Modern Home Office Design in An Instant
Guest post by Jena Briand of Growers and Nomad .com
When you sit at your desk at home you are usually paying bills, or emailing Grandma, or filling out paperwork for your kids’ schools. We’re guessing. The problem is that the clunky, wooden hand-me-down that you try to pass off as an "antique desk" is not really the most inspiring, or even comfortable, place to sit. Thus, the bills sit, unpaid. And Grandma, well, she’s not even speaking to you right now.
Don’t underestimate psychology of the home office. A dingy, old, cluttered one will make your already busy brain feel one way. A light, organized, airy one — well, you get the point.
Now to the "instant" part. Start with the desk and work from there. A quick measurement or two combined with some swift online shopping will set you on the path to office enlightenment. Here are our instant office selections. What are yours?
This Desk (westelm.com, $449), plus…
A Lamp Like This (cb2.com, $69.95), plus… 
These Fun File Storage Boxes (The Container Store, $9.99, $12.99), plus… 
A stackful of Le Pens ( ). Just for fun.
About Growers & Nomads:
The name is drawn from the idea that we are all growers and we are all nomads.
Each of us has both a deep need to ground ourselves in home, family and community as well as an innate curiosity that propels us to explore the world beyond. The ways we go about doing this is what makes us individuals and defines our lives.
Both parts of our selves—the rooted and the restless—are interwoven in our beings. Sometimes one part comes to the fore and is more dominant than the other; sometimes they mingle. But we built this site because, no matter where we journey, we always come home.
Growers and Nomads offers you a place of conversation—where you can talk to us and with others like you; a place to talk about how home is a metaphor for life.
Visit Growers & Nomads.
Read More »Sayeh Pezeshki of The Office Stylist & Sorting with Style
Sayeh Pezeshki is a three-time successful entrepreneur who presently heads up the multi-platform retail and media company, The Office Stylist, in Los Angeles. In addition to owning and operating the company’s dual online properties SortingwithStyle.com and TheOfficeStylist.com, she is also a television and media personality who shares insight and tips on chic workspace living and design
The Office Stylist is a daily blog that shares tips, products and advice on how to live well at work. From the best, tasty snacks to keep at your desk to chic office supplies to how to transform your personal workspace, author Sayeh Pezeshki shares what you need to know to live big at work, wherever work is.
Sorting with Style is the premier destination for office style™. Featuring brands like Russell + Hazel, Thomas Paul and Cavallini & Co., Sorting with Style pairs efficiency and elegance to provide consumers with not only a one-stop shop for all office organization needs, but a resource of information on creating Office Style in a Manilla World from The Office Stylist™ herself, Sayeh Pezeshki.
What inspired you to launch Sorting with Style & Office Stylist?
The online boutique came from my love of office supplies, though not the kind you find at the office supply chain stores. I’m talking about the unique and colorful designs that really bring a workspace or desk together. Though to find a great selection is pretty tough, so I decided to combine my love of office supplies with my eye for beauty.
We spend more than half our lives at work and more time working than we do sleeping, so why do we neglect our workspaces/work-life? Creating a work environment that inspires and motivates you is VERY important so that’s why I started TheOfficeStylist.com to share tips, tricks, and how-tos to make your work life better.
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The solution to the boring office! |
Where do you find inspiration for your designs?
I don’t actually design any of the products we carry on SortingwithStyle.com but my inspiration for styling rooms comes from everything around me. It could be an old photo from the 50s, a bright flower, a gorgeous piece of furniture…the inspiration is all around me.
Tell us about a favorite home decorating or remodeling project.
Anything that relates to designing a workspace/office is what I love the most. It’s where we spend most of our time so I like to spend more time paying attention to these particular projects/rooms. My favorite was when I moved into my office last year and decided to decorate it from scratch. A fresh palette is what I needed for this new space so it was really fun putting it all together!
What’s your favorite color ?
My favorite color is purple. Almost any shade of purple but I do love royal purple and lavender.
What are your five favorite pieces of home décor from your home or elsewhere?
- My cherry wood trunk from Bombay Company-I’ve had it for years and it even has a lock and key! It has a special place in my heart and room for what I treasure.
- My Diamond paperweight from Sorting with Style-It’s really glamorous and adds the perfect mix of glamour and zazz to my workspace.
- Modern white wood/glass desk from IKEA- Its glass on top, but you can store things underneath. It’s functional and it allows more room for customizing my workspace look.
- My nightstand with chandelier hanging crystals from Bombay company. Another piece I have had for years and just love. I have a few pieces from Bombay Company that I mix in with modern pieces and I just love the look it creates.
- I’ve been lusting after this tall dresser from Zgallerie that is covered with a antique mirrored look. It’s SO pretty!
What’s your favorite room at home? Why is it your favorite?
I’d say the bedroom. It’s my sanctuary and where I find peace and can really relax.
Who are your favorite designers?
I don’t actually have a favorite because I love a little bit of all designers. If I had to pick one I would say Jonathan Adler.
Many of us have a product we bought for our home-that now makes us think-”what was I thinking” - do you have one?
I run into that a lot when it comes to my wardrobe but never when it comes to my home. I like to build a look rather than go out and buy 10 pieces from one store, so I am always careful when it comes to purchases for my house.
What’s your personal design style? Has it evolved over time?
It’s tough to say what my design style is because it’s more a mash up of a bunch of things. I guess you could say I lean towards modern clean lines, with a touch of Hollywood regency.
If you could design your dream room-what décor, what style, and what color palette would you use?
Purple Purple and MORE purple! I would have mirrored furniture with silver accents, purple walls, bedding, pillows. All shades of purple with silver and black. Thinking about it now makes me dreamy 
Do you have a decorating, design or remodeling tip you’d like to share with thedecoratingdiva.com readers?
Oh I have lots! One really important thing that I tell people is if you want to make a big difference without spending a dime, just move things. Rearrange furniture and accent pieces and you can give a room a great makeover, without costing you anything.
What are your favorite blogs or home design/improvement websites-and why?
- Design Milk : My design fix! From furniture and interior designers from all over the world, Design Milk shares a vast variety of products, rooms, and news.
- Material Girls : A nice mix of interior design news, tips and advice.
- Making it Lovely : Nicole does wonders with furniture and super drab spaces. She has transformed so many different rooms and I just love what she does.
- Made by Girl : I love that she is a shop owner with a great eye for design.
- Coco Kelley : A fabulous mix of interior design + fashion
What are your favorite design television shows, magazines, and/or books?
- Living, Etc. –Magazine
- House Beautiful-Magazine
- Domino, The Book of decorating
- The Inspired Workspace
- Regency Redux
Contact Information
Sayeh Pezeshki
Office Stylist & Sorting with Style
Email: info@sortingwithstyle.com
Web: Sorting with Style (Shop chic office supplies)
Blog: Office Stylist (Where savvy, home fashionistas get their daily dose of office design fabulousness.)
Twitter: @officestylist
Facebook: Office Stylist on Facebook
We’d like to thank Sayeh Pezeshki of Office Stylist and Sorting with Style for giving The Decorating Diva.com readers a fun, refreshing and inspiring look into her world of design.
All images copyright of their respective owners.
Read More »Office Chairs Designed For Women
Guest post by Allison Arieff of Growers and Nomad .com
Generally, I’m not a big fan of a lot of the things geared specifically toward women, i.e., Lifetime’s Television for Women or “chick lit” but a recent discovery of a chair custom-designed by Monica Förster for the unique sitting habits of women is another story.
A man and a woman might have the same job but how they sit while doing it is really quite different. Women typically lean forward or sit perched on the front of their seats (like I do!) while men often slouch against their backrests. You may not be surprised to learn that the sort of bird-like perching increases one’s risk for back pain. So what to do?
Well, Förster, who has designed for Cappellini and Poltrona Frau, among other companies, created “Lei.” It’s a chair for Swedish manufacturer, Officeline ,that features an innovative back cushion that supports the lumbar region as its user moves backward and forward in her seat. Lei (which means “her” in Italian) is sized to female proportions. In an interview with Metropolis magazine, Förster explains how her team “shortened the length of the armrests so they wouldn’t get in the way when you want to get close to a work surface”…and “by placing the arms in the back rather than the side, we created more room for larger hips.”
A decade ago, a “women’s” office chair most likely would have been a pink Aeron. It’s refreshing to see this kind of needs inspired by the user design coming to the marketplace.
About Allison Arieff:
Allison Arieff is Editor-at-Large for Sunset and writes the By Design column for the NY Times. From 2002-2006, she was Editor in Chief of Dwell (and was the magazine’s founding senior editor). She lectures frequently on design and sustainability and is author of the books Prefab and Trailer Travel, and the editor of numerous books on design and culture including Airstream: The History of the Land Yacht. Read more articles by Allison at Growers & Nomads.
About Growers & Nomads:
The name is drawn from the idea that we are all growers and we are all nomads.
Each of us has both a deep need to ground ourselves in home, family and community as well as an innate curiosity that propels us to explore the world beyond. The ways we go about doing this is what makes us individuals and defines our lives.
Both parts of our selves—the rooted and the restless—are interwoven in our beings. Sometimes one part comes to the fore and is more dominant than the other; sometimes they mingle. But we built this site because, no matter where we journey, we always come home.
Growers and Nomads offers you a place of conversation—where you can talk to us and with others like you; a place to talk about how home is a metaphor for life.
Visit Growers & Nomads.
Resources: Monica Forster, Office Line
Read More »Halloween Decorating for Celiac Disease Research
It’s that time of year again! Alek’s Halloween decorations are going up, and as last year you can help raise funds for Celiac disease research at the University of Maryland – to date about $40,000 has been raised. 2009’s Halloween decorations promise to be even more spectacular than 2008’s – we know that you will be inspired by this holiday outdoor decorating feat for a good cause!
Sneak peek at a new addition to the Halloween decor Alek has planned for Halloween 2009
2008’s Halloween Decor Extravaganza
2006/2007 Ghoul fest of Halloween decoration inspiration
Source: All images from Komar.org.
Read More »HOME MADE SIMPLE on TLC Oct 24th 2009
Samantha at TLC tells us that:
Read More »HOME MADE SIMPLE, the show with simple and easy solutions to everyday domestic challenges, returns on October 24 at 12 PM (ET/PT) for its sixth season. The series is based on the easy home-style principles featured on the popular homecare Web site HomeMadeSimple.com. Traveling around the country, our handyman, designer, and chef work together with families to devise simple solutions for easy living by sprucing up décor, tackling simple handyman projects, and creating quick and easy meals for the entire family.
Welcome back the mavens:
Patrick Brown, handyman
Patrick Brown loves to help people create the homes they love to live in. A handyman in every sense, he shows viewers common sense solutions to some common home problems. His favorite job, however, is showing people that they’re capable of doing more in their homes than they may think they can.
Wanda Colón, designer:
Wanda Colón is a designer known for bringing boundless energy and style to her projects. Her design principles focus on the individual, looking for opportunities to incorporate local art and found pieces into projects as a way to reveal the unique style of her clients. Her passion for design led to the launch of her own company, The Piper Decorative Artisans, a business that continues to thrive with work commissioned by celebrity clients.Deborah Fewell, chef:
Deborah received an associate degree from the world-renowned Le Cordon Bleu School (Pasadena Campus). She was later chosen for the highly competitive internship program at the Food Network in New York; Deborah went on to become personal chef to NBA great Anfernee “Penny” Hardaway of the New York Knicks and has been the personal chef to A-list celebrities Will and Jada Smith for the last four years. Deborah then returned to the Food Network, but this time as one of the eight competitors (chosen out of a pool of 10,000) for the televised prime time program The Next Food Network Star (Season 1). In this highly touted chef’s competition, Deborah was the first runner-up.
Thanksgiving Veggie Centerpiece
Better Homes and Gardens delivers once again in the creativity department. At their home and crafting website I found a beautiful Thanksgiving veggie, floral and gourd centerpiece that I’m sure you will like. The instructions are simple and the effect is uniquely gorgeous.
Instructions for this Thanksgiving Centerpiece:
Vegetables are good for more than just eating at your Thanksgiving meal; use an apple corer or knife to carve holes in sturdy vegetables. Place candles of different heights in each vegetable, light, and “serve”.
Read More »3 Easy Tips for Creating a Thanksgiving Tablescape
My sister created a stunning, classical tablescape for Thanksgiving a few years ago. The beauty of her design lay in the fact that it was simple to create yet elegant. That should be the holiday design you aspire to this year as you lay down your ideas for that perfect Thanksgiving dinner party. Keep it simple, elegant and easy.
In order to create an interesting tablescape you need to create visual interest. There are three key factors that contribute to a visually interesting design. The first is selecting the right color scheme and palette, the second is to create contrast between textures, colors, visual lines and patterns and the third is to add one or more unique touches that insert your personality into the design.
The color scheme for the serving table was inspired by the warm, fall colors of this floral arrangement. The color palette included burnt orange, ivory, yellow-green, chestnut and rusty red. Accent colors were aged gold, copper and dark brown.
The serving table was covered by several rough textured,
antique white burlap sacks which created a visually interesting foundation for the palette of warm, golden fall colors and the smooth china and glass surfaces of the serving dishes. Autumn leaves ranging from golden yellow to burnt orange and rusty-red created visual boundaries for each of the serving dishes.
She cleverly used sturdy boxes (hidden by the burlap sack table cloth) to add height and depth to the serving table. Doing so created even more visual interest to the table and best of all it provided greater functionality during the serving process. A simple, linear table would have been quite boring visually. Speaking of interesting, she added a touch of whimsy to the serving table by inserting a scarecrow in the nut dish – it quickly became a conversation piece.
The smooth surfaces of the ivory china plates, the aged gold charger plates with beaded edges and the crystal contrasted with the rougher textures of the green linen tablecloth and the dark wood of the baskets. The contrast in textures creates a visually pleasing setting. It’s also important to note that the dark table cloth creates a visual anchor – had she selected a lighter color then the overall effect would have been dramatically different – the table setting would have appeared washed out. A perfect example of using contrast in your design is illustrated by the dark colored table cloth and the light colored plates. The dark table cloth “forces” your eyes up to the much lighter (in color) layered plates and makes you take notice of the beautiful beading on the gold chargers. Using repetitive and complimentary patterns is another essential ingredient in creating a visually interesting tablescape design. It may be difficult to see the pattern on the ivory china but that pattern, the cross-hatch pattern on the crystal and the tone-on-tone linear pattern on the table cloth are all visually pleasing as they add both depth and visual texture to the table setting.
As you can see, it really isn’t difficult to create a visually interesting tablescape design this holiday season as long as your remember to pick the right color scheme, use textures, colors, visual lines and patterns to create contrast and to make the design uniquely yours by inserting a little (or a lot) of your personality.
More Tablescape ideas and inspiration.
Read More »ArtQuiver.com Art Recommendation Wizard
When it comes to artwork I’m known to be a real diva. I either love a piece or wholeheartedly, passionately hate it. It’s not easy to peg my taste, as it can range from the Old Masters to Modern Art. Even within those genres I can love one artist and abhor another.
When ArtQuiver.com approached me regarding their online artwork shop, I noticed that they offered a test to help art shoppers find artwork that appeals to them. I decided to take the test and about five minutes later the results popped up. ArtQuiver.com artwork suggestion tool came very close to identifying my art likes with respect to style and color on page one, as for pages two and three, not so much.
Take the artwork recommendation test at: http://www.artquiver.com/aq_search
Read More »House Gift Series on ITV Looking for Stylish Homes
Laura at ITV tells us that their popular series “House Gift” is returning for another season and they’re looking for stylish homes to take part. Interested? Then read on for details:
Read More »
Laurence Llewelyn-Bowen Danielle Proud Tom Keane
Our three interior design gurus will find you three fabulous house gifts, and all you have to do is choose which one is perfect for your home. It really is that simple. Their challenge is to find something that fits your home, your challenge is to judge how well they’ve succeeded.
If you’re up for some fun, and you think you’d be great on TV, get in touch. Whether you live in a townhouse or a semi, a loft apartment or a basement flat – we’d love to hear from you. Or why not nominate a friend?
Please call: 09011 986 986
Calls cost 10p from a BT landline; calls from other networks may be higher and from mobiles will be considerably more
Or visit the website: www.itv.com/beontv
Or e-mail us your name and daytime contact number to: housegift@itv.com
Information provided by Laura Stebbing at ITV.
Meet Layla Grace: The Story Behind Fight for Layla Grace
Many of you have followed the story of Layla Grace Marsh – she captivated our hearts with her big, beautiful blue eyes, her whimsical little smile and those adorable flower caps she wore with such charm. As many of you know, Layla became an angel on Tuesday March 9th, 2010. Though only two years old this precious little baby touched hearts across the globe and the world mourns her loss.
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LAYLA GRACE’S STORY (as told by her mother)
Layla has always been a healthy child, 80th percentile for weight, a great eater, a great sleeper. She is sweet as pie and a little cuddle monkey (she won’t let you put her down!). She has a very advanced vocab for her age which really helps us manage her pain and give her what she needs as her care continues.
Layla had a great 15 month checkup. At around 16 months her sleep habits and appetite started to change and she started to become more irritable. Mid March appetite began to decrease. At the time we thought we were dealing with a “picky eater”. Beginning of May Layla woke up one morning with a swollen eye. We took her to the doctor and she was treated for an ear infection and the doctor said the swelling was just a result of the ear infection. At the same time we noted that her belly was hard and somewhat distended. She had not had a bowel movement for a few days and we were concerned that she was becoming constipated.
The next day we took her to the pediatrician who put her on Mirilax over the weekend and told us to call back Monday. By Monday morning she was not eating at all, still no dirty diaper, her activity level had decreased and was rubbing her belly and lower back and saying “owie”.
Our pediatrician referred us to a GI specialist to see why she was so constipated and wasn’t eating. On Thursday May 7th as we sat in GI specialists office expecting to be told that Layla would need some kind of treatment for constipation we instead hear words like “Cancer” and “Leukemia”. A series of X-rays and tests were ordered and we were sent home to wait on the results.
That evening about five minutes after we walked in the door we got an urgent call from the GI specialist telling us that the test results were in, that things were not good and that we were to bring Layla into the ER immediately and that a team of doctors would be waiting for us.
Layla has a massive cancerous tumor (Stage 4 Neuroblastoma) in her abdomen. It extends from above her left kidney, around her side, over her belly and wraps around her aorta. In addition, the cancer is in her bone marrow.
Our sweet Layla went from normal happy and healthy to lethargic, in pain, and skin and bones in a matter of a week and a half.
HOW YOU CAN HELP LAYLA GRACE
When we at The Decorating Diva LLC learned about Layla Grace we committed ourselves to helping in any way that we could. We hope that you too will help “Fight for Layla Grace”. Your support is deeply appreciated whether it’s a prayer, a donation to defray medical costs or spreading the word to all your friends and family so that they too can lend their love and support to this beautiful child and her family.
FUNDRAISING
Even with great health insurance there are medical bills to contend with. Please consider supporting “Fighting for Layla Grace” through a financial donation. Family friends, Jennifer Medina and Sarah Tucker have created two wonderful fundraisers to help defray medical costs. Sarah, spearheading the Fall Fundraiser for Layla Grace, writes:
I have sent many prayer requests around , asking to lift her up as she has gone through some nasty treatments, but now I am asking you to come out and support the Marsh family as we raise money to cover some or all of the $40,000 stack of medical bills sitting on their desk at home. Layla is not out of the woods yet, she will begin radiation therapy next week and then after that is completed will begin the hardest and longest part of her treatment so far. Layla will be getting a bone marrow transplant starting in November and will also begin a series of immunotherapy injections, these injections are $18,000 a piece and she needs six. While the Marsh family has insurance that covers some of the costs, their coverage does NOT cover these injections at all !! The bone marrow transplant will also require a six week stay in the hospital in and out of the Pediatric ICU and constant isolation, due to the extremely high risk of infection.
The fall fundraising event takes place in Houston (details below), so if you live in the area please make time in your schedule to attend. If you are unable to attend you can still show your support by donating via PayPal or by purchasing a “Fighting for Layla Grace” T-shirt designed by Jennifer. 
More on Layla Grace:
Direct donation to Fighting for Layla Grace
Buy a “Fighting for Layla Grace” Tshirt
