Confession: It’s really easy for me to think about what pretty things I would like in my office! A flip through the Pottery Barn Magazine, a stroll down the aisles of Target, and those ideas are flow’n!  The fresh flowers, the vintage cameras and the beautiful canvases adorning the walls… I can see it all now. Isn’t it lovely?

But pretty does not always translate to productive. I need both! So, I began my attempt to figure out this magical land of organization.

First I created a Functionality Plan. Instead of planning the color scheme or furniture layout, I scrutinized over what actually makes my workspace, well workable…

This is my list of what I needed my office space to have…
1. Computer Station: Clean/clear desk with computer.
2. Reference Station: Archival disks, notebooks, client paperwork, etc.
3. Supply Station: Office supplies such as ink, paper, etc.
4. Packaging Station: Ribbon, boxes, bags, tissue, tags, press printed products, etc.
5. Equipment Station: Camera gear, projector, screen and such.

By creating “stations,” I could start to think past pretty and onto function. Planning for stations helped me determine what it is I really needed in order to create functionality.

Try it and see what you come up with and then leave a comment below and tell us what your functionality plan consists of! I can’t wait to learn from you!

Double Screens helps me stay organized and my desktop workflow board ( <— it’s a free download) is of course a lifesaver for me! The white Ikea file folders store all of my client files, alphabetized from a to z.

The chair was a garage-sale find for $10. It started out green and blue – we painted it white and then a friend recovered the cushions for me. The final touch was having my name on the chair. I redesigned that thing so many times and finally settled what you see above. One of my incredibly talented friends (Shellagh)  helped me with the rub-on technique (I don’t think that’s the right name for it).

Each of the images on the wall means something to me. The magazine covers were, of course, a very big honor for me… There is also an image of a client who passed away, one from my first session where I felt like I was actually getting “it”. One is for my very favorite session ever and another is my hardest. There is even an image repressing my smallest and then my largest sale. The good and the bad have helped me grow and I want to remember both.

 P.S. Thank you Kari (my amazing intern) for photographing, editing, and preparing the images for this post!