Nothing motivates a procrastinated project more than hosting an event about the subject I tell ya. Add in the incentive that a new computer was on it’s way, and I was rarin’ to get this area prettied up!
This project is all about the kitchen office.
You may vaguely remember the old office as very woodsy and eclectic. While I did like it, my needs just changed. I wanted something light and bright to spark up the space and hopefully make it more functional to accommodate my work and incoming equipment better.
Paint and haul in your typical pine garage storage apparatus, and you too can create your own…
… built in wall to wall floor to ceiling shelving mayhem that can store a ton of fun! Push a farm table in front and you have yourself a fun little office!
All kinds of cool elements were added to twist this out of the norm. I found these galvanized corbels at the thrift – 2/$3.00. Funky fun!
The meat grinder pen holder made a comeback. It’s just too handy. And oh so weirdly me. 🙂
Every shelf opening was first anchored with something woodsy, then blitzed up with… other fluffy stuff. The white crock is my grandmother’s which I got from my mom’s. My Denise Original FJI bird fits right in. 🙂
Careful consideration was taken to place non light obstructing items in front of the windows. I love my sunshine. 🙂
I don’t know what that wood box was, but it sure is perfect to hold cds and dvds!
Another corbel was added to house dangling electronic gadgetry at an arm’s reach. The Gray crate stores my son’s school paperwork that seems to seep in the house daily.
This is the reason I did not cheat with the painting. I knew I’d be looking UP at the unit, so I painted every single square inch of it. Two clip on lights illuminate the space really cool like in the evening when all the other lights are out.
 Especially at night after my lil’ dude is in bed and I can blog the night away. Cool eh?
Speaking of blogging…
… this is the new computer I’ve been ranting about for way too long now. But hey.. I only waited 15 years for one. I was overdue for a good rant. 🙂 This crazy awesome screen is the jumbo 27″ iMac and I’m fanatically and utterly in love with every ever lovin’ pixel of it! I’ll do a post on my new computer experience very soon.
The table was stripped down to a bare wood top with the base repainted to better match the surroundings. It’s currently on trial and if it passes, I’ll crate it up some. 🙂 I’ll do a tip tute on how I stripped it down.
 Using the same table, the cozy and intimate before…
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 … to wide open spaces after. If you desire a built in wall unit, this is a fast and price efficient way to achieve something similar. Shelves can be staggered to accommodate file cabinets or printers. Check out how the unit just missed the windows. Perfect. 🙂
Update: this was after the palette desk was added.
The wall unit was not originally intended to go here, but for now, it works until I come up with something cooler.
And you know us stagers… when we do photo shoots that matter, we have to teach our families to work around it, yes?
My son having to use his laptop under the table totally earned his slushie that day. 🙂
Wanna see the wall unit being tweaked? Visit the original Gitter Done Event post with the linkups HERE!
So… what do you think? What would you do to the table?
Related Post:
The build of the wall unit can be found HERE.
Donna,
This office space is so much fun ~ bright, airy, with lots of space.
Your meat grinder pen holder is fantastic. When I was growing up, we had one too. We made homemade peanut butter in it. It was delicious.
Hope no visiting kids grind up your pens.:)
Fondly,
Glenda
That looks wonderful! I love all the fun details! So creative!
Donna, can you see me? I am kicking myself for NOT buying that wooden thing you are holding cd’s with. I saw one a Goodwill on Friday and held it up and contemplated it but convinced myself I didn’t have room to hang it on the wall. It held cassetts… remember those? Also, I have almost everything you do on those shelves or something very similar. I also have been considering shelving a whole wall in my kitchen, BUT I have edited my stuff a bunch and cleaning is so much easier, I am concerned I will have more dusting than I want if I do the shelving. Your post is tilting me toward a shelf tho! I LOVE it!!!
I just love coming here to see what else you have done…very creative. Question…the Gray Beverage box…made or bought? Curious b/c it’s my last name and I love it! 🙂
Oh this is great! I can see how this office will be so much more functional for you too. And it looks fantastic! But I have to ask, what did you do with that cabinet that was there?
So flipp’n awesome! Love the open look and yes! very cool how the windows are not hidden…in fact I notice them now better than before.
Gonna have to dig out my Grandma’s old meat grinder…love it!
I love everything little detail!!! Awesome job!
Brilliant, Donna! Love the transformation!! You are so darn clever! And I’m loving the new mac!!
Okay, the grinder pencil holder is THE BEST!!!
What a great work space.
Girlfriend, you are soooo creative! All I can say is WOW!!! Love your style!
Very nice workspace Donna….You come up with the most original ideas….I am an Industrial Designer and I come her just to see what you have thought up this time….the 27″ iMac is the only way to fly!
As usual…awesome. How do you get so much done? Have you cloned yourself??? I love the whole unit…the meat grinder is just too cool!
Now I’d like to go bulldoze my house b/c I feel like it may never look like this, but I’m going to pull my laptop out so that I can continue to follow along and live vicariously through your interior adventures!!! I can’t wait to see wht you do with that table….painted game boards? Painted ‘old signs’ like the stairs? I’m sure it will be wonderful whatever ‘it’ ends up being!
I can’t believe how much light you had been sacrificing with the hutch. This new unit is primo, and really brightens the room up a lot.
Obviously it took a lot of work on your part, but I can see how it’s so worth it. Everything is right at your fingertips, highly visible, and ‘funkily’ organized – Donna style.
I love it. And I love that you painted it white. I was fully expecting something in a wood color, so this was a great surprise.
Personally I love the table the way you have it right now. If you were going to change or add anything to it, I’d say to mimic your stairs with the same type of look, only use ‘office’ words, or ‘blog’ words, or ‘interiors’ words.
Im sure you’ll come up with something fantastic and I look forward to seeing it.
I LOVE the table and love that the unit looks like a built-in.
Girl you busted your butt on that painting!!! Love the corbel idea and the meat grinder we’ll just wayyyyyy to cool!!!
How the heck did you get it in the house. If I would have made something like that, haha, it would have taken a year and then it would not fit inside. I would have had a great garage unit. We have the same computer, love it!
Your son gets high honors for sure!!! Ha! Love the shelving and your new computer rocks the house!!! 27″ screen?! Wowzers!!!
And the way you have your elements on the shelves is awesome. Love it all!!! WTG!!
Hugs
SueAnn
LOve how you finished the table too!
I love your vision, how you can see things for what they “can” be!
love your new space. Congrats on that brand spankin’ new ‘puter!
gail
I’ve found that efficiency is so important in an office like yours…see if it works…then you can tweak it up some more…I like it as it is!!!
ooh la la. The new white and open office is so fitting for the Mac!
You sure are one creative gal! It’s great.
Donna it looks great, love the new look!
What a lovely work space. Such fun details!! You have style my dear!
I love your office space!! Every littl edetail is so perfect!
#3 Laura, go back and buy the box! It’s so perfect. 🙂
#4 Amanda, the Gray crate is totally original. But now looking at it, totally makeable. Thanks for the idea! 🙂
#5 Anita, I moved the hutch in another area and am playing around with it. It really should go but I found a unique way to use it for now while I decide. I’ll finish it up and photo shoot it for fun soon.
#15 Polly, you are right, I was sacrificing alot of natural light with the other cabinet. I could have recaptured it better if I had taken off the armoire doors though but they became too useful. At the end of the day, even though I had a light inside the cab, the armoire felt like a dark hole and I wanted my light.
#18 Lori, I got the cabinet in the house one piece at a time. I built it from ground up in the spot it was to go, then simply scooted it into place. The install took me a couple evenings after work.
Thanks for your kudos and suggestions!
Donna
I am going today to see if I can find it still. And would you believe I found these shelves on Craig’s list last night for 15.00??? Is that a sign??? Am I suppose to have these and redo my kitchen???
Wow Donna – this is a fantastic idea and I love the light airy feeling of it! When everything is organized like this it just makes working/playing that much better in a space….keep up the great work/ideas that flow from that brain of yours!
-Rochelle
Love your new space, Donna! It looks fabulous! -Karen
Laura… but of course! $15 is a steal! And I’ve done the hard work for you on wondering what it’ll look like. 🙂
I rememeber my mom paying alot more for this wall unit! And I didn’t even install all of it. The rest will go into a closet I’ll also be revamping soon.
Worst case scenario, you blew $15, and if it doesn’t work in the kitchen, try it somewhere else. I also have this type of wall unit in my son’s playroom which totally ROCKS. Check it out here:
https://www.funkyjunkinteriors.net/2009/11/one-funky-playroom-reveal.html
Laura, just think… you’ll have something to post for next GD. 😀
Donna
Amazing Donna, there is something that I love about your style..and yet I feel more girly and pink lovin than you…and yet your stuff is still feminine and cool. I admire your stuff sweetie! What a huge improvement! It almost seem slike something Ballard designs would sell!
All the details, esp the meat grinder pencil cup WOW I am in awe. My little project pales…but it was an accomplishment none the less. Its fun having you in my new bloggin life, THANK YOU!
I loved your old office space, but your update is creative and fabulous and seems to fit your needs so well! Love the inspiration!
Cool! Love the extra light and airiness. Can you believe I had three tall and two short units just like that but sold them in a yard sale several years ago. Duh! I had used them for toys in the kids’ rooms.
you are soooo creative. I have a bunch of those and I never thought to do something like that to it. Great job!
Hi Donna,
LOVE your new office space! You did a fantastic job!! It’s much more light-filled now. All of your vintage goodies look great on the shelves!
I love the table just the way it is! It looks a lot like my dining table (white base with wood top). The only thing I might do to it is add a skirt to hide the computer stuff below.
I’m glad to see you finally got your new computer…congratulations!! We just got ours about amonth ago, so I know how you feel.
Have a wonderful day my friend!
Hugs ~ Jo 🙂
my new motto is: i will not let window locations dictate when i will put things. Looking good. Must be a bear to dust though!
LOVE it! I think it looks so great! We seriously need to do that in our office, too!
It looks great, Donna! Oh, I could’ve used that shelving for my office. Half of my floor is covered with stuff. It’s quite the impressive dumping ground.
AWESOME work!! I love all your posts and your pix are great. Some blogs pix aren’t so hot, but you do a great job!! I appreciate all your GLITTER DONE ‘tude!
It looks SO darn good!!! The space really seems more open now – natural light and the white shelves make a huge difference!!! It doesn’t even look like the same spot. I didn’t know there were windows behind the armoire. Did you ever mention that? Or show them before?
Love the photo of your son on the floor!!!
Have you heard back from any magazines yet? Just wondering!!!! *smile and wink*
~Kolein
looks fantastic -well done
I love everything about it! It looks great!!
donna,
you are the queen of diy and funky! it would take me foreva to “think” through this project and how & where to space the shelves. you bowl me over with your creativeness and resourcefulness! i <3 how you think girl!
judi 😉
the1829farmhouse
I kid you not, I have that same EXACT drawer with stuff in it on MY table!
I LOVE every last detail!
I have a question for you….where are the cords for the clip on light….I love that idea
Those “corbels” I think are plant hangers and I’m looking for some like that!
I am so excited about your office! It is fabulous and you have given me ideas for a kitchen table with shelves and also neat ideas for my little office in a closet that I plan to construct. You definitely inspire me and although I may never accomplish these projects, It is so much fun to plan and design. You are awesome and SO talented! I love your site and visit here often.