During my down~time last month I was dreaming of prettily organized shelves, filled with soothing white baskets and uniform boxes...
like this...
and this...
and this!Of course, these offices look nothing like our tiny office that Mike transformed from a walk~in closet! Even still...after giving it some thought...I realized that what I was attracted to was the serenity of the white palette...the white painted baskets...the white, Ikea Kassett storage boxes & magazine holders. I knew...these were the elements that would help me obtain a bit of order in my tiny, chaotic closet~turned~office.
~~~~~~
Once my energy returned (my enthusiasm, of course, never waned) off Rosie and I went...to visit...
IKEA! 
(Ikea Baskets)We found walls filled with lovely white baskets...the ones I really wanted were very much like a set of baskets I had bought at the flea market for a mere fifty~cents each. The Ikea baskets were priced at $9.99 each so I opted out of buying them.
(Ikea "Kassett" boxes)We also found a multitude of Kassett boxes in all manner of sizes and price points...we bought a dozen or so magazine holders (the least expensive of the group)...along with several storage boxes...some to hold large files...others to hold smaller things like photos, cd's and dvd's.
~~~~~~
(Flea Market Basket BEFORE.)After a few coats of primer (Kilz) and some white paint leftover from another project the baskets were transformed into near twins of the Ikea baskets I had wanted!
(Flea Market baskets after they were transformed with paint.)~~~~~~
Please keep in mind that our little closet~office is very much a work in progress. My camera continues to give me a bit of trouble so please forgive the poor image quality...however...I refuse to let that stop me from sharing with you a sneak peak at what we've accomplished so far!
These are the magazine holders (above)...I love love love them! They hide a multitude of sins...
as do the baskets...
and boxes!
I will post more images as the office progresses and the camera allows!
Sending Good thoughts and love to all, as always.
Warmly,
Tracey and Family
x0x
Inspiration Photos: Source
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22 comments:
I am so impressed! My office/craft space does not reflect me nor the rest of our home..I should think of doing something about it one day..
You have inspired me..
Happy you are feeling better!
You are so kind LTDN!!! What a pleasure to know I may have offered a bit of inspiration to you because you ALWAYS inspire me! Thank you so much for the good words and thoughts, as always. :)
Love,
Tracey
x0x
oh I am liking the changes you have made, esp. reusing old baskets..the winter has me in a funk, I have the baskets and the paints but...as spring gets closer I will find the energy again...glad to see you are back...take care..
Thank you so much Bettyann...I wish I had a decent "before" shot to share but I forgot to take one. I may have an older shot of some shelves in my archives...I'll try to look for it and post it next time I update you on the project. I know what you mean about having everything except the energy. I'm still going in spurts, i.e., a half hour of work and an hour of rest hahahah...it IS funny but I'm actually not joking...this seems to be the new way for me to get stuff done. :))) Hope you get out of your winter funk my friend.
Sending love and good thoughts.
Warmly,
Tracey
x0x
Your storage solutions are lovely, Tracey, calming and frugal, too, because of repurposeing what you already have. I love the look of white on white.
Thank you Lorrie! I usually don't buy storage but the "I wants" for those Kassett boxes got the better of me. ;)
That being said...I am just sooo glad I did! It soothes the clutter so nicely and for not a lot of money.
Love,
Tracey
x0x
Great inspiration for me Tracey as I was going to get in the office and have a tidy up this week. You did so well & on a budget!!you go girl!!
My daughter has her degree in interior design but even that hasn't helped to keep all of her homeschooling things in place.
When they moved into their new home last year, she headed for Ikea and all I can say is... it is a good thing she has a large van. :)
I must admit, her home looked lovely when we visited and with five children, she needed Ikea's help. It is her favorite store.
I am so glad you are feeling better. I missed you!
So nicely organized...My dreams are to do the same thing with my magazines. I don't have an ikea nearby so it's looking more and more like cereal boxes, lol. That's fine...the last ones I fixed up have lasted very nicely for the past 10 years and I suspect they will keep on going.
Dear Brenda, you make me feel like a million dollars! I missed visiting your blogs too!!! I'm just now giving myself permission to go visiting more (I feel like it's too much of a treat until I get more things done around the house...catching up from when I was sick and NOTHING was done...hahaha).
I have to tell you how much I loved those pictures on the post about your daughter/family...I'm so glad she's an Ikea fan too...I'm in good company! It is a wonderful resource, especially for organizing! That being said, although we live fairly close to one, I don't visit often as it's absolutely not frugal when I do!!! If you noted the shopping cart Rosie was pushing in the collage, you'll see why...I always overbuy!!! That trip included impulse purchases such as a new duvet cover, comforter and pillows for Rosie's bed!!! They were such a pretty bargain I couldn't resist...and she did need new ones...yadayadayada! :)
Love to you my sweet friend!
Warmly,
Tracey
x0x
Isn't white spray paint wonderful! I've transformed several old pieces of dark furniture with white paint and it adds so much lightness and grace to a room. Love your now-white flea market finds!
Wow, Tracey! It was an honor to have you comment on my blog. I'm glad to have sung praises about your book. I aspire to be as successful as you someday with my thrifty writings:)
Angela, it is I who is honored! You are so kind...I appreciate it very much. As for (so called) success...I measure my own by the positive way my work/philosophy/ideas may have touched others and (ideally) made something of a difference...in that respect I believe I have been richly rewarded. I wish for you the same and more in your own writing.
Warmly,
Tracey
x0x
Tracey, wonderful ideas! A real class organization.
Beijos!
Thank you so much Solange! I hope you are enjoying this new year so far...it's going by so quickly...February already!!!
Warmly,
Tracey
x0x
Hello Friend! I do hope you are all over being sick and that life is treating you well these days (and that you are staying warm which is a hard thing to do here these days!)
I am loving what I am seeing so far with your office closet. We are so much alike- thinking IKEA baskets are too high at 9.99. I have friends who just shake their heads in disbelief when I say things like that. But we know we can get them for much cheaper ,or, even free, if we look around the house enough!
Had a wonderful Surprise from Jesus via a blogger and would love for you to read about it when you have sometime. HERE is the link-
bee blessed
mary
Hello Mary Ellen! So good to hear from you. LOL ... I know what you mean about people thinking I'm nuts for not wanting to pay 9.99 per basket... the problem is I need several baskets and that 9.99 would very quickly turn into 60.000!!! Plus, it's just been my long~time habit to see if I already have something in the house that will do the job just as well (often better ;)...plus it's almost become a game with me to see what ordinary things I can transform to achieve my ideal! I'm feeling much much better (thanks so much for the nice thoughts)...now I'm just lazy from lying about for too long while on the mend!!! I guess it's true about that law of thermodynamics... "a body in motion stays in motion, a body at rest stays at rest" Hahaha. Take care my friend...I'm off to visit your lovely site.
Love,
Tracey
x0x
P.S. I tried the link you enclosed but it's broken.:(
Tracey, I'm in the same boat trying to completely my new home work space. I got the desk, then got sick, it got covered with stuff and now I'm trying to uncover it and get it in fine working order. Loved your suggestions and that you really honed in on the peacefulness of the white. I knew I liked the look but didn't clue into why exactly until you said that.
Wishing you well and thank you for continuing to inspire us to live more with less.
Best, Kalani
Thinking about you dear lady..come out od hibernation and show us some new ideas...take care..
Hahahah...your nudge is much needed Bettyann! Thank you...I will do just that! Now... if only i could take some half~way decent photos to show you what's been keeping me so busy...
Love,
Tracey
x0x
It's looking great! I've been trying to organize my work space too and it's slooow going... Maybe a trip to IKEA will give me the inspiration (and cool mag holders) I need to finish? Hope all is well with you in this wintery season?
thank you so much diXymiss!!! It's still very much a work in progress but at least all the paperwork has been organized and declutter...it may be just me but sorting through paperwork is always so time consuming!
Warmly,
Tracey
x0x
P.S. Wow, nature has sure been keeping you on your toes...btw...what a lovely stand of trees near your house!
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