deep and wide

A while back I showed you my "portable office," also known as me and my laptop, papers, menus, and art supplies migrating from one horizontal surface to another.

 I'm pleased to say that all that has come to an end.  Behold:

I put a month's spending money toward this well-worth-it project.  My inspiration came from this post on Young House Love.  Since I live in an apartment and didn't have any spare doors lying in my spare rooms, I visited the closest Habitat for Humanity Re-Store and bought one.  For $10.  It had never had a jamb, a paint job, or, to all appearances, a real purpose in life.  Poor door. 

I paid and took the claim ticket, then my friend Beth went and picked it up for me since her vehicle is large and mine is small(er than a door).  Here's the first arrangement, before I decided what sort of supports to use.  I used the craft boxes that were already piled on the floor anyway.  The plastic hanging down came wrapped around the door--that's how new it was.  In the photo below, Hubby's desk is to the left and the brown mound to the right is a Love Sac that will one day transform into a beautiful, structured loveseat (I hope).

Arranging my desk in an L with his didn't work so well.  When we opened and closed the curtain it hit things on my desk.  Where the desks met they boxed in an empty corner.  The light from the window caused unworkable levels of glare on my laptop screen.  So I gave up and moved the desk to the other wall.  I also relieved my craft bins of their heavy load and gave the supporting role to two bookshelves.  They hold most of my craft supplies and essentials.

On the shelf that faces out toward the living room, I've stashed my binders, art/idea files, and current magazines.  That stack of movies is waiting for Thanksgiving--we've decided on an unconventional way to celebrate our two whole days without work: a pajama day movie marathon.  With junk food and mashed potatoes.  (That's the one element of Thanksgiving dinner Hubby couldn't let pass him by.  Me?  I'm more excited for the caramel popcorn I'm going to attempt to make.)

But I digress--thoughts of food make it so easy to get off topic!  Let's move on to the other end of the desk. 

This shelf faces inward, the only position that really made sense for it to serve as storage.  I even considered flipping the other one to face inward, but it has an ugly brown back that I don't want to have to look at from the living room.

One marvelous thing about a door desk, aside from its expansiveness, is its perfect cord-catching opening.  I have not missed trying to fling a cord out of my way, which I used to have to do when I set up at the kitchen table.

Some things that wouldn't fit on the shelves remain in the rolling cart I was already using for paper supplies.  The basket that recently retired from holding spices in the kitchen now holds our mail supplies.

Here's a view of half the work surface.  I'm excited to start crafting here.  In fact, I have a few things I need to (start and) finish before Christmas gets here!

And, for those who like the big picture, here you go.  I couldn't capture the whole width because I run into Hubby's desk before I can step back far enough for a full-width shot.  Another apartment thing.  But this conveys the scale.  Oh, how I enjoy the elbow room!

I'm not sure how soon I'll figure out how to decorate the desk itself.  Paint and decoupage have both occurred to me, but there are so many color and pattern choices that I plan to spend some time mulling over a decision before I leap in.  Maybe my work space will be plain-jane until we move again.  Who knows?  My one sooner-rather-than-later goal is to hang something pretty on the wall over my desk.  It's noticeably bare right now.

That's it for the desk, but one more thing before we part: Today I'm thankful for the leisure time to sit down and create.