The scrapbook room/office.

 

When you walk up the stairs and turn to your left, you're directly in my scrapbook room/office.  It's about 15x13 and is the only room in the house with the original wood floors.

I got the white cabinet on the left from The Mulberry Tree in Grants Pass (quite a comedy of errors trying to get it up the stairs, over the railing and through the door) and the table from the Collectors Market in Medford.

We had a steel top put on it but it has to be replaced already because I wasn't smart enough to know that I needed a galvanized steel table top since plain old steel rusts (and rust doesn't look so good on all my white cardstock).

I bought those feet to make the table tall enough to stand at while I work.  They look goofy though so I need to stain them or something.

Most of the stuff in this room was something I already had, was found at a junk shop or found on Ebay.  (Unfortunately, I was feeling blue one day and my best friend, Jill decided to introduce me to Ebay to cheer me up.)

That little red perpetual calendar is my favorite thing I've ever found on Ebay.  (Thanks Jill.)

The Puritan Leaf Lard bucket holds all my date stamps and that metal sign holder will eventually hold a couple of back to back photos as soon as I figure out which ones to put in there.

All this stuff sits on top of my work table.

I think Jill and I were up in Sellwood (near Portland, OR) when we found that silverplate dish.  And Jill picked up that silver tray for me.

And that's an old surgical try that sits next to my paper trimmer and holds a bunch of my favorite adhesives.

I made the dividers for the drawers all by myself. 

This old, wire shelf hangs on the side of the table opposite the drawers - has most of my wood-mounted rubber stamps on it.

I don't remember where I got that old, red chair - I just remember it was really cheap and I had to have it.

And Josh and I made that blue paper organizer that goes under the desk.  It's got really cool molding all around it, rolling feet and two glass drawer drawer pulls so I can pull it out from either side of the table.

I store all my paper by color - works for me.

Found most of those old locker bins on Ebay and at junk shops too.  They hold chipboard and punches and stuff like that.

This one holds all my acrylic stamp sets sorted in those clear Making Memories acrylic stamp pocket page thingies.

Jill had the idea of hanging these trays (there's six of them) on the wall.  I attached old buttons to round magnets for hanging up photos and other cool junk.  I love them.

This old Dewey Decimal Index card catalog holds a GOB of stuff.

Most of the jars/canisters on top hold lace and stuff like that.  That stand on top was from the post office out in Jacksonville, OR - has a bunch of old postal stamps on it.

I used that old typewriter to label all the drawers the other night.

Josh made all those dividers for me.

I don't know what the old can was for but it's perfect for rolled up papers.

The red box is an Erector Set box and I don't know what the blue one was used for but someone took a Sharpie pen to it and wrote the word 'Salmon' all over the sides of it...so even though it doesn't smell like fish, I'm guessing that's what it was used for at some point in time.

That's Josh testing out my old typewriter.  I kept asking him if he loved it...his response is at the bottom.

I got that card stand from Pottery Barn many moons ago - never even took it out of the box when I got it; just had Josh haul it down to the storage unit.  (He was irritated about it at the time...but I had a plan for it...even if had to sit in the storage unit for 2+ years.)

It holds lots and lots of stuff that I want to keep in plain view.

This thing was the steel of the century - found it in someone's front yard for 15 bucks.  Didn't even  have to paint it.  It holds all my stickers, rub-ons and a bunch of chipboard.

Got all those Hoosier jars from junk shops and garage sales - perfect for ribbon.  The green and white floral boxes are from Target.  Most everything else is a junk store find too.  (I much prefer old stuff over new stuff.)

That blue, wooden box on the left is the ring box we used when we got married. 

 Those are just little Hobnail flower pots.  Got most of them on Ebay for $2-$5 each.

That's an old sign-maker stamp set (in the box) that Josh and I found a long time ago.

Those blue boxes are Martha Stewart's.  I had instituted a self-imposed ban on Martha Stewart for a long time, but I broke it for those blue boxes.

Trying to remember where I got those bins...all I can remember is that they were ridiculously prices.  If I remember, I'll post it here later.  (Oooh, I remembered:  here's a link to the bins.)

More stamps.  (I like stamps.)

All my inkpads.

So this blue wire shelf sits perpendicular to the white cabinet so I can hide my treadmill desk (which I'll show you in a minute) behind it.

I want to attach some fabric or something to the backside of the shelf to hide the treadmill more though.

The closet is more functional than cute but Josh and I put all those shelves in.

If you like Narratives, you're going to want to come over and hang out in my closet.

All the bins at the bottom of the closet hold all my Narratives paper, transparencies, sticker sheets, etc.

Josh put up those peg boards so just about every product I ever designed is hanging on them.  It's like a big, Narratives warehouse full of stuff that goes back to 2003.

The bins are all full of acrylic paints, embossing supplies, all my office supply stuff, etc.

That green cabinet has all my photography books and lots of paperwork, etc.  Going to put a little T.V. in there too.

That chimney used to be covered.  One of the many projects that I started but Josh finished.  Still need to put the molding up though.

And I'm looking for an old, oversized chair (preferably an orange one) to go where those suitcases are.

And that's an old cast-iron bathroom mirror that I'm using as a magnetic board.  Still need to get a glass shelf cut for it.  This is another one of those things that I picked up many moons ago but never had a place for it (until now).

Almost forgot the treadmill desk.

I got the whole idea of a treadmill desk from a Dateline special.  It's simple; add a computer (at a height that is ergonomically comfortable for you) to a treadmill, set your laptop/computer on it and then walk at a 1 mile an hour pace for the bulk of your work day.  The longest I could ever get used to was about 4 hours though.

Need to get my large rear back on this thing.

Off on a tangent now, but I was moving this treadmill a couple of months ago and ripped my entire big toenail off.  The whole thing.  It hurt really bad.

So that's the full tour - planning on doing lots and lots (and lots) of scrapbooking in there now that I've determined I'm still a scrapbooker.

Comments

[Jo]

Wow! What a room?

Where did you find your Card Catalog?

[teresa b]

Awh Karen!! FANTASTIC scrap/craft room!! Good to see your out of the closet.. (hee hee) but seriously. Thanks for sharing.. your always so open with everything! I love that about you! Best wishes and can't wait to see some of your new creations!

[Kelliann]

I don't even know where to begin! I LOVE your room. I haven't been much of an antique girl but there are so many things I want too! Love the card catalogue especially. I think I am going to have to start looking in the junk shops! :-) Thanks so much for the inspiration as always.

[Celeste]

oWowoWowoWowoWowoWow!!! This room is just too amazing. I'm in awe...

[Kathleen]

I LOVE your scrapbook room! So organized and great re-use of old things!

[kat-in-texas]

I'm guessing the white cabinet stays (it's a good thing you really liked it)! What a great scrapbooking room, Nellie! Can I be the first person to sign up to live in the Narratives closet? ;)

[JaYne]

So another thing I like about you, besides your scrap designs and photography, you love old things! I collect old jars too. I have a red topped hoosier jar with red flowers on the glass. I covet your card catalog. Would love to find one. I'm so glad you decided you're a scrapper. I always knew you'd come back!
Can I shop in your closet???

[Jamie K]

Crazy jealous!! It's beautiful. Definitely reflects your style. You are going to be a creativity machine in there!

[holly]

my favorite...your large windows! thanks for sharing your space.

[Angela]

I love all of your "old" stuff....You have some great stuff...it makes me want to shop garage sales and antique stores more consistently now. I'd love to see more photos of your new, old house!

[Michelle OKeefe]

Karen,
Love your room especially all of the little details. You put a lot of work into it and it looks great. Glad to see you have so much stuff and so many stamps. I feel much better now........
Michelle

[Rhonda P]

I am so in love with your room. All of it. Even the treadmill desk. And Josh Downs even though he's not in the room. He's awesome. Thanks for sharing. I'm going to lurk in your closet for awhile I think.

[Ashley S.]

Um, wow.

[@HELENSStudio (twitter)]

Karen, absolutely gorgeous! I saw that same dateline special and have been looking into adding desk to my landice treadmill. Congratulations on your studio!
best, Helen

[marcy]

Ooooh... I have sooo many of those things (ie. the metal stand for a photo -- mine has our family photo from a few years ago -- the wooden drawer on wheels...)! Mine are all sitting in storage waiting for my room to be done too!

[Kami]

Wow! I love everything about it! So many treasures in there. I love your style.

[Dani]

OH MY! I am so jealous of you! That room is a dream. Can I come over and play?

[Amy]

Wow. What a fantastic scraproom. I'm still drooling...

[Patty Hetrick]

I just want to know if I can come hang out in your Narratives closet?

[Mary Ann]

This is my 3rd time coming back today to look at your scrap room. I love it Karen!!
I love all the old/vintagey ways you store things.
I'ts just like I had imagined your room would be.
Thanks so much for sharing the photos.

[TerriB in Orefon]

Let me at that closet! Absolutely love it all! It appears you have been formulating lots of ideas in your head and they were executed very well. Enjoy!

[Jodi]

just love it, stylish without being trendy

[Lauren H.]

LOVE your room. I'm so jealous of that Dewey card file. Just a thought about the blue suitcase....maybe it originated in Salmon, Idaho. There is a town here named Salmon, along with the Salmon River, which is a popular rafting and fishing river.

[amy]

beautiful. and so deserved after working and designing in your scrap closet! i've looked at the pics several times today already. it's perfect! and someday i want a card catalog, too--especially since i've worked in our library since i was fourteen (high school job, turned college job, turned full time job!), so i was there for the card catalog and there when we went computer! :) eeks, really i'm not THAT old.

please please will you and jill teach a class on ebay antiquing/treasure hunting? or better yet, will you two teach one in person in the medford/grants pass area (i'll come from sherwood!).

thanks for sharing your beauty. (and not just your scrap room)

[Crystal]

Thank you for the tour and descriptions of everything. All the personal / custom made details are awesome. It's a fantastic room!! May you spend endless hours of bliss in this space, surrounded by memories and creative genius!!

[Ann]

Karen what an awesome space!!!! I think I might have just the perfect orange chair for you. I have this old style Wing Back Queen Anne chair with the exposed claw feet (no skirt around the bottom) that is crushed orange velvet! It's yours if you want. Let me know and I can take some pictures of it to send to you!

Loving all the things you have done with your "old" new house. I love your style-it's so you.

Have fun with Jill!

[Christi Williams]

I love your room, it is clean, organized and has such charm. Thank you for sharing your great ideas!!

[Christi Williams]

I love your room, it is clean, organized and has such charm. Thank you for sharing your great ideas!!

[Christi Williams]

I love your room, it is clean, organized and has such charm. Thank you for sharing your great ideas!!

[Christi Williams]

I love your room, it is clean, organized and has such charm. Thank you for sharing your great ideas!!

[kris arnold]

OMGoodness. That is the most perfect scrap room ever. I have seen fancier ones many times but yours has a look that makes you want to pull up a stool and sit down and actually create. I live in military housing in Alaska and have one closet, two huge rubbermaids, and a file cabinet crammed with all my supplies. I look forward to a day when I can spread it all out, turn on the music, and make something beautiful. Thank you for the inspiration.

[Aimee]

I just drooled on my keyboard. And I think it shorted out. Thanks for that :)

[Julia]

The trays are my favorite. I think I'm going to need to thrift store it this weekend to see if I can get coolness like that in my house.

[Grace]

LMAO! That Tredmill desk is too funny!I would put a chair there hahahaha oh my big butt needs the treadmil! Great idea though...

[Huyen]

Love! Love! Love your room set up and all the different assortment of storage features you have created! Great job! Love the ideas!

[Tammy Morales]

Karen what a great scrapbook room. Using items you already had is a great way to repurpose stuff instead of buying new. It looks cozy!

[Joanne]

Can I just way WOW, WOW, WOW! What an absolutely gorgeous functional room!!!

[Tracy]

I would hang out in your closet any day!! Wow, I love your room...just beautiful!! Thanks for the inspiration.

[Carolyn Peeler]

Thanks for sharing your space Karen. I love how non cookie-cutter it is. It really reflects your style and esthetic.
Glad to hear that you're coming back to scrapbooking and enjoying it again.

[Sierra]

This is the MOST lovely space I have seen yet! It's so comfortable and warm. I would want to spend hours in there. Dang it, now I want to go thrifting, junk buying, and garage sale-ing. lol I have high hopes to turn our teeny laundry room into a funtional space to create. Thanks for sharing. I feel so inspired!

[gina]

I came via Meg's (whatever) sidebar- an wow, was she right! Love all of the stuff in this room- it's a dream!

[Julie]

I love this!

[Mandy]

Wow! I am jealous! :)

[Jennifer]

Karen, I would like to wake up and find myself in your scraproom!!! seriously. I want to come over and play! lol
It is totally awesome and I'm happy that you have that space to get crafty in and show us all that you're still a scrapbooker! I am drooling over the card catalog piece, the blue paper storage box (love it!), all the vintage finds and those trays on the wall....i'm loving it. I have oh-so-slowly been taking over what was my husband's office for my own space (ha ha) and hope that it will one day be as lovely as yours. Oh, and that treadmill desk - I've never seen anything like that! ;) (Clearly, I need to start looking for goodies on eBay.)

[shreve6]

i am drooling over your organizational skills and your yummy stuff. Can't wait to see your scrapping creations.

[Mariana Correia]

Simply FANTASTIC! Congratulations! I Loved the bins - should I take them home, in Brazil?

[Kelly Maher]

what color blue did you paint the under the cabinet roller drawer thingy??? And where on earth did you find your schoolhouse light fixture. I LOVE IT!!!

[Wendy]

Simply LOVE.

[Louise Murr]

Your room is georgous. I'm like you~I prefer old over new. I use lots of old vintage stuff for my supplies and such and you have given me some new ideas. Have fun in your new room. Looking forward to seeing lots of scrapbook pages from you to share and inspire us.

Take care.

Louise

[kaitlin]

Love it! Very inspirational room- I just love mixing old things with new also.
I did the same thing- I bought that pottery barn carousel a few years ago and let it sit in storage until we bought our house. You can't pass up things like that!

[Janna]

What a delightful scrap room you have! Thank you for sharing your fabulous room and all of your wonderful ideas! Very inspiring! I LOVE the rolling paper storage bin! It is very functional and pretty. Love your vintage finds too!

[Trina]

Karen, this room is simply amazing!!!! I love every single piece of it you showed. I'm sooo jealous!!!! You will have many wonderful hours of scrapping in there for sure! Seeing all your treasures makes me want to start hitting up local garage sales and ebay! Thanks so much for taking the time to photograph and share your new space with us!

[Barb]

What a great space. So inspirational. Love it.

[Jaime Melcher]

What a fabulous craft room! Thanks for sharing your pictures ... now I'm inspired to get creatively organized, too!

[Angie]

Beautiful room Karen, Love, Love, Love it!!! Thank you for sharing!

[Bonnie]

Karen how funny that I too have been feeling the very same thoughts you stated, I have not scrapped in ages and ages. My DH is just now finishing up a space of my own and I was worried I too would not want to or enjoy scrapping any more. I am so inspired to get up there and finish putting things in their place so I can get to work. Thanks Bonnie

[jaynejewell@aol.com]

Thatis the best office I have ever seen! I want one!

[Carla]

OMG, your space is true heaven. I love all the shabby pleasures here!

[jen R Sanctuary arts at home]

I love your room!!! Czn I move in????

[Jodi]

That is the most incredible "creative spot" I've ever seen!!! I would LOVE to see some of the finished products that come out of that room.....

[Christy]

Gorgeous! I think you've created the perfect scrap room. Love all of it - the furniture, the vintage finds, the paper storage - all awesome! Thanks for sharing! Sorry for the overabundance of exclamation points.

[krista]

that is the most beautiful room i have ever seen in my life.
YOU HAVE A CARD CATALOG!
oh, how i covet.

[ZIzette]

I am so freakin' jealous!

[Kay W]

Karen, your room is just amazing! I saw Fortune Cookie stickers in that closet. Now how can I sneak down and pick up one of those, hmm........

[Kim L]

love this every bit of it! WOW

[becca]

It wasn't red, but my Gram had one of those perpetual metal calendars that she USED. Every single day. It was like clockwork...start the coffee, get out the eggs, flip the calendar.

Love the red.
LOVE the room!
xoxo.

[linda t]

Hands down THE most fantastic scrap room on the planet!!! WOWOWOW! I keep coming back to look at it cuz it is sooo inspiring!!
Love your creative storage ideas. I too, love repurposing vintage items and using it for storage. Someone needs to feature your room in a book or magazine or something... if they haven't already contacted you.

[Ashley @ Domestic Fashionista]

Wow! This is beautiful!

[Stefie Tidwell]

uuggghhhhh! I am SOOOOO jealous- Love, love, love the room. stefie

[Jenn A.]

ooh, I LOVE it! I am so glad you got to have your dream room. I have a room now and it is such a haven for me-a little piece of heaven. :)

[Marilyn Johnson]

How did you make the roll out storage bin for your paper? I really like that and think that would be a great solution for my paper storate problem.
Marilyn J.

[Linda]

WOW! I have twice the space you have, but I am nowhere near as organized. Love your studio!

[trenda]

Oh wow! Can I PLEASE come live in this room.

[Meg (mtgchic)]

I want to go to there.

[Cyndi]

LOVE the room and the fact that you're still a scrapbooker! I hope you'll be sharing more layouts.

[Shelley]

Brilliant!!! This should be in Home Companion magazine and a ton more for that matter...Brilliant!

[Bonnie]

Karen I came back to take my third or perhaps my fourth look. I too am moving and re-organinzing my scrap space. What a daunting job. I have diligintly worked for the past two weekends on my space and I can tell you I see no end in sight. How long did it take you to get it all together and ready to work? I really need to keep coming back for more motivation. I am running out of gas! Bonnie

[~Monica~]

thanks so much for posting the photos! so, so glad to hear also that you are going to scrap again - i so miss your stuff. looking through your photos, i finally realized what it is i don't like about my space. i too collected lots of old/vintage cabinets and jars but ended up using the plastic 15qt containers. maybe if i find some locker baskets or metal bins to replace the plastic with i'll like it better. anyway, thanks for the lovely photos!

[Jen@thecottagenest]

Wow! It's hard to know what to say. That is sheer perfection. What a lucky girl you are. That room is an inspiration and it's making me think I better get my current project done so I can get moving on my next project, my studio spruce up.

[Judy Webb]

Karen, Your room is gorgeous!! and so inviting and look forward to seeing your layouts. We miss you down here in TEXAS. Please visit Wichita Falls with more of your great ideas and teach us more camera tricks. Your friend, Judy Webb

[anna]

gorgeous scraproom. i so wish we had junk shops with great finds like you do in the US. our junk shops are so expensive!!
The treadmill desk is ingenious and i want one now, LOL
Cannot wait to see more of your scrapbooking
anna (UK)x

[lisa]

***LOVE***your room. I honestly thought I'd feel a little jealous. . .but I don't. . .I just feel really, really happy for you! You've done a wonderful job. I love your style. . .I feel like I could easily move in and call it 'mine'. What a happy space. I hope you make lots of great 'stuff' in it. : )

P.S. I didn't even notice the little 'feet' on your work table until you pointed it out. . .probably because everything else is so spectacular. ; )

[Dayami]

Hi Karen,
I found your blog thru a friend. Love it!
I cannot believe you have so much stuff in there, lots of different stations and it still looks neat. Great job.
Treadmill. That has got to be the invention of the century.
Hugs,
Dayami (ki-girl)

[Terri Jackson]

You have such a clever & organized work space! You did a wonderful job and it looks fantastic! I've definately picked up some great ideas. Hope you have many happy hours of creating in your space!

[beth feigner]

droooooooooling:) this is the most amazing room! so many inspirations!! my husband is going to love it (not ;)

[Wendy A.]

I love your scrapping space! How beautiful & what a way to give old items new use! My favorite piece has to be the old card file cabinet - how neat! I need to find one for myself! LOL! Thanks for sharing your space - I am now inspired to finish mine. I started it this summer & just have not finished getting everything organized in there! One question for you - how do you get the paper to stand & stay standing without leaning over in the holder under your work space? I love that idea because I need more paper storage but wasn't sure how that worked. Thanks again for sharing!
Wendy A.

[Cindy Major]

Wow, very impressive room! It came together so beautifully! You have obviously put a lot of thought into it.

My favorite part is the library card holder! I would LOVE one of those for my place!

[Ada]

O My Goodness.........no kidding, I think I just looked at my favorite room in the whole entire world. I can't even tell you how much I drooled at allllll the cool-ass things/stuff I lust/love you found in garagesales/ebay(oholic)....90% done my foot. Your there sweet-stuff-I-love! Congrats!

note to self-bookmark this post for life!

[Ree Donnelly]

WOW is all I can say! I'm with you, I prefer old things... I imagine all the different people used & touched them. *sigh*
Thanks for the amazing "tour"!

[Vicki Boutin]

Love your space!!!!!!! Love it! I need to clean my space and take photos! we have similar tastes!

[raeclevett]

You are just genius when it comes to organization! I love the blue drawer on rollers. I'm going to remember that idea!

[Allison]

You are KILLING me with this room! I want one! May I write about this on my blog? Swooning here....

[PJ]

We're definitely 'sisters from a different mister'! We have so many of the same things - you just have more of most!

Love it all, but you could take it all out of there, leaving bare walls and I would marry the floor.

[jennifer]

Wow! Your office is AMAZING! I love the idea of using an old typewriter to label things. I forgot how cool the font is. I can't wait to read the rest of your blog and look at your fabulous photos. Found you through Layla Palmer. I too ripped my entire big toenail off and went down in a heap....some of the worst pain imagined. I had to keep myself from passing out. Oh the joy.

[debbie]

Oh My Goodness, I just found your blog through the Lettered Cottage post. I love your room.. You have so many great ideas that I am going to steal. I can't wait to go back and read through the rest of your blog.

Check mine out http://debbietibbs.blogspot.com

Thanks and I will add you to my favorites so I can keep up with you.

Debbie

[Wendy @ The Shabby Nest]

I absolutely adore your studio! Amazing!

[Teresa]

Holly crap, that is a lot of scrapbooking, and very organized. Mine would be thrown all over the floor, cept, I don't scrapbook.

[Diann]

It doesn't get any better than that!

[Joan@anythinggoeshere]

What a great workspace. And lots of fun and inspiring storage solutions.

[Jeanette]

Your space is amazing. And I LOVE the treadmill desk. Gonna get my hubby on that project right away!