china shepherdess

wallpaper whenever: Erica Wakerly's Angles

via www.isuwannee.com

Remember that Erica Wakerly wallpaper I was obsessing over? Well, here it is in action at furb.

Sigh.

I love it, but it just won't work in the space I wanted it for. So, I've decided to step away from papering the TV / Karaoke Room of Awesomeness for now and go with a gallery wall instead. I can always paper it when the perfect one reveals itself to me.

Sadly this decision left a wallpaper void in my life. This morning, I chuckled warmly and rubbed my chubby hands together with glee* when I saw this "after" pinned to one of my sister's boards. Wallpapered bookshelves in my home office seem like a perfect way for me to experiment with wallpaper without having to resolve my pattern commitment issues.

 

*No, my hands aren't really chubby. This is just something I say to creep out my sister.

Home Sick

Home with some crud today and the heat and humidity are making it hard to rest so instead I'm posting a quick project update.

The heat has been unreal so I haven't made a bit of progress in my TV room. Instead, everything is cramjammed into what will be my home office. Don't let the photo above deceive you. The walls in here are beautifully neutral. Decorators White is the perfect white with just a hint of grey. It's going to look wonderful with colorful bulletin boards and art. I can't wait until I can move everything out and get this home office and studio organized.

Work is getting done in my home office.

 

I am not letting the UPS and Ballard Designs customer service debacle get me down. Work continues on my home office/studio project. I said I wouldn't post about it until some progress had been made, so here ya go.

One of the first things I did was get the traverse rods down from the wall. Here's a tweet I wrote while attacking that part of the project.

I'm likely violating a mid-century modest creed by admitting this, BUT I HATE TRAVERSE RODS. Hope I don't get tetanus while I remove them.

I had previously done battle with this type of drapery hardware in my living room. It felt good to get this last set down.

Since then, I've spackled and sanded the walls and slapped a fresh coat of paint on the ceiling. This room is a real mess (worse than any others in my home), so painting isn't much fun. I partially cut in with the Benjamin Moore Decorators White yesterday and hope to work on it a bit more today. I'm using the Aura Matte again and it's pretty obvious that the walls will require two solid coats of paint. Not really looking forward to the task, but it will be bright and airy when I'm done and SO worth it.

Tickler File: My office and studio - Getting out of a rut!

I've been prattling on about my office for a bit now, but thought I'd explain why this project is next on my list.

I recently had an e-consulting session with Erin Loechner of Design for Mankind. My goal was to figure out a way to get out of a rut. It worked, but not in the way I originally planned. The rut I thought I wanted to get out of isn't the problem. What I really need to do is work on projects that let me get back in touch with my creative side.

Working from the kitchen table or the wee laptop desk in the TV room isn't cutting it. And I really need to get my books and other things unpacked and at hand.

My job this week, is to empty the room of all of the crap important stuff you see pictured above and prep the walls. I also have the lofty ambition of getting some paint on the ceiling and walls this weekend. This will probably be my last post about this room until I've made some progress. For a sneak peek at what will be going back in the room you can keep an eye on my home office and studio board on pinterest.

Tickler File: My office and studio - I need a ginormous bulletin board!

via cartoonsnap.blogspot.com

One of my schemes for my office involves a large expanse of bulletin board. Of course I'll use the space to pin up images and other things that inspire me or just strike my fancy, but I also want to use it to organize my ideas.

The Walt Disney Studio is created with coming up with the idea of storyboards. They pinned up drawings, moved them around and discarded ones that weren't cutting it to help develop the storylines for their films.

I'm no Walt, but I have ideas and I'm finding that saving notes and clippings on my computer isn't the best way for me to refine them. So, when I get my office together I'm going to have a space to pin my ideas on the wall, sort them out and make them happen!

 

via homedesign.marthastewart.com

I love the wall of bulletin boards that lines Kevin Sharkey's office at Martha Stewart Living OMNIMEDIA. I plan to do something like this, but on a smaller scale for my smaller space. Homasote - here I come!

UPDATE:  Another fabric-covered homasote inspiration board by From the Right Bank

Tickler File: My office and studio - I have a strategic plan. It's called doing things.

via baltimore print studios

Lest I spend too much time thinking of a master plan, I will have this print I picked up last summer to remind me that it's actually about doing things. Or as Elvis would say, a little less conversation, a little more action.

 

Tickler File: My office and studio - Thinkin of a Master Plan

via www.paperjampress.com

It's time for a new project. I've been in a bit of a rut and have decided that one of the things I need to do to get out of it is to get my office and studio set up.

This print showed up on pinterest a week or so ago and I knew I had to have it for my space. Here's to scheming!