Let's Talk About Desks, Baby

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I'm a desk person.

I spend an obscene amount of time doing the following activities: Writing Blog Posts, Writing an 80k Word Novel, Editing an 80k Word Novel, and Facebook Stalking My Friends... (kidding). 

In short, I spend a good amount of time at a desk - when I have one. Since graduating from college, however, I haven't had a proper desk in my room. So, when I moved into this new apartment, I was determined to make the whole desk thing happen. Put it on the NEED list instead of the WANT list, if you know what I'm saying.

We went on a craigslisting spree about a month ago, and this desk caught my attention big time. It used to belong to some railroading company (choo choo!). What's good: It's the right size, very simple and doesn't take up much visual space (important since it's going smack dab in the middle of a large living room - not in a den). The clean lines mesh perfectly with the rest of the Mid Century Modern furniture in the room.

The perfect desk set up item # 1: A comfortable chair. Seriously. This is very important, especially if you're like me and intend to spend a lot of time there! We've currently got one of the Setu Lounge chairs there, with a blue pillow, just in case your butt gets cold.

   
The perfect desk set up item # 2: Natural light. Some of us work at offices all day with artificial lighting beaming down from above. On a Sunday afternoon, as you sit in your chair with a big cup of tea, you want natural light. If you live in a city, you want to be able to look out the window and see your neighbor's cute red door and the vines growing up the side of the old brick building. Such is the romance of a good desk set up.

The perfect desk set up item # 4: An Orchid. I wanted some symbol of life to be sitting out. Something fresh and green. But, I'm not so good at watering things daily, and I desperately do not want to be stuck picking up dead flowers all the time. So, we opted for an Orchid. Actually, I mentioned it once and then Justin had it sent to me at work. 

Answer to the "Are there really blue orchids?" question (because I've been asked so many times already): No, there are not blue orchids by birth, so to speak. BUT, a certain type of nutrients can turn a white orchid blue. So it's a combination of being the right color to begin with (white) and having a certain reaction to the nutrients the florist feeds it. Boom, roasted.



The perfect desk set up item # 5: Candles. Because, natural light or not, candles are always there for you. Even when the power is out. They make everything smell good and I find candles to be surprisingly comforting. 

I gathered 4 or 5 candles of varying heights (only one of which is scented - beware of completing scents!) and placed them on a cute silver serving tray I snatched at a garage sale. That way, if I ever need more room on the desk, it's easy to move all the candles at once. Plus, just in case the candles spill, the desk is protected.

I also enjoy the notion that I can write a book or a letter by candlelight and connect in some odd way to those who wrote books and letters by candlelight before me. Earth to Ernest Hemingway, are you there? Come in, Ernest?

I'm sure you're wondering, "But what can you see from the desk, Carly?" Because you know I've thought about it, since this desk has become my oasis of sorts.

Well, part of the magic of this desk is that you can also see the T.V. Because it sits at an angle in the corner, facing the room, it has a pretty open view of the television. Once we mount the TV to the wall, it should be able to tilt and swivel, meaning the angle at which you watch can be adjusted. What does this mean for my desk oasis? That I can turn the TV so it's perfectly viewable from my seat. Meaning I can watch Nikita or Alias or Homeland (I'm a serious spy/CIA nerd, just read my book...).

Also "viewable" from my desk oasis is the wonderful, the fabulous, the infamous... color coded bookshelf. Roy G. Biv called. He said he wants his shelves back.

So what do you think? Does it look serene? Could you sit here sipping tea (or coffee) on a Sunday afternoon, typing away?

Where is your oasis in your home?

A Room With No Name - Apartment Progress

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Ok, so this awesome Monday morning post is about my dining slash living room slash den area. You know, like the room that's supposed to be a dining room, but then you decide you don't need a dining room anyway, so you make yourself an awesome desk to... sit at. And write books. And be fancy. And not smoke cigars because you hate how they taste but you can pretend.

You know, like that kind of stuff.

If you're catching up...

Here were my grand plans for this apartment, and here were some nudie shots (OF THE APARTMENT! NO NUDE HUMANS WERE INVOLVED IN THE MAKING OF THAT POST).  The first "done" room (sort of - working on an update post) was the Living Room, which you can find here.

So, the dining slash living room slash den area. Here was the initial plan, as predetermined by Type A Carly (not to be confused with Type B Carly).

And here we are now, progress and all. Our little sweet child is growing up. 

For the most part, this room went as planned. A month ago, we snagged that awesome desk off Craigslist, which is the perfect height to work with the Setu Lounge Chair. 

For now, we've set the Setu Ottoman in front of our huge, larger than life mirror. That way, while I'm checking myself out in the morning or fixing my hair, I've got a place to set my huge ass bag. Perfect.

That amazing mirror? Value City, people. Yes, seriously. We randomly walked into Value City when hitting up Gurnee Mills Mall a few weeks ago, and spent a moment admiring the mirror. The following weekend, when Justin went to buy some pants, he bought it on a whim for $160. Not bad for something that's taller than your 6 foot 7 man, right?

Note: Huge mirrors are awesome. Why? Because they're huge. And it makes the room feel so much bigger. Like it goes on forever. And maybe it does. It's like the 8th Narnia Book. The Magic Mirror.

The wonderful desk corner. You see, I so desperately wanted to have a place where I could sit and write. Whether it's working on blog posts or writing my book, I end up spending a heck of a lot of time typing away on the computer. So, I wanted to make it something beautiful. 

Beautiful Desk = Orchids and candles. And a cup of tea.

With a desk that has no drawers (okay, it has one small drawer in the front -- enough for some pens and a pad of paper), we needed some storage. Storage for cords and papers and pens, etc. So, we purposely put the shelving unit with cabinets behind the desk. That way, all the storage you need is right behind you!

Oh, see that On Air Box? Here's the tutorial. I'm still loving it. Especially combined with the old camera we grabbed at a vintage store in Holland, it adds a retro air to the MCM decor.

We kept two bookshelves on the left, lined up against the wall. Almost all of these books used to be smashed together on one shelf. Now that they're able to spread out onto two, there's room to stick in the extra nick nack here and there.

So, what's left to do?

• Get rid of that pesky white box
• Make some window treatments
• Hide that ugly darn cord

What about you? Where's your special place in your home?