dining table

Sitting on the couch, or at my computer desk. Honestly, I don't have much paperwork. Most of my bills are online.

On the sofa during our remodel. One day at our desk.

I usually eat on the sofa, plate on lap. Sometimes I'll eat at the desk/dining table but I try to clean my desk every evening when I'm finished (a habit I got into while working at design firms) so it's not such a big deal to set a place for dinner. Now, having guests for dinner is a whole other story.

Taxes must be done on the bed to make it easier to lie down and take a nap or go into a coma.

I don't have much paperwork, and I've FINALLY begun to actually use my filing cabinet (i.e. once I'm done with a document, it goes back in it's appropriate file.). But for things like taxes, I have a desk in my bedroom. And try to keep all of the paperwork organized in a single portfolio or file folder that way if it takes a couple days (or.. um... months) I can at least make it look neat and keep it organized.

As for all of my other projects... anything crafty (mostly sewing) gets done at my sewing table, which has plenty of space to spread out, and if I need to I can spread out onto my bed as well.
And computer stuff will either be done at my desk on the desktop computer, or in my bed on my laptop. My bedside table is long & wide enough to store the laptop when it's not in use.

So, basically I do everything in my bedroom. :)

i give you credit for doing your own taxes- i have a family of accountants and H&R Block employees- that's how i keep my desk clean!

but when i was younger i remember being spread out all across the table. when it was time to eat i stacked it horizontal to vertical to h to v to h . and put it on a chair. that way all the papers were together in one place and i could spread out again after dinner.

I use an old entry table from my grandmother as a desk, but it is not very big (barely enough room for a laptop, lamp and pencil holder, with one narrow drawer). I usually take it all to the dining table, do it, and then move it immediately. Not having a 'real' desk, helps me keep organized and cleaned up. If I had one, I am sure it would be a mess!

I use an old entry table from my grandmother as a desk, but it is not very big (barely enough room for a laptop, lamp and pencil holder, with one narrow drawer). I usually take it all to the dining table, do it, and then move it immediately. Not having a 'real' desk helps me keep organized and cleaned up. If I had one, I am sure it would be a mess!

we have a double duty office/ dining room--so all work related stuff will (eventually) have a dedicated place to hide. the table also functions as my sewing and craft table. if projects need to stay out through a meal, we have a small kitchen table (can seat 3) or NICE wood TV trays (for 2)

Funny, I just set up a new desk for myself a couple of days ago. I used to have a hoosier that I used as a desk. I sold it a year ago when I was reorganizing our living/dining room (area?). Since then I've been storing office supplies in my own scary closet, and using a laptop case (designed by Chloe Dao of Project Runway fame, in fact). But I really have too much paperwork for a mobile office. My new desk is a 30x60 walnut table top from Room & Board, with stainless legs from a Bowery kitchen supplier; formerly our dining table. I added a couple of lamps, and am currently scouring Ebay for desktop organizing-type objects.

I recommend the Chloe Dao laptop case, by the way, for anyone who wants a portable office. If you don't have too much paperwork, it's a nice solution - plenty of places to keep pens, paper clips, envelopes, stamps, etc., and it's made of a nice material. This particular pattern is retro, but there are two other patterns (if you can find them) that are more subdued.

http://www.amazon.com/Pacific-Design-Nucleus-Laptop-CaseColor/dp/B0011SAB6S/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=apparel&qid=1207013917&sr=8-1

In my closet.

My tiny studio apartment comes with two closets in the sleeping area. The larger, 6' x 8', houses my desk, computer, printer, some overhead storage, my two-drawer file cabinet and five small bookcases. The doors close and poof, it's gone.

my desk, it has a nicer view than the dining room table or coffee table. plus when you live with roommates, it's a little unseemly to leave your financial papers hanging about...

Where is that dining room table from?

I work at the dining room table and simply sweep everything up and put it in a nice bin from the container store when it's time to eat. I actually have an office but it's too tiny so i use it as a space for artwork, files, etc. (my dining room is in the LA house tour you can see for yourself how it looks without all my papers on it) maria (and yes, where is this table from?? it's beautiful!)

Armoire desk in the bedroom. I spent the better part of the fall transitioning all of my old paper files to digital, so virtually all of my "paper" is housed on a hard drive (and backed up on dvd and online storage.) No more file cabinets!

We have a powder room converted into small office.

All the paperwork gets done there!

see it here:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/82525810@N00/1828215261/

regards,

joel pirela

gmtruman, I once lived in an apartment where I pulled out the shelves and used a walk-in closet as my office. It was fantastic!

Now, we have the luxury of an actual "office," but the darn old-fashioned computer monitor takes up 99% of the desktop. Gotta get rid of that thing... in the meantime, our 6-seater dining room table usually accommodates some paperwork at one far end. I know, I know...

A folding card table in a semi-alcove of the living room. I've been looking for just the right table to put there - it can't be wider than 36.5" - but I haven't found it yet. I have 2 silver mesh file boxes (from Container Store) stacked and on rollers underneath the table.

I definitely have paper sprawl when I work on certain projects, esp. volunteer stuff. I need a storage item of some sort in the LR to house this type of thing. I resent all that clutter.

I usually work on the computer while sitting on the couch. Such is the joy of having a laptop with wireless internet. When I need to spread out I use a dining room table that we've turned into a big desk.

I sit on the couch. It is a big big couch. I can make many separate piles of papers. This is bad. It's hard for my husband to come sit with me even on our very large couch because of my piles of papers.

I had a desk and I still did this. So I got rid of the desk and got a large filing cabinet. Now (in theory) the piles can go into that.

while I don't have a lot of paperwork, still being in school (and working from home occasionally) I work from my couch or my bed. I try not to work from bed all the time though

We've given up trying to pretend that we're only using our dining table and hall as temporary home office. Now, the dining area and table are our work space and we either eat in the kitchen or in the tv room where there is a/c (when you live in the tropics, the a/c is VERY essential!)

I have a wonderful large ikea Vika Annefors/Vika Gruvan desk in my studio. It's probably too large for the room, according to design principles, but it is white and the walls are white, so visually I think that helps a little. It also helps to clear the clutter off of it, but that doesn't happen as often as it should. A smaller desk or no desk might make the room look better, but I'm in grad school. If I always was working on the couch, I'd need a chiropractor!

I have a room converted into a office but I prefer doing my paperwork sitting on the floor. I sit down already on a desk for 8 hours a day in my office and that s enough for me.
I hope when I will be 80 years old I will still able to sit on the floor like that.
If you always sit down in a chair you will lose flexibility.

I pay bills in my paperwork processing area.

Read this article for step-by-step instructions for creating a paperwork processing area and this article for a guide to creating a practical filing system!

Crystal D.
Sparkleizer and Home Organization Expert
www.sparkleize.com
crystal@sparkleize.com