Jen & Olivia’s Officeworks desk makeover

Brought to you by Officeworks

This is an interiors blog so when we hear the word makeover, we think: make something look nicer. So when Officeworks set us a makeover challenge for a workspace, what it would look like (colour scheme etc) were top of mind. That said, the neat freak in me knows that one of the keys to a tidy and good looking room is having a place for everything and everything in its place. So with this in mind, as I’m currently overseas in Europe, editorial assistant Olivia Shead (in Sydney) and I approached this as a team effort!

What better excuse than a new financial year to give your workspace a fresh new look and a declutter and organise? It’s like back when you were at school and you bought a new pencil case and notebook and vowed to only write it in your very best handwriting. And while even the prettiest desks will probably end up drowning in bits of paper eventually, it feels good to start with the best intentions!

For me personally, this time of year means scrabbling around for tax and super-related paperwork and wishing I had been more organised for the past 12 months. And being self-employed brings with it more responsibility for your own paperwork, like it or not! As well as keeping just about everything else together. There is no office cleaner (oh yeah, that’s me!) or in-house accountant.

I scoured the Officeworks website for pretty yet practical items to create a tidy, functional and good looking desk set up and Olivia set it up in her home workspace. Let’s face it, if you’re lucky enough (in our opinion) to work from home, being able to choose the less corporate items is a major bonus. While in my life as an employee and manager I often visited my local Officeworks to buy essentials, my boss would definitely have frowned if I’d returned with everything in hot pink. Well, now I’m my own boss, looky what happened!

I decided on a stylish scheme of hot pink and aqua with some white to stop it getting out of control. I already knew about the brand’s Philosophy range which is always full of on-trend stationery and desk items, but was delighted to discover the Martha Stewart range too. Who knew?! Officeworks are full of surprises. Their new furniture range contains some good looking, affordable finds such as the Kirby Heartwood Desk (very Scandinavian, no?) for just $163, and the retro-style Hummingbird Evoque Slide Out Desk for $167.

What we bought:

• Desk Organisation Set in pink ($15)
• White Martha Stewart Drawer with Inbox ($26.99)
• Philosophy Organise A4 Weekly Planner ($8.95)
• Philosophy Pencil Case Flat White ($7.95)
• 2 Philosophy A5 Notebooks (mint and white chevron pattern, $14.95 each)
• Martha Stewart Shagreen Journal ($17.99)
• The pink and gold teacup is Olivia’s own but Officeworks have one similar which was out of stock at our local store.

(*The cat is the journalist’s own).

While our makeover was very stationery, desk and fashion-focused, Officeworks has everything you need for a home office, whether it’s a corner of a student’s bedroom or something altogether larger and more functional. Need a new laptop, printer, laminator or whiteboard? Tick, tick, tick, tick! All of this and more is available at Officeworks, alongside their many services, such as printing, easy parcel delivery (saving you from queuing at the post office) and access to tech support. If you’re working from home we assume you don’t have the luxury of a meeting room for clients. Did you know many Officeworks stores offer this too? I had no idea!

If you like a bright and cheerful desk like ours, check out this video with tips on how to add colour to your workspace:

Of course, you want to see the less pretty before photo too, don’t you? Here you go…

WIN

If this has left you inspired to master your workspace and you’d like the chance to win a $100 Officeworks voucher to get you started, comment below, answering the question: how will you master your workspace? Entries close 5pm on Tuesday 12 August 2014. Terms & conditions.

Share your own workspace inspiration on social media using the hashtag #mastermyworkspace