Office Cheap and Chic

Our office/family room (it's where we watch t.v.) is often used as a dumping ground.  People coming over? Quick, put everything out of place downstairs up in the office!  However, over the last year we've been slowly been working on changing that.  The bookcases have been up and G is itching to organize them.  I bought a beautiful table I use as a desk.  And recently we purchased an "As Is" rug from IKEA that is perfect for Nora to play on. 

But the closet.  Oh my.  It was a disaster.  Back in October I organized all of our board games in the top of the closet using old shoe shelves we used to have in our closet.  But the lower half of the closet was still a miscellany mess.  A tea cart that I'm re-doing held our printer and stationary and just crap.  Random artwork, exercise materials, boxes, cords, wrapping paper....you name it.  Luckily it had doors on it! 

But on the same trip to IKEA as the rug we found some shelving (also in the AS IS.... I love deals that work out).  Our car couldn't hold both (we planned to stack them), but we bought one and took it home.  The next morning we hightailed it back and picked up another and some boxes to organize everything.  That night I emptied the closet. 

The closet emptied out....

And voila!  Suddenly it was easy to fit the things that needed to be in there.  We've spent the week emptying out our basement, and it's been great having a place to store our office supplies. 

As you can see, room for boxes of office supplies, our printer, our file box, my sewing machine....and room on each side for wrapping paper and workout equipment.  Just need to attach our router box to the wall to clean up the cords and attach the cork boards to one of the closet doors. And the cheap part of this is that for both shelving units we spent less than $60!

I love getting my sanity back one room at a time!  And because you all need a gratuitous shot of Nora playing with blocks on our new rug....here ya go!

Any office organization tips?  Are you a fan of the "touch paper only once" idea (where apparently it makes you deal with mail and papers more efficiently)?  The rest of the office is almost done and then photo shoot time!