British Gas Desk Landscapes Competition Entry
It’s incredibly important to have an organised and inspiring place to sit with your computer – and that’s true whether you’re working or comping. This is my entry for the British Gas Desk Landscapes Competition to win £500 to spend at Made.com – you can find more details on the competition on the British Gas Business Blog – it closes on 2nd May 2014 though, so you’ll have to be quick!
I moved to Brighton at the end of last summer, and my office is in the basement of our new home. We eventually plan to renovate, but at the moment it’s unwelcoming and shabby. In winter, it was so cold I had to work in my coat! My iMac decided to stop working late last year and as a result I’ve spent the last few months working on my Macbook on the dining table, collecting crumbs between the keys!
Spotting this competition on the Heart Home website, I realised this was the incentive I needed to get my office in order and start using it again. Not just that, but having left my old job last month I wanted to create a space that would inspire and motivate me.
Here’s my BEFORE shot.
I love this desk. I had it custom-made by Jennifer Newman five years ago – it’s orange aluminium and an absolute joy to work at! It’s also long enough for myself and my husband (or son) to use at the same time. The problem is, I’ve piled it with so much crap it’s impossible!
First, I spent a while backing up the broken iMac and then erased the hard disk. I reinstalled my software and it’s now working a treat! Then I decluttered – I found the printer a new home on top of my drawers and the in-tray and back up drive were moved to the shelves. Finally – room for my husband’s Macbook!
I’ve tried to keep the desk as clear as possible – I like to see as much orange as possible to brighten the day.
The wall behind my Mac is scruffy so I dug out my shoebox of favourite postcards – many from memorable prize trips – and made a collage to hide it until we get round to repainting. I like to think of it as an old-fashioned Pinterest board!
My favourite quote as a bright new screensaver.
This London letter rack was a present from Rob. The rubber pen holder keeps everything tidy!
A neat feature of the desk is the cable tidy – plugs can be dropped down through this to keep trailing cables off your desk.
A few of my favourite motivational reads.
Competitions to do. I have a box file jam packed with comps but having a few visible ensures I don’t forget about the important ones.
Pot plants! And a friendly hedgehog. The coasters are from the Tate shop.
This makeover has created an uplifting and bright workspace where I can happily sit writing blog posts and book chapters – and of course, create fun competition entries. Brilliant!
