Tech + Art + Decor Updates: Making my Office a Prettier Place to Work

Thanks to my husband's prodding, I finally ditched my old school mouse and keyboard and upgraded to a sleek wireless duo. As an Apple junkie, I got the Bluetooth-enabled Magic Mouse and the Apple Wireless Keyboard. I am thrilled with the performance of both (although I miss having the calculator part of the keyboard) and I'm deliriously happy about the cord-free zone that is my desk. I HATE cords so I'm not sure why it took me so long to make this improvement. I also got rid of our huge tower so I'm solely on a laptop + LED display setup now. Integrating technology with decor can be frustrating, so less is definitely more when it comes to the tech gear! And thank goodness Apple makes such pretty technology :)

Unfortunately I didn't take a shot of the "before" look but hopefully you can appreciate the aesthetic improvement nonetheless...

So now that I've wrangled my tech sitcho, I can move onto the rest of the room. Besides getting a new rug (the black Greek key indoor/outdoor one that I had in here before started to ripple....grrr), I'm thinking of getting tailored skirts made for the desks so that the trestle bases are no longer exposed. Also, at some point in the future, the bookcase will be replaced with a custom credenza that includes tons of storage and cubbies for my dogs' beds :)

Also, I'd like to fill the walls with artwork. All spaces need lots 'o art but I emphatically believe that a creative work environment has to have plenty of it. You can see here that one whole side of the room has no art...very sad. So I went and bought a couple of canvases and am going to attempt to paint something for the space. I used to be an avid painter many moons ago and I really want to get back into it. Nothing like a HUGE blank canvas to get me back in the saddle - yikes. Jazzy is obviously supportive and excited about the possibilities!

If I create an artistic monstrosity, Plan B is to order this amazing piece from Natural Curiosities called Silver Leaf Wave. It's massive (84" x 36") and is framed in acrylic so I'm sure it's stunning in person. Apparently Jazzy is not quite as pumped about this idea. Here's a mock-up of what it would look like in the room (at least partially)...

Have you made any improvements to your workspace lately? It's amazing much impact even the smallest enhancements can have on your working environment. Whether it's a new wireless mouse, a colorful lamp for your desk, or even a fun coaster, it's nice to reward yourself for working hard every once and a while.

Have a wonderful weekend!