the Paris Flea Market (Le marche aux Puces).  It would have been a dream to come home with trunks full of treasures but this trip was more than a shopping spree.  It was also a vacation ~ a time to unwind and forget about the responsibilities of life for a few days.   So I choose to be grateful for this soulful drawing which came to take up residence in my home.  *Read more about my day at the flea here.

 

 

The drawing is an original by the artist, Francois Salvat. There is an innocence and simplicity to this drawing that captured my attention the moment I laid eyes on it.

Since returning home ~ I've done nothing more than prop my new art on the desk in my office.  I pause and look at it daily and am reminded of my lovely getaway and week to Paris with my husband and close friends.

Hoping this Easter weekend brings you much joy with those you love.

XO ~ Dana

Myspace

This workspace is where I spend most of my time pondering over posts for Tattered Style.  This little corner of the universe is where I have the liberty to be completely and totally creative.  It's amazing to me how this teeny bit of square footage can provide such a sense of escape and freedom.  There's not one thing, by most standards, particularly indulgent about this spot.  In fact, the foundational piece of furniture, an old university desk ~ was found at a thrift store for less than $20.00.  I tossed a painter's drop cloth over it to conceal the unsightly laminate surface.  The unfinished sketch of the woman and dog was an estate sale find.  It leans casually against the wall and supports the undecorated approach to the room.  

It's the breakdown of all the little "things" on my desk that personalizes this space for me.  Papa's vintage stapler from his desk, a zinc letter "P" from Anthropologie, a set of stacking matryoshka dolls that my son brought me from a trip to Russia, an old English biscuit tin I found at a flea market and a hand painted coaster my son picked up for me in Switzerland.

Above my desk hangs a vintage wooden frame that I found on an antiquing outing.  I've repurposed it into a makeshift "inspiration board."  Meaningful objects are clipped to its wire with miniature clothespins I purchased at Walmart.  It's these little trinkets that inspire and motivate me ~  I could have easily incorporated a bulletin board or magnetic board that would have achieved the same purpose ~ but this appealed to me.

The beautiful hand-calligraphy (Dana) was used as a place card at a friend's wedding reception.   The black card reminds me of two things:  First ~ a memorable time in Chicago with some girlfriends (we each bought one to remind us of our time together) and second ~ it challenges me to live in the moment and make each moment count ~ some advice worth adhering to. The sepia toned photo is a cherished grade school photo of my father-in-law. 

This charming old English print hangs above the "inspiration board"  ~ a prized flea market find I picked up for a few dollars. 

To me, some of the best designed spaces are those that evolve or just happen.  They may not have been laboriously thought out or planned but somehow they end up possessing a wonderful, uncontrived feeling to them.  That's how myspace came to be...I hope you have a corner of the world similar to this ~  providing you the opportunity to dream and be inspired.  Have a good weekend. :)

x2VOL ~ Part II

The cardboard/plywood pendant lights are from Anthropologie.

I think one of my favorite things about design is getting to know the client.  This certainly has been the case in working with Michele ~ I was immediately drawn to this job because of Michele and her excitement and enthusiasm for her company.  Over the last few weeks, I've had the opportunity to learn more about x2VOL, an innovative company that tracks high school student's volunteer hours and also partners them with non-profits that have volunteer needs. Learn more about x2VOL (powered by IntelliVOL) here.     

As I mentioned in x2VOL Part I, the vision for this space was to provide an environment where a number of people could meet, dream together and bring their ideas to fruition.  So, the space required a good sized table.  I just couldn't envision having a typical conference table fill this need, so I opted for a custom farm style table instead.  Thankfully, Michele was on board 100% and with help from a friend of mine who is a wonderful craftsman (thanks Charley) this beautiful table was built. The top is made from new pine planks ~ unlike the legs and skirting which are made from salvaged wood that Charley obtained from a barn that he tore down. The beam used to make the legs is over 100 years old.  We opted to leave the planks natural, but coated them with numerous coats of polyurethane for protection.  

I think the cardboard/plywood pendants and the natural table top and legs mirror and compliment each other quite nicely. 

  

The chairs ~ what can I say except they are spectacular!

One of my favorite "wow" factors in the room are these vintage school desk chairs on casters. Michele scored these off of Craigslist for a song.  They add a punch of color to the space and are quite comfortable.

There was one requirement for this room that Michele was adamant about ~ that there would be an abundance of writing surfaces for brainstorming sessions.  Another noteworthy feature in the room is this wall of marker boards.  Charley did a beautiful job of framing them out with trim that I found at a local salvage yard.  

Another thought I had for the room was to provide an area that would serve as a snack bar. This little nook provided just the right space for a foodie area.  The surface is an old door with some trim on the facing.  The shelving ~ more salvaged wood added space for snacks and supplies.  I whipped up a burlap curtain to conceal the refrigerator and also serve as extra storage.  I think it turned out quite charming.  

That pretty much sums up this space.  However, there's much more to share ~ I'm excited about posting some special projects I came up with for two of x2VOL's offices.  Be back soon with photos galore!  Speaking of photos, I'm on the quest for a new camera ~ my digital point and shoot is on its last leg.  Any suggestions?   

Organize!

Life can be pretty crazy and hectic at times  ~ for all of us.  I don't know about you, but when my home's a mess, I feel like I'm a mess too.  It seems like here of late things are starting to creep in on me at our house ~ that means time to purge.  I'm convinced purging is one of those necessary evils in life ~ a must to maintain some semblance of order around here. :)  So, today I'm tackling some spring cleaning.  

I'm starting out in the office area and surprisingly, my first stop won't be at the Container Store (although that's a favorite stop of mine).  I like using vintage goods for organizational purposes.  And really, using finds like the ones below are extremely cost effective. 

This vintage muffin tin has so many compartments and is ideal for a drawer organizer for daily office supplies ~ thumbtacks, paper clips, rubber bands, etc.  This belonged to my neighbor's (Sally) mom and luckily I inherited it (thanks Sally).

This old butter dish lid, turned upside down, was just the right size to hold these shipping tags.  I use these all the time ~ they are my go-to gift tags.  

Old restaurant ware and ironstone strikes again!  Mugs, coffee cups and and even small bowls make useful containers to hold office supplies.

I use this small wire basket to hold various string, twine, stamps and moleskin journals.  The basket cost me a whopping twenty five cents at a yard sale.

This wire cutlery holder was a Christmas gift from Reagan ~ he purchased it at Anthropologie.  I've used it in the kitchen but now I'm going to use it for office organization.  It makes a great caddy for pens, pencils, scissors, rulers, etc.

Well, as you can see, I'm well on my way to clearing things out.  Now if I can just do something with the mess I've made everywhere else during the process of cleaning out the office!