The Things She Makes

WeWork have recently opened their London office space - the kind of space that looks inspiring, collaborative and full of energy - definitely worth a Twitter follow for office inspo!
This is very timely for me as I mentioned last year that I had bought a house and it is a Victorian property in full renovation. I'll finally be moving my crafty in to a dedicated space, rather than on the living room floor!

This inspired me to create what my ideal creative space would look like, so I've pulled together how I hope my studio area will look once I have moved in - a mix of aspirational, budget-friendly and DIY items.
The perfect excuse to window shop!

Furniture: I've been used to a small desk, with just enough room for my monitor - I'd love some space around around it! I'm planning simple, straight lines with hidden storage - like this sleek Ikea design - ideal for the alcove space waiting for me when I decorate. I can't help but plan a little DIY with some marble vinyl for the table top to break up the white a little [only a little!].

Comfort: If I'm going to be sitting at my new, bigger desk for long periods of time [and if my office area looks like the above, I will be!] I need a change of chair - my current 'ghost' chair looks fab and I love the style - but this chair combines it with a bit of vintage and comfort - the perfect combo. My gorgeous wooden floors are going to need a bit of softening too and this beautiful natural-coloured rug from Ugg is on my wishlist. Love.

Organisation: A new office space is the perfect excuse for one of my favourite hobbies - stationery shopping. Etsy have such a huge range of unique, personalised and generally fantabulous designs - I particularly like 'Pretty Organised' for their brush lettering notebooks. This printable calendar is simple, clean and perfect for looking, if not being, organised!

Storage: drawers, tray, basket, stacked bowls My craft supplies are currently stored in boxes in a large drawer until - which is great for keeping things out of sight, but can make it hard to find things in a hurry - these plastic drawers will be perfect for keeping things neat and tidy, but easy to find, as will this gorgeous acrylic tray. I have papers rolled and currently sitting in a tote bag - but to tie some onf the accents together, I've bought this wire basket to display them. Finally, I love these grey and copper stackable jewellery bowls from Urban Outfitters, which would be prefect to hide away stationery supplies.

Decor: Keep your space smelling, as well as looking, great with some finishing touches: these beautiful flowers from John Lewis will never wilt and I'm a huge fan of the subtle but fresh scented candles at Next.

and lastly... Fuel: which, in my case, is always coffee and it may as well match the decor!

The item I continue my search for is a daylight lamp - if you have any recommendations, I'd love to hear them! Let's see how this compares to my space when I move in [I can't wait now!]

- otherwise, I'm heading straight to the dream office space that is Soho or, you know, New York?

I's love to see your spaces, or hear your tips for keeping the balance of function, comfort and style.

Many thanks WeWork for giving me an excuse to shop!

see you next time x

Happy New 2016! [am I still able to say that, half way through January?]

I hope the year has started in a fantastic way and you had a fab break [probably completely forgotten about it by now though....]

Like many, I spent the first few days of January trying to re-organise, de-clutter and have a general tidy round. One of my first DIY projects of 2016 has been inspired by a mix of Oliver Bonas and the kitchen aisle of Asda and adds another storage/display item for my jewellery collection.

I've also, many seasons too late, fallen in love with marble. Big time. There are several marble-themed DIY projects coming your way, just to warn you. I'll try and spread them out, so as not to bore you, but a £4 roll of vinyl marble goes a pretty long way.

I'd seen the marble and copper wire jewellery stands in Oliver Bonas last year and had been tempted many times to buy one, but there was something a little too delicate about them that meant I knew I'd knock them and/or probably stab myself with the arms.

I saw this mug tree [Asda, £5] and immediately saw it as my solution. It has a good weight to the bottom and I love the bamboo colour and cream base finish.

It was just missing the marble.
I unscrewed the base and carefully stuck a marble vinyl [Wilko, £4] to the top - use a ruler or something with a straight edge to smooth the finish and remove any air bubbles:

To get a neat finish, use a craft knife to cut around the base:

...and screw the base back on [the tree will pierce the vinyl easily]:

You could leave the stand with this detail, but I added a few extra touches at the base
and top of the tree:

I'm tempted to add some gold/bronze paint to the mix - just at the top and end of each arm to add an accent - but for now, I'm happy with the final look. Hang your bracelets, watches, necklaces and trinkets and have them on full display [no more tangles!]