Organizing Revolution: Week One - Office Space

Here I am, once again, joining an organizing challenge. Why? Because I am "organizing challenged". I did The Organizing Junkie's 52 Week Challenge two years ago and had many, many successes and have kept *some* of the areas organized still and can attest to the fact that the things I learned that year have certainly have influenced the way I do things now. I use Laura's "PROCESS" often and am a container junkie as I found the only way I stand a chance is to limit myself and create visual boundaries by using a specific container for a specific function. When I started this, I sat down with a coffee and sketched out my zones (I'm a visual person and I like to see everything) and reviewed the PROCESS and see how I'd apply it to this job.

A little background on the space that now constitutes my office... Back in July 2011, we started a renovation - this included opening up what had been my husband's office onto the family room. We moved his office into what had been my sewing room (really, it was a giant junk dump that "happened" to have my sewing machines in it). There are pictures of the reno in this post. Also, in preparation for the move, I did my (then) sewing room) as part of the 52 Weeks of Organizing - that post can be checked out here.

The space has been fully functional since late 2011. Early in the fall, we installed new cabinetry as what I had was not working. Many things were purged then and it was tidied but never really "done" and I was always doing a "stuff shuffle". Enter Christmas and all the crafts we did left the space a DISASTER and much less inspirational than a room referred to as the "Design Studio" should be.

This challenge was perfect for me - I work well with guidance, an audience, pressure and deadlines. Without further adieu, here is my space! My design studio - interior design, craft/sewing and projects office!

After - looking in from family room

Before - looking in from family room

Before - looking out to family room

After - looking out to family room

This is the cutting station but not much cutting was getting done. I'd moved a smaller mat to my portable table since I couldn't find the one on the raised table... Now there is plenty of room and I know where all my cutters are! Plus all my rulers and adhesives are back where they are supposed to be!


This has been my workstation for my "real" job since September when I went back to work a few hours a week. The computer is OLD and SLOW... So we got a new computer. It sat in the box until I decided to start this challenge - that's when my husband decided we should finally transfer everything. Soon, the dinosaur computer will be extinct and this desk will be really neat and tidy. I've also learned that my husband needs a kick in the behind in order to get his filing done. The big pile of papers in the "before" is his delinquent filing... It's now gone from the desk!

I really like that I can sit at machine again... And I've got space to open the other door on the sewing cabinet (that's where my serger sits). It's SO tidy! Once I can start feeling my arm again, I hope to sew something awesome!

The upright storage units are excellent. They are inexpensive, have lots of room but keep me confined (remember I said I need to be limited in how much space I can have?). They create clear and defined boundaries. I sew and have hundreds of metres of fabric - most of which is hung on pants hangers and lives in the tall cabinet on the left. It's awesome and tidy and I can find anything when I need it.

The table also rotates around the room - as an extra return on the computer station, craft table and as pictured here, my design space! I can't believe I once again have room to lay out my samples and catalogs!

Sharing in all the awesomeness of the super Organizing Revolution! It's like these lovely bloggers knows there are lots of "organizing challenged" people out in the world! They should really wear capes!

PS Please ignore the open ceiling tiles. We are waiting to get the electrical completed and inspected so I can't close up the ceiling. It's an eyesore but now that the space is positively beaming with tidy, organized awesomeness, I hardly even notice them!

PSS I CAN'T believe I forgot to make the office reference to the movie "Office Space"! I had it all in my head before I wrote this and then, like so many things in my head these days, I forgot. So yeah, "Office Space"; a way cool movie.