My Home Office--Finally!

I have always had this desire to have a really great home office where I can do work and things. Who says only guys need a home office? In fact, aren't women doing most of the in-house work and bill paying anyway? Whenever Tyler and I go to IKEA or other home furnishing places we love looking at the office furniture and like to say things like "When we have a house, let's get this really neat double desk for our office!" or "This would be the perfect chair for our office!" Yes, it is usually one of my favorite features in women's magazines and I have very often clipped out and kept sections about how to have a fashionable home office--who says they need to be boring!

So last January I decided for my birthday I was going to get the things I needed for a home office. So I picked up the lamp and file cabinet, set it up, and here it is, complete with a white paper recycling bin under the desk! Everything else I already had. I'm a dork but I wanted to show case it because I am proud of it! And while it's still not ideal, I was able to do it on our type of budget, i.e. small. The only thing I'd still like for now is a paper shredder.

And now for the details...
Here is my "inbox." In the past it has been a magazine holder and a guest hand towel holder. I make my decor double and even triple for different functions.
Here is a shot of my birthday purchases: an IKEA cabinet, Eifel Tower lamp base from Target (which I have wanted for YEARS!!) and a neat lamp shade I got from Urban Outfitters. You may notice it is crooked because it doesn't fit just right but I figure it's got personality that way. :) Also next to it you will see a little orange can. It is a vintage coffee can my sisters found on our Hawaii property and gave to me because they knew I'd like it. It holds my pens, calculator, and post it notes--an essential for me.

Now to show you what I keep in my drawers, because I am pround of that too and spent a long time organizing it!
Top drawer keeps all my important papers--things you would normally see in a file cabinet. I figure our small paper expandable file wasn't doing the trick anymore.
Second drawer keeps some of my craft items and cards. I was able to get rid of a long out dated box that was previously holding them.
Now, third drawer I am especially proud of. Living with a man (or just with people in general!) means things being left where you don't want them. I like to try and make things as easy on Tyler as possible to help me keep things in order like I want them. For example, if I am tired of picking up all his sweaters because he won't hang them up, just put up a hook rack by the door (my next home improvement)! Or if he doesn't hang his towels up straight enough, just put up hooks for the towels instead--that is what I did at the last place we had. So, it has always been a problem for me as his books and school things end up everywhere and are unsightly. And as we have no "homework nook" in this apartment, he does his homework at the desk here. So the third drawer is for his school items. That way he knows exactly where to find them and all I have to do to pick them up is just put them in his drawer. Easier for me, easier for him, problem solved.