12 Fashion Inspired Workspace Design Ideas

This week is the start of a new season - And with a new season comes fresh color stories and new perspectives on wardrobes and living spaces. While reorganizing your home for Fall and the upcoming holiday season, also take a good look at your home office workspace. You'll be needing a place to write dinner invitations, holiday cards, thank you notes - maybe even a recipe or two. Your workspace could be an entire room devoted to your home office, or it could be as simple as a writing desk behind your living room sofa or at your bedroom window. Your desk can be as meaningful as a family heirloom desk passed down to you, or as noble as a thrift find dining table you scored on a Saturday afternoon. With either, your desk is supplying a surface for your computer, laptop or tablet, plus someplace to write, with a comfortable chair and good lighting.

As times have changed, so too have interiors, with the need shifting now to more flex-spaces and multi-functional rooms. To help inspire you to re-look at your home office workspace, I've pulled together a 12 runway looks to translate into workspace interiors for inspiration...

  

Follow the Curve

Having a major coat crush this Fall, and the color + lines of this coat from Kaufmanfranco's 2014 Fall Collection is at the top of the list! Love the pairing for this room: The coat line mimic the curved desk, with the boots being the Jean Louis Denoit curved desk legs - and also just overall love the warm color palette!

 Casual Equestrian

Runway: Ralph Lauren Fall 2014

Room: featured in New England Home magazine

  

Feminine & Masculine Mix

Runway: Wes Gorden NYFW Spring Summer 2015 RTW

Room:W Design - Hong Kong

 Relaxed Elegance

Runway: Jason Wu Fall / Winter 2014

Room: Monique Lhuillier Bel Air home office - decorated by Jennie Abbott

 Cityscapes - Enjoy the View

Runway: Carolina Herrera - NYFW Spring 2015 RTW

Room: Upper East-Side - Manhattan - Champeau & Wilde

Pattern Play

 Not all runway looks need to be inspiration translating so literally - for example as above, the grid pattern of plaid from Christian Dior Fall 2014 can be inspiration for a chalkboard gallery wall - complete with empty painted frames to highlight important notes or messages for you or your family.

Tommy Times Two - Sleek Americana

 How is this take on Americana style? I admire the creativity and courage of runway looks from Thom Browne (left) and I especially love the clean minimalism style of Tommy Hilfiger's Miami home office, as featured in Architectural Digest. You almost can't get anymore "Miami" than the crisp look of white, and a splash of pop-artist Romero Britto!

 :: Spotted::  

Runway: Edun NYFW Spring / Summer 2015 RTW

See more of this attainable home office on Meg Biram's interview with stylist Mandy of Waiting on Martha.

 Functional & Feminine

Runway: BCBG Max Azria NYFW Spring / Summer 2015 RTW

Room: Ruthie Sommers - Chic pink office design with chrome & glass sawhorse desk.

  

Just a Little Shimmer

Runway: Reem Acra Spring Summer 2015

Room: Leverone Design

 Fancy the Fur

Runway: Ralph Lauren Fall / Winter 2014-15

Room: Tiffany Eastman Interiors - Barbara Barry Vanity / Desk

WIN THIS DESK!
Isn't it gorgeous?!
Bernhardt Furniture has teamed up with Hadley Court making this gorgeous HAVEN  Desk available as the last prize in Leslie's Timeless Design Giveaway series, that launched on Hadley Court today. The winner will be announced on her blog, October 23, 2014.

 You can enter to win at:  
Hadley Court Interior Design Blog Timeless Design Giveaway

While at Hadley Court blog, also be sure to view my guest post, including info for the 12th inspiration above:
Runway to Room Workspaces: Pairing Pantone Fashion Colors from Fall 2014 and Spring 2015. 


Thank you for stopping by!

Congrats to the Home Office Contest Winners @Olioboard & My OlioNews

Although I didn't win the Home Office Design Challenge at Olioboard, thanks to your votes - my board placed 6th out of 296 entries! (Thank you!!) This was my last contest / challenge I'll be entering for a while - Today I start Pro-Pinning for Olioboard to help boost Olioboard's brand market awareness! Here are the links to the Top 8 (Popular Vote) Places in the Home Office Design Challenge and links to the Tops 25 the judge Erika Johnson McMahon of Radiant Republichad to choose from.... 

My WORKSPACE GRACE board featuring the Sheaffer Pens I used IN the roomboard (part of the contest rules: use a Sheaffer pen in your space)

 

1st place: tikib  http://olioboard.com/users/konstadina
2nd place: Madeline: http://olioboard.com/users/swimen
3rd place: Alison: http://olioboard.com/users/designer4life
4th place: Adele: http://olioboard.com/users/redadie
5th place: Paula: http://olioboard.com/users/paulamariefarmer
6th place: Lynda: http://olioboard.com/users/nyclq
7th place: Madeline: http://olioboard.com/users/swimen

 Meet The Top 3 WINNERS

(chosen by Erika Johnson McMahon of Radiant Republic)

who won prizes from Sheaffer!

1st Place - Tikib's Ideal Dissertation Study Room

 

 2nd Place - Home Office/Craft Space by (my Soul Sistah!) Jane Gianarelli

3rd Place -  Maddie's Home Office by OB member swimen

CONGRATS TO THE WINNERS!

and all who participated in the Home Office Design Challenge
 



To see all Top 25, click http://olioboard.com/challenges/206! Thank you to everyone who voted!! I appreciate YOU! 

 

Example of Store Location PinBoard Cover I created.

 

Example of The Curtain Exchange Facebook Features PinBoard Cover I created.

My Pro-Pinning for Olioboard will be my second Pin-Project. I'm applying my visual merchandising & organizing skills to create pinboards (I like to call 'virtual visuals) to help bring more brand awareness to Olioboard. Pinterest is ALL about visuals and Olioboard is an online social networking community to create your own visuals (for free plus share or keep private) so utilizing Pinterest is sure to be a winning combination to help grow their reach. Some of the pin-boards I'll be creating will be to recognize the US + global community members and ProTool Tips as well as categorize Olioboard's variety of applications for its use - from tablescapes to event or holiday planning to artist showcases to retail trend boards to room makeovers and everything in between. Sheilah's Picks Trending Now will also be a part of the fresh PinBoards I'll create for Olioboard's PinProfile page (over the next two weeks) - and I'm sure the pins will also be shared over on their Facebook page. After I create the categories of boards, I'll be maintaining them the the next few months. If you're on Pinterest, be sure to follow the new pin-boards I'll be creating at: http://pinterest.com/olioboardapp/  I'll also be sharing some of my OlioPins on Twitter through my new account @IPIN4U as well as using the hashtag #iPIN4U.

My first PinProject was creating pinboards & covers for The Curtain Exchange back in February. Sourcing the pins and creating the boards is one phase of the PinProject. Keeping the boards in an organized flow and focused category of pins is the second phase. More importantly, after the boards are created, it's important to maintain fresh & engaging pins - all part of my pinning process. After becoming a member to the Olioboard community since one month after they launched (back in July 2010) - I'm honored to be contracted as a part of the OlioTeam for this project!

 

Happy Olioboarding & Happy Pinning!

Thanks for stopping by!

DIY MAGNET QUOTE BOARDS & DOORS

Hope everyone enjoyed their weekend!! I'm still trying to balance time to blog with managing projects for homeowners and even some projects around here. One of those projects I did around here last week was in one afternoon: Repainting the moldings (in common areas), repainting the stairway rails & uprights and repainting six doors white. It all was a domino of a project I had started earlier the same day - making a magnet quote board. Although it started with just the board itself, I thought (since the paint & roller were already out) why not try the office closet doors. The board itself came from wanting to use up the blank canvases I have in the garage, and also wanting a place to see the motivational quotes I've been collecting over the years.

I had the canvas, the drop cloth and even the spray glue (left over from the headboard project). All I needed was some cork. I found a rolled cork at Office Depot for only $14, which for the end result size I'm getting, is less than buying a framed cork board (seen at $44)

Although the cork roll fit just right, there was a little excess I did need to trim off.

After covering the canvas with cork, I had put it up in the office, but HATED the color. I was going to have painted it black, but thought this would be a great time to try the magnet paint I had...

eek!! Needs a little something....

And this is the space I look at mostly when I'm sitting at the desk.

Boring focal point for me without something there... lol

Supplies needed.

I gave it three coats. In between the drying time, is when I went upstairs with the tray and roller, to try the magnet paint on the closet doors...

Another space I glance at while sitting at the desk...

Inspired by the "Sephora" bag, it looks more graphic and appealing. It's now a functional space too.

Those motivational quote magnets are about $5, so I made my own of all my faves. Just Google them, and right click image to save. Print onto card stock or photo paper and simply use business card sized adhesive magnets, cut to size and stick into place. You can also take them a step further and mount these quotes to foam board, cut with an Xacto blade and attach magnets to backs...

I had used only a few of these with my cards, so this was a great way to

repurpose these adhesive magnets.

I'd like to have done an inspiration board, filled with magazine clippings, but that type of paper curls too easy in the Florida humidity. And I'm really liking the reinforcement the messages give. I also mixed in some cards and images I've collected. Since the board has cork, it has that flexibility to use either magnets or push pins...

I have old style silver thumbtacks to add to the perimeter,

which should make it look like it's studded...

And the doors are flexible too.

To quote or not to quote it becomes the question...

The doors can even be used as a space to view sample images of client spaces I'm working on... vs. trying to work from a board on the floor, because than Sephora likes to walk all over it =)

Yes - even though I use olioboard, I still get a feel for creating a space doing a sample board, especially when the space is empty and needs to be filled with almost everything.

A photo slicer helped ensure the edges were crisp & straight.

Amazing what you can do with black (and white) paint in afternoon!

I'd like to change out the desk, but no can do right now ($$$) - simple paint projects were a great way to give the space a simple (and functional) update.

Thanks for stopping by!



SPRING CLEANING & ORGANIZING THE HOME OFFICE

After clearing out & organizing my home textiles, the spring cleaning fling grew feverishly in the office. It was so gorgeous out this weekend - I opened up the windows and in let the fresh, crisp air and natural light. The natural light revealed one of my biggest fears - DUST... everywhere. So I took my own advice (and advice I've learned through the years) to apply it to the office.It was worse before it got better, because Saturday morning I thought I'd do two spaces - the Yoga Room and the Office. I emptied what little contents were in the yoga room, moved everything, dusted surfaces (including wall corners and base boards), used Resolve and a brush to loosen dirt & refresh the carpet, vacuumed, and put everything back. Hesitently, I took a deep breath and dove into purging the office of ALL its contents...

The not so calm & the storm.

A bit of the yoga room in office while cleaning it.

After taking a deep breath - unloaded office into the hall.



I didn't want to dump the office into the refreshed yoga space, so I used the hall and stairs to stack everything. I even had the hubs remove the (uncomfortable & eight year old chair) from the office to donate. We had been searching for a comfortable - but stylish chair and I finally found a good deal on line Saturday morning. From all the hours I spent in the chair last year - I think my blogger butt wore it out, not to mentioned I nearly killed my left elbow from all the leaning on the arm I do (and the arms were NOT padded). We regularly turn in ink cartridges to Staples, which the hubs was able to put towards a $200 chair I found on sale for $99. He built it Saturday night. My butt & elbow thank him =)

All clear and ready for dusting!

Tried moving bookcases around, but not happy with it - so moved them back.

Since the shelves were cleared, and I needed to move book cases to clean behind them, I tried to reposition the book cases in the space. I'd like a smaller desk, but that's not going to happen right now, so I tried the bookcases in different places around it. Thank God for furniture slides!! Even after I had cleaned and brought most things back into the space, I wasn't happy with the look - it felt too dark and heavy (not very Spring!) so Sunday morning I moved the cases back the way they were.

August 2010 - left

March 2011 - right

The white vase on the left (August) has since been

moved downstairs in the living room.



Same books in the same space only color blocked - and the rest in white boxes,

helped give the shelves a cleaner look.

What helped to give the shelves a different look was using some white storage boxes I picked on Friday at Ikea (with the thankful use of a Gift Card!). Saturday night I sat on the living room rug and built them. I love my books, as well as love the look of a library, but it was feeling a little too busy. To help refresh the look without losing the storage space of the shelves themselves, I selected only blue, green, or white books to display. All the others went onto the white storage boxes (which is fine - I know what's in them If I need it). To further help create the look of less clutter, I turned around the existing black magazine holders, and picked up a few more white, also Friday at Ikea.

Furniture Slides saves your rug (and back) when moving

furniture (even if furniture is loaded) on carpet.

Moved the bookcase...

And then moved it back.

White storage boxes helped organize magazines

and helped lighten the look of my (22 yr. old) black bookcases.

(Now I just need to "Make Like Martha" and label them.)

More donations have accumulated in the garage from my spring fling in the office, along with two bags of trash (hence the fling - lol) and some newspapers & magazines to be recycled. It already just "feels" so much better in the space. I feel more organized and will be better prepared to take on new projects. More pics revealing the refreshed Spring office to be posted shortly. Please stay tuned...

How was your weekend?

How is your Spring Cleaning coming along?

LINKING POST TO:

Purge Party - Hello Home!

Sunday Showcase - Under The Table and Dreaming

Metamorphosis Monday - Between Naps On The Porch

Project Parade - The DIY Showoff

Motivate Me Monday - Keep It Simple