A cubicle is defined as a small, square, office workspace – and, apparently,
Brooke and Darin’s cubicles were just not cutting it!
Interior Stylist Amanda Richards from the blog “Burlap and Denim” helped
transform the spaces of your favorite Studio 5 hosts. She shares three
take-away tips for sprucing up your own creative space, or at-home office.
I was recently asked to do a cubicle makeover for Brooke Walker of Studio5
for just $50. This may seem like an impossible task, but with a little
thought and a lot of effort I think it turned out awesome! Let me show you
how we did it.
First, it is important to start with the feeling you want the space to
have when it is finished. After communicating with Brooke, we understood
that what she was really looking for was a fresh, feminine, and simple look
for her space. We started with the background and found a clean and
funky damask fabric with a small punch of color… in aqua parrots. Brooke
mentioned that aqua and blush were her favorite colors so we used those
throughout the space but also added a few other accents to our color
palette like dark grayish blue to keep it interesting. To keep it bright, Amy
(my sister) and I taped white stringed lights underneath the cabinetry to
give a warm glow to an otherwise dark area.
Grouping is an organizers best friend. With Brooke’s space, there were
family photos, awards, thank you cards, and the like that were peppered all
over the space. We made an inexpensive “bulletin board” out of
coordinating linen and burlap to highlight her favorite photos and cards in
one place. All of her important books were corralled into a simple crate
stained to match the space. They are within easy reach but for the most
part, out of sight. Two simple bags, that we embellished and personalized,
become the perfect “IN” and “OUT” bags. Hung with some hooks from the
side of the cubicle wall, they are easy to take off and move to the desk or
hang up out of the way. We organized the random items and mostly DVD’s
in the chevron boxes on top of the cabinets. Each is labeled with a number
1-4, so even if you can’t see over the top of the box, you can remember
what is in each one. The best part about grouping is taking the guess work
out of straightening up. When a new photo, book, pen or DVD comes into
the space, you’ll know right where to put it.
Recycle, Reuse and Reduced. I love to recycle things, especially packaging
that we would normally throw in the trash. I had recently started saving the
bottom of orange boxes because they were clean, a great size, and an
excellent neutral colored cardboard. After a little paint and some labels (all
of which I had on hand), they became a great FREE storage and décor
statement for Brooke. Glass jars from spaghetti sauce now hold decorative
shells and office supplies. A mirror that I found in the garbage (yep,
garbage) gets a fresh coat of spray paint and now is the perfect place to
check hair and makeup before heading off to that important meeting… or
TV show. Placing old Christmas lights in a candy jar can really brightened
up Brook’s space. When I found the two “IN” and “OUT” bags on clearance,
I over looked the ugly front side and focused on the blank back-side and
what it could look like with a little embellishment. A drink box from a local
eatery was the perfect catch-all for small office supplies, and it was free for
the asking.
Finally, a coupon, discount, or clearance item should never be looked down
upon. It is amazing how much farther your money can go by simply
flashing a 40% off code from your smart phone. Now who’s the smart one!
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