Caroline Burke | Burkatron

sometimes there's nothing as satisfying as a quick DIY and this storage grid totally fits the bill. you may remember i posted this metal memo board a few years ago but with this version you can store stuff in a handy pocket!

i'm a sucker for a clean desk but as much as i try i find bills and paperwork still sneaking their way back. i want them close to hand but i also want them tidy so when i get round to going through them i've not lost that all important receipt or appointment card!

i always keep my wood offcuts when i'm working on DIY's- you never know when they may come in handy for propping up furniture or testing out power tools! turns out they're quite handy for making a desk tidy or letter rack- who'd have thought it?

all you need for this DIY is plywood (i used offcuts but you can cut yours from a sheet of ply) and some wood glue. easy peasy!

having a workspace that i enjoy makes it much more bearable when i have to put in long hours. if you work from home or spend your evenings online having a functional office is the key to being more productive. scandinavian styling really suits home offices, their more minimal approach looks fresh and clean with the added bonus of keeping things organised and tidy. personally i'm far more productive when i keep clutter at bay, following a few rules to simplify my desk works miracles!

- streamline your desk.

keep only what you need on your desk. i have a huge collection of stationery but having it all out at once would be a logistical nightmare. keep the pens and smaller items needed daily in a pot or organiser and put everything else away. be ruthless and invest in storage boxes or baskets to store things neatly out of sight. i keep all my camera equipment, hard drives, usb's and ugly cables in simple white ikea boxes until i need them. taking five minutes in the evening to put everything back in it's place pays off when you return to work the following day.

scandi workspaces are very easy to style and a few key accessories will really unify the look, keeping to black, white or grey accessories is probably the most effective approach. this dark grey desk lamp* and glass display box* from sainsbury's compliment each other perfectly. an industrial memo board like mine keeps things neat but still fits that 'scandi' vibe. i love keeping my pens in design letters cups and these normann wall pockets are a great way to store desk supplies too!

- keep a happy balance.

i don't need 5 types of paperclips on my desk but i do need foliage, whether it's a plant of some eucalyptus in a glass vase! a scented candle will create a nice inviting atmosphere without cluttering a desk. play around until you reach a happy medium!

we've just finished renovating the spare bedroom and I've decided to use it for my new home office/dressing room, so I'm going to be packing up my desk and relocating it! it's taken a couple of weeks but the new floor is in, windows have been replaced and all old furniture has been collected by our local charity shop- hurrah. (over the last two years we literally dumped everything we didn't use or want anymore in there so it gradually became a big ol' junk room!)

I currently work out of our second bedroom so we're going to turn that space back into somewhere guests can stay over. we're planning to look for a day/sofa bed in the new year as we don't necessarily need a double bed in there full time and it will give us more options for how we use the room. 

james is angling for a games room.. I think fifa might be the only way I can lure him back to ikea so he might win that battle, gah.