Well, as our brood expands and as our home doesn't, RIP guest bedroom. Funny how Daddy Mock and I thought one should always have a guest bedroom. Well, with the invention of a stellar air mattress and a memory foam pad to top it (seriously, the combination equates a very comfortable sleeping situation) plus being faced with a potential office in our bedroom... it was time to boot the guest bedroom.

Before:

After:

Daddy Mock built the awesome file cabinet/workspace combo and painted it as well. Seriously, we have a very LIMITED budget, and by that I mean literally use all we have available and buy only what's necessary...what was necessary you ask? Paint, fabric and pre-fabricated wood.

I didn't have much room for fun fabric. I really wanted to spend $30 and get a vintage-y print, but that money is being saved for Scarlett's room, much more important. I settled for a shower curtain at Target for $4.99. Plus I have loads of fabric left! I should also mention that Daddy Mock and I agreed that we did not want to paint the room, so somehow encompassing the very "special" mauve that the owner's had left originally (the only room untouched by us!) was mandatory.

I should also mention that the fabric really has no use but to hide electronics and cords... Daddy Mock thought this technique was silly, but nothing bothers me more than exposed cords (okay, a lot of things bother me, but I won't go into those).

My sew station (much smaller than my last area, but I've used it plenty already and it works!):

The paint was solely for the desk and dresser... the dresser used to be a dark oak, which was perfect when Kid's room was western, but we have no use for that any longer. I already have painted various dressers in the house red, green, black, and white, so it was due time for a change (and Joelle's grey dresser was the inspiration!). All the hardware remains the same, even though I am a sucker for antique hardware. Sigh.

The lamp...what a pain in my side! Originally it was a hideous 70's mustard brown, courtesy of some great potter back in the day and a great find at the thrift store for $8. The problem was that I wanted to spray paint it as this was the easiest way. The only green or turquoise I could find were way too "primary", but I settled for the green...anyway, it ended up looking like a ginormous green candy apple, too dark, and just silly. The whole office was put on hold for weeks until I finally had the motivation (today!) to go and get a different sample color and hand paint it. The sampler was the perfect size, the paint job was not perfect (nor is the color, but I surrender). Lord I love spray paint.

All the frames have been spray painted with remaining spray paint that I had laying around. Poor frames...some of them have seen up to four colors and have followed me around since college. They're very loyal.

Now my fabric and crafting materials share space with our board games and my photog. equipment, but it still fits and works. Best of all, it was again a chance to cleanse of all un-neededness (not a word, but should be one in the OCD dictionary. Write that down.)

Overall I am pleased with the outcome. I had much bigger ideas for it, but with such a tight budget, using everything we already had, and trying to make it a functional work space, I ended up with a very girly-modern-matchy-matchy office (which none of those are my personal style, really!).

At least it's free of clutter, right?

Oh, and I have to shout out to my Grandma Peters who responded to my last post on nesting..her email: "do you remember when you were about six you used to say "Grandma, if you ever need anything organized just let me know."

Apparently things haven't changed much--Grandma, that offer still stands!