Do it yourself for about 10 bucks.

Style and Zen In The Makeshift Home Office

Transform small space into a retreat that doubles as a home office area.

It has become crowded in many homes across the globe thanks to the Pandemic, COVID-19. Being ordered to stay home from work and school in many regions has added stress to our work routines.

Some of us are left wishing we had a better work environment at home. Space is a bit of a challenge, but thanks to some crafty thinking and some inspiring friends, I am happy to share with you some quick and easy ways to make a small and useful work area. A nook, just for you and your mind and your work tools, whatever they may be.

For this cool office nook you only need a few things.

1. A designated, small rectangle of space. Pick a corner that will become a modest and marvelous working space.
2. An old desk or small table.
3. A roll of sticky-paper in a decorative color scheme (see details below for exactly where to get it.)
4. Scissors
5. Measuring tape
6. A pen or a marker
7. 4 -5 small to medium pieces of art- drawings or paintings. My examples shown in photos are all my original art- I am no Picasso, but I love to try.
8. A camera to take pics of your space and share back with us on Medium.
9. Motivation. Here, have mine. * sprinkles you with motivational sparkles*

Get inspired!

Recently, a lovely lady writer named Livia Dabs inspired me to improve my personal space and work space. She made me want to upgrade my work space creatively, using what I already had available.

I encourage you to read about Livia and the joys found during lockdown. Especially the colors she chose for her living space. My post is entirely because of her “luminous space”.

Here is that gorgeous girl:

…and her sacred space is shown in this post:

Here is what I was able to do in my own crowded home. I am so happy with the results.

This adorable home office space is mine.

Transforming a tiny corner of any room in a house is easy with a couple small steps. Here is how I turned a small corner previously used for a laundry basket into a useful and beautiful home office.

Change any old table or desk into a fresh, modern cutie-pie-piece — in just a few minutes.

I picked up a beat-up wooden desk from a garage sale for $5.00. I carefully cleaned the wood and sprayed every inch with a household disinfectant before it was brought into my home, of course.

After I got the desk cleaned up I transformed it from an eyesore into a modern piece, suitable for my “new office”.

A Mini Makeover For An Old Piece Of Furniture

To hide the scars and scratches that were everywhere on the surface of the battered, old desk I used a roll of special sticky-paper. This type of paper is commonly used to line kitchen or bathroom drawers and shelves with. You can find it in stores with the forks and knives and other kitchen accessories.

• Note: There are other papers that might work but the type of paper I chose has adhesive back and a smooth, plastic finish that cleans up easily with a sponge. Plus, kitchen paper is durable— so it will survive plenty of activity.

Choosing the right look for your desk and home office.

I chose a roll of bright red and white patterned paper to add a lively and unique appearance to my tattered desktop. I recommend picking a pattern and not a plain, solid color. Mainly because it is really difficult to get a perfect paper application.

If your surface has scratches and blemishes like my desk did, plain paper will draw attention to the imperfections, while a patterned paper hides those minor details perfectly. So- go for a pattern. Trust me on this small detail.

Get your scissors.

After selecting the right paper, I simply measured the surfaces I wanted the paper to cover and then measured a matching piece of paper, for each of the measured surfaces. Make sure you leave the peel-off layer of backing in tact for now.

For my desk there were a total of 13 rectangles. Yours will be different, but to keep it simple do this:

• Cut a rectangle for the bottom of every drawer and every shelf
• Cut a rectangle for any cut-outs or organizer features built into the desk
• Cut one large rectangle to cover the main work space.

Note: For a cute style I measured the big piece to be slightly smaller than the length and width of the desktop. The reason I didn’t measure edge-to-edge on the main piece is because I like the look with the original wood acting as a stylish and funky frame for the new, bright desk cover.

Take the time to cut this piece very straight. It will be obvious if it is crooked even a hair. This was my preference — but you can completely cover the desk top if you want to. Go with your instinct. It is FUN. Don’t worry about getting it perfect. This is experimental and very easy to change if you don’t like the result.

Once I measured and cut each rectangular section of paper, I simply peeled the backing and carefully smoothed each piece onto the surface for which it was measured.

• Hint 1: Dust the surface so it is totally clean before you do this. Any debris under the sticky paper will leave lumps and it will drive you nuts.
• Hint 2: To make the paper lay nice and flat use a wide spatula to gently scrape the top of the paper — it will smooth the plastic and help to firmly affix the paper to the desk. Careful! Not too hard, or it will rip before you ever get to use it.

Finally, the finale.

Now to finish off your new work station, pick a few colorful drawings and paintings and place them on the walls behind the desk and on the side wall that borders the nook.

Make sure to put your art pieces slightly lower on the wall than you normally would. Placing the pieces low will add to the illusion of your work-nook being a separate room. Also — pin the art within the boundaries that the desk creates. Do not allow your art to hang outside of the desk length. See the red dashed lines in the above image to understand your art boundaries.

These simple guidelines help to create a focal point for your mind to work in. Sometimes its okay to think inside the box.

Now, stare in wonder as you fall in love with the small but sacred space you made. Admire what you built, and if you are inspired, I encourage you to take a picture of it. Show off your makeshift home office!

If you really need to get work done- here is what I suggest:

Make sure to keep the designated work area clutter free- as much as possible. Try to maintain it as a small, separate space. Let the kids know, and tell your household members- your home office setup is not open area for all to enter. Your work space is where you go to work, and your family and friends must knock or text message you if they need to interrupt your work. Otherwise, tell them when your first break is — and they can wait, unless it is urgent.

You will be amazed at the boost to your productivity if you stick to the plan— plus — it is a much more fabulous use of space in your home.

Good luck on creating your sacred space.