Interior

In my last post, I wondered what kind of workspace I would like, if I followed the heart or the mind. I say workspace and not office because I don’t have a room dedicated to this function. Knowing that I will work at home, it was essential for me to have a regular desk divided in two parts : one for the digital creation with a computer, the other for the concrete creation with all the stuffs like painting, pens etc.

Fortunately, I had the possibility to put my desk along a single wall.

The desk has been created with several components found in DIY and home furnishings stores. It was important to think about this space before building it according to my specific needs (storages and worktops).

It is composed of three elements from our favorite Swedish store – one with drawers, another with a door and the third with shelves – and three pine worktops from a DIY store.

I chose lighted and neutral colors.

The part where the computer stands is not cluttered in order to put documentation beside me when I work. Finally, I followed the mind in this part of the desk even if I added a few personal items I like.

On the right side of the desk, I chose to follow my heart and to put things, illustrations and books I love in addition to the material.

The work surface is protected by a big cutting mat.

To clear the workspace, I had the idea to place a work surface vertically and to fix some bars. On these, I hanged pencil cups and a wired basket in order to stock pencils, scissors, pens etc.

But, as I have said before, I chose to follow my personal tastes placing here and there my favorite objects like the eighties stationary found in car-boot sale.

I also keep on hand the illustrations and the books that inspire me like the famous Guess how much I love you as well as another children books.

If I want more luminosity or the room look tidy when we recieve ghests, I can easily remove the cutting mat because the material is not on it.

We don’t use the electric heating (the apartment is very hot), so I used it to put the materials used less frequently and the Ingela P. Arrhenius big book of Animals, one of my favorite illustrator.

I like to draw vertically because I think it give more freedom to the hand. I didn’t have space for my easel, so I bought a smaller one very useful. I can fit it under the desk when I don’t use it.

After hesitating and groping, I can now say that my workspace is like I hoped, at once personalized and functionnal, a perfect balance between the heart and the mind.

Next mission : to find a chair. Do you have suggestions?

When we work at home a well-defined workspace is a necessity, because putting all the things away every day is out of the question.

This workspace must also be functional, but the wellness notion mustn’t be neglected because it is a space where we spend many hours everyday. When I talk about wellness, I refer to the pleasant sensation you feel when you sit at the desk, the sensation that it is the perfect place to create and work.

Obviously, when I started to think about my desk I started to visit Pinterest.

I wanted a desk with a sleek design, easy to clear, without distractions. I started to collect pictures of white workspaces, with a scandinavian style. Everything would be in its place leaving on the desk only the essentials.

Desire to inspire

Logically, the colors should be neutral : white with a touch of grey and black.

Beeldsteil

Clearly, it was only an ideal vision, because an artistic job means having a lot and a lot of material and therefore, needing a lot of functional storage within reach, like these large drawers.

Seventeenth & Irving

When I was looking for some ideas on Pinterest, I found far more exciting pictures of workspaces. The mind was telling me to be pragmatic, to not get distracted and the heart was telling me to create a personalized space, in my image, a space stimulating my creativity.

My first objection to pragmatism was : having a lot of storage is a good thing, but all the stuff must be easily accessible, because open and close drawers all the time become quickly unnerving. I realized that the pictures with many supplies on the desk enjoyed me more than white organized spaces.

The Guardian

Design Sponge

Etapes

The second objection was related to my way of working. I know very well that wanting a bright space may not be adequate to me. I need inspiration from things I like, from others artists illustrations, from books or from my own creations.

I can easily imagine a moodboard above my desk.

SF Girl By Day

Apartment Therapy

So, emotion or pragmatism? Do we have to oppose both? A bright workspace is necessary to think clearly?

I’ll show you on the next post how I chose to organise my desk.

And you? Did you follow the heart or the mind?

Interior

My workspace

A space to work : the heart or the mind