A small desk in the dormer window of my bedroom has never really been used properly. The desktop has always been a catch-all for books, clothes, and papers at the end of the day. And the drawer, well, the drawer was even worse. I finally set aside some time to give the area some attention, and it paid off:
Now, instead of sitting on the floor at the coffee table, I have an inviting and functional nook to use for work. A small clip-on Artemide lamp was relocated to the desk so my husband or I can work at the desk late into the night without disturbing the other. I moved a tiny plant to the desktop from the dining room — where it always looked too small anyway — to add a little cheeriness even during this never-ending winter.
The drawer already had dividers in it. I had just ignored them until now. This is now a perfect place to stow away bills to be paid, stationery, business cards, and the various chargers and headphones that are generally scattered about. Organizing these items into the drawer dividers helped me to weed out all of that stuff I never really needed (like the 50 ink pens littering the front of the drawer, half of which didn't work so well anyway!).
One last thing I'd like to do here: install a grommet at the back of the desktop for funneling cords down to the outlet below. Otherwise, the entire desk was pulled together with just a little thought, effort, and things I already had around the house.
Images: Regina Yunghans
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what a sweet architectural detail!
I always love built-in desks and storage but how is cleaning out a draw and tidying things up a Before and After? Hardly worthy of a post.
Jeez. I'm going to wash the dishes in my sink and post an "after" photo.
OK. second story I read, more negative comments. Whassup? If AT posts it, then why can't we all just get along? It is a great detail in the bedroom, good for her for whipping it into shape, and I did have one thought. I am really into nooks and ceilings getting a coat of a really pale color right now, like a Robin's egg blue, or minty green. That might be nice in that nook? Just a thought.
i love the little nook! makes for such a cozy workstation
Aw, c'mon awondrland! Straightening a drawer is not worthy of what we've come to expect in an Apartment Therapy "Before & After" posting. That chair yesterday with the bold orange print was definitely cool, and the trailer renovation, but this is just embarrassing.
awondrland, i agree with you about the negative comments. i read the comments to learn from other readers, but it's become such a mine field of snarky jabs and barbs. all that aside, i think your idea of a pale color to highlight the nook would be fantastic.
What is the diffrence????? someone please tell..
u cleaned up and took a picture. SMH
I think the point of the post is to show that something simple, like organizing a drawer and bringing in items from other rooms, can make a difference in your room and your day. If you read the article, the author describes how the simple change made his/her routine more efficient. He/She no longer has to work on the floor but has a dedicated space for taking care of tasks.
Times are tough and not everyone can afford to do major renovations or even buy a cheap desk to fix up. Sometimes simple changes can make a big difference. Maybe this article will motivate someone to organize a few drawers because it will make their life a little easier and run a little smoother. That may be all someone has the time and money to do.
Isn't that what this website is all about? Support and motivation? And pretty pictures.
This post is ridiculous. Straightening a drawer or cleaning up a room is not worthy of praise. This is not a project! You're cleaning and straightening--something you should be doing on an ongoing basis all the time!
It's nice you're making use of this architectural feature. Kind of a slow news day, huh?
Some of the "organization" Apartment Therapy features have been more useful than others. Some have been genuinely impressive. In this case, Before vs After amounts to "put the shirt in the laundry, and place a laptop on the desk". My own bedroom has far more day-to-day variability than this.
I'm sorry, I'm with Michael W. on this.
It would be worthy of Apt Therapy if, say, "before" consisted of a table and chair that didn't quite fit in the space, and "After" showed it replaced by this lovely little built-in.
To end on a positive note, I love the little built-in desk nook. Looks like a pleasant little place to balance the check book on a winter day...
YAWWWWWWWWWWWWN. I saw the before picture without reading the headline and thought it was going to be a cute update to a nice architectural detail. It's a good thing AT isn't a subscription site, or I would have just put a stop on my payment. If they ever decide to paint the space, hang a curtain, buy a new blanket, some art, change the drawer hardware, wallpaper - let us know. But - look they plugged in their laptop and put away their shirt - is pathetic.
Wow, this post is so life-changing. I am completely inspired now to put away my jacket on a hanger instead of tossing it on my chair!
No difference. What a waste of time.
Seriously, this is a post???
Well, tidying up has a lot more impact in a small space, which is what I was originally drawn to AT for. Sometimes spending time fantasizing over celebrity decorator porn has less impact on your life than getting up from the computer and creating "baby step" (credit flylady) visions for the nooks and crannies that are actually in front of you. Grumble grumble. Everyone's getting cranky with all this cold weather.
I think it'd be cool if we just expressed our dissatisfaction with a post without the sarcasm... adults should be able to do that. Some of you sound like a bunch of whiney tweens. Grow up or get off AT.
it's a boring post, but i don't think you're hitler.
Wow, what a bunch of mean jerks! It isn't what you thought it would be? Aaww.
Get over it. This could be a big change for someone with limited funds. A small change, like organizing a drawer, can make a huge difference for a student, or someone who is not used to being organized.
I'm with awondrland!
Maybe some really cool wallpaper or a different color paint would add to your desk project!
Although I'd personally be tempted to put mirrors there to reflect more light into the room.
I had to check the calendar to see if it was April 1st.
Nice that they cleaned up the space, but it seems a little under-whelming as "before & afters" go.
Well I like before/after posts. And I have to say as well, not everyone can afford the same budget for decorating, and this may shock some people (gasp), but some of us can afford no budget at all right now.
As for this room, I like the "after". I think a touch of colour in the window (between the white walls) would make this space really stand out: a nice curtain or roman blinds perhaps.
I guess this is more a 'how good things look when you throw some stuff out' post.
Something tells me that if this post wasn't labeled as "before & after", there wouldn't be so many unhappy AT'ers. I get what some are saying about small changes/big impact/zero budget, and I'm all for it. On the flip side, this really isn't a good representation of the before & after concept. Bottom line, I think the post is fine, just labeled incorrectly which makes it a bit misleading when one is looking for a certain type of inspiration. Regina, I'm glad you have a better functioning desk area and... that you found a better way to organize your stuff. Good for you.
Well said, Ty.M4change. I think calling this a 'before and after' is a stretch.
Works for me as a mini before-and-after post. The nook is adorable--I can't believe you hardly used it before!
Cute nook. I would love to have one. Not "before and after" worthy though. We are all cleaning/organizing our places on a regular basis. Putting away a tiny bit of clutter isn't what people expect for a before and after. Maybe this should have been about rediscovering unused spaces or else skip it entirely.
That plus the built-in dressers makes this an interesting bedroom.
I just did a load of laundry... anyone wanna see how clean it is?
Could AT please post some inspirational posts again? You know, about how to update your small apartments on a low budget?? What AT calls it's mission??? I've seen enough giant-houses-posts and clean-your-drawers-posts.