~ Even More Home Office Accessories ~

Can there be too many posts about home offices and their accompanying accessories? I think not. Take a gander at the following items I found at Horchow's website. {Disclaimer: I use Horchow images a lot because they are really lovely items ~ not that they are in my budget}.

I think Ballard Designs might carry pushpins that match these paperclips. And look, they do. Although these are gold.

Photo courtesy of Ballard Designs

I have something similar to the above set, except my pen holder started life as a bathroom tumbler/cup that I found on clearance at Home Goods {and it's a harlequin pattern, not a check pattern}.

THIS would go so great in that home office in my mind that I posted about a few weeks ago. I must figure out a way to make my own as this magnetic board is $65.00 at Horchow and is 13 x 19.

Love the colors in these notecards and would love to find something similar but with home decor elements instead of shoes {although the shoes are really cute!}.

File boxes that don't look like file boxes.

All images from the Horchow website, unless otherwise indicated.

Along these lines, let me just offer up this teaser ~ I contacted a company that I've mentioned before in blogs {no, not Horchow} to see if they would consider a giveaway. I am very happy to say that they have agreed and will be sending me something of their choice as a giveaway item, some time this month. I don't want to say too much, because I'm always afraid I'll jinx it, but I think it will make for a great giveaway! Look for that giveaway later this month.

{Summer Dreaming} ~ Home Office Possibilities

Summer is for dreaming, right? I've been thinking a lot about what I'd like to put into a home office once we down-size. Odds are it will be a basement office, which I'd like to keep separate and apart from the rest of the family area.




I wasn't able to find a good depiction of the color (a chartreuse, lime green type of color) I would put on the walls, but it is a toss up between "Lively Yellow" {which isn't yellow} or "Frolic" from Sherwin Williams ~ colors that when I saw them I thought "fresh", "happy", "bright", and I think that would be appropriate for an office located in a basement. {Although, I would probably choose the same color if it was located on the main floor.}





I put together the above idea board of what I'd like in my office. I have two bookcases that I will be taking over from my son's bedroom that have 3 drawers where the cabinet is located on the bookcase shown. The bookcase pictured is from Ballard Design. I would be painting these bookcases black with my intention being to have a harlequin pattern painted on the front of the drawers {like the chest pictured above from the Craftynest blog}. These bookcases would help keep me organized using all my lovely organizers, just like these:




Didn't think of it until I was putting this together, but I could also do the same on the filing cabinet {from Home Decorators Collection} and bring the pattern over to the other side of the room. Oh yes, I have the layout pictured in my mind as well! Over the filing cabinet I would hang my educational and membership certificates.

I'd love a chandelier like this one {found at belle maison blog}:




Floating in the room {in front of the filing cabinet} would be my desk; a simple writing desk with an open base, which will help visually keep the room looking open. The desk pictured on my board is also from Home Decorators Collection and is very much like one I saw on the Ballard site, except that it's about $700.00 cheaper.

A framed bulletin board, like the Ballard Design bulletin boards shown {but which I can get cheaper at Home Goods}, hanging on the wall to the side of the desk for all my inspirational and important pieces of paper. On the opposite wall I'd like to have some kind of art or pictures bringing in the pink I love so much, but which will be more subdued. This isn't a Barbie office, after all! I thought I could do this by using fabric or pretty papers framed. Although, I might just find something through one of the Etsy shops I keep discovering!

Of course, I want my chair so I can look through my design magazines and stay on top of current trends:


The overall picture shown is basically the look I want my home office to have to it. The picture showing the whole office lay-out is from Ballard Design, and I would have to say they pretty much have the look I want to achieve, except I'll be doing it on a Home Good's budget!


What do you think? Did your home office turn out like you dreamed? I'd love to see some others' home offices, if you'd care to share a link to your blog post.

Pretty Storage

I took a day off Monday and decided to visit Michael's Craft Store. I was supposed to be looking for some pictures to use in a long hallway in my house, as part of my prep for selling it. In and out, right? Wrong! Oh, so very wrong!

As I headed past an aisle, out of the corner of my eye I saw something pretty. I came to a screeching halt, backed up a bit and turned my head - storage boxes! Storage boxes in all shapes, sizes, colors, designs! I was in heaven! And best of all - wait for it - they were 50% off! (Heck, what was I in here for again?)


With a quick look around to make sure nobody else was going to infringe on my personal space (which at this point was the whole aisle) I began to check them out. Ooohing and aaahing; seeing how they snapped shut with the magnetic close; admiring the designs and text on each when I came across these items that I just knew would work in my home office (well, once I get it out of boxes and set up again).






Well, I just had to buy them! I would have been so mad at myself if I hadn't and you just know they wouldn't be there if I went back weeks later. Except for not having a little bit of green in it, the colors are mine (just look at my still new banner and button). These pretty little things just scream "Me" - don't they? And, don't forget - they were 50% off!

Keeping that in mind, I felt it would behoove me to maybe pick up just a few more. I thought "What a great item for a giveaway"!!!! Are you excited now? Sure, now that it involves you. : ) So here is what I put together to be a giveaway at some unspecified time in the future:

Lovely box with flip lid and magnetic closure in pink and green, and . . . . .

These cute little stationary items (in a green and purpley pink) . . . .

There is a journal in the back, a notepad and notecards. How cute is that???

So that will be one giveaway. Then I came across these boxes, which have lids that just come off. These reminded me of someone (Donna), who incorporates this particular subject matter into her beautiful work and graphic art.

Black boxes with gold accents (nice design on side) one has a chair and one has a chandelier on the box top. So pretty!

I couldn't find anything to put inside them to make for another giveaway item, but I'm sure I will find something!

So, there you go! I got some pretty storage for myself, a couple of items to do as giveaways and I did remember to get the pictures I went in there for originally! Quite a productive shopping excursion, if I do say so myself!

Don't forget to enter our Giveaway #1 (ends Thursday night)!


Copyright 2009 Kathy Passarette, Creative Home Expressions

Home Office Organizing

With so many people working from home now (sometimes in addition to working outside the home), or even if they are telecommuting, home offices need to have dedicated spaces and organization to keep paperwork and any other work-related items neat, tidy and easy to find. In my quest for keeping things neat, I came across some items that help reach that goal.

Some say that a cluttered desk is the indicator of an organized mind. In my case, a cluttered desk is - well, a cluttered desk. I like to have everything in its place and not causing me any distractions.



I have two of these wire trays. The one I utilize for filing allows me to see the filing, so it doesn't get too out of hand.




Seeing the color of these trays, and some of the accessories that go with them, makes me glad that I'm thinking of this color combo for whatever new home office space I have when we move.




Rather than ripping pages out of magazines, flagging them might keep things neater around the office.





These might be better than the solid canvas magazine holders I bought last year, because with these I'd be able to see what catalogs are in what holder.




I've always liked these boxes, but am never sure what to keep in them. Stationery, envelopes, stamps, brochures, papers you might not need on a daily basis.

I love these decorative file folders, but find that I like folders that are a bit more practical for use with client projects. I like to have project folders that allow me to write the client name, phone, address, what the project is, contact information for vendors or resources and tracking what's been ordered/received. I might be able to adapt something like this if I just make up a sheet on the computer and attach it to the inside front of the folder.

These are just a few items that caught my eye. I would recommend you visit the website (I put in a link below) and see for yourself the variety of items available for organizing yourself and your home office.


All photos courtesy of See Jane Work. Be warned that you could spend hours on their website looking at all their merchandise! http://www.seejanework.com/index.asp


Copyright 2009 Kathy Passarette, Creative Home Expressions

Item Of The Week

I am in love with this chair! I love the feminine lines of it, and the color. I could see this chair in a cheery pink and green home office (a picture of which I will be sharing in the future) with a crystal chandelier and white shaggy area rug. A chair to sit in while perusing design magazines or reviewing a client presentation.


Check out Designers Guild for some of the other lovely items they carry http://www.designersguild.com/usa-shop-online/#.

Copyright 2009 Kathy Passarette, Creative Home Expressions

Kathy Passarette and Creative Home Expressions are located on Long Island, New York and offer interior decorating, home staging, interior redesign and much more. Please visit our website at www.creativehomeexpressions.com for information on our services and fees.