Home offices with just the right balance of personality and productivity

It's not easy to strike the perfect balance in one's home office. Make it too cozy and filled with personal objects and you might end up using your desk to curl up with a good book or flip through photo albums. Make it too industrial and sterile and..well, feel like you're back in a cubicle. It's important to make your work space pleasing to you, and while everyone's ideal work set up is different, you have to have the tools of your trade on hand and a comfortable arrangement that allows you to hunker down and focus without distraction.

Here are some spaces that seem to have the balance down...

Perfect...beautiful...need I say more?


Plants add some life and homeyness, the ample shelving creates space for supplies, and the unorthodox desk combines function and beauty.

For some people less is more. Give them a huge desk and every inch of surface space will be occupied with stuff, leaving no space to work. This desk is clever because it has minimal surface space for accumulating clutter, but a leaf underneath pulls out for work surface.


I use a table as a desk as in the above image, because I'm able to keep things organized and most of the surface stays bare, which gives me enough room alongside my computer to spread out my magazines and/or sketch.



This space gets it's warmth from a hutch that looks well-loved.

What works for you in a home office?
via LivingEtc.

Gorgeous reclaimed wood - do you have some?

I was introduced to Forest Dickey's work the other day and it's just stunning. He uses reclaimed barn wood -of which I've always been a fan. The unique thing is that with this historic medium he creates contemporary furniture! I particularly love his benches -



*gulp*

gorgeous walnut

via Forest's studio Varian


Cabinetry in reclaimed wood if you the substance and look of a rustic kitchen
via Gurniture


A special attribute of reclaimed wood is that it means your piece will be completely unique. I can think of a space for this hutch in every room (of my dream house, that is.)
Cottage Home Maine

ohhh. I seriously want one of these vintage factory carts as a coffee table...one day...
via Restoration Hardware

see!
via Marie Claire Maison

via James Merrel

Of course, most furniture in reclaimed wood will probably be made one of a kind by craftsmen, which equals big bucks (and rightfully so), but you can find more accessible furniture - like these shelves made from old railroad tracks at vivaterra.
via vivaterra

Do any of you have furniture (or anything) made from reclaimed wood? I'd love to hear about it - what it is and how you like it.

Oh Zara, why do you taunt me!

Zara is a staple to many budget-conscious girls here in the city, but the only thing we can adorn with Zara are our closets and ourselves. Across the pond, girls can adorn their entire apartment in the awesome and affordable goods offered up at Zara Home. I've yet to hear any news of them giving us a little love in the states, but I'm keeping my fingers crossed.



oh I'd love to have a rain forest in the middle of my apartment








I LOVE this hutch, but it's not something they actually sell






Art Nouveau tea towels!!!



Lots of pretty knobs, hooks, and hardware.