If you can peel and stick, you can bring a natural note to your home office with coordinated wood-grain accessories. All it takes to make a matched set of mouse pads, file boxes, and straight-sided glass jars is self-adhesive shelf liner.
Cut the paper just larger than the surface you want to cover, apply, and trim excess with a craft knife.
Add a splash of color to basic storage boxes. Cut a plus-sign shape out of book cloth, measuring fabric so each side panel covers box with an extra 1/2 inch on both sides and 2 inches on end. (Get the template.) Spread paste on center cloth panel; set box on top. Spread paste on side panels, and cover box, folding excess cloth over top edge, around corners, or under itself to hide seams. Hold in place with clothespins; let dry overnight. Cover lids if desired.
Here's a quick and easy way to brighten your work space: Measure the dimensions of a clear, straight-sided drinking glass, and cut a piece of card stock to the vessel's height and circumference. Next, cut a piece of decorative paper to the same height as the glass and 1 inch longer than its circumference. Center the card stock on the back of the decorative paper; fold excess paper over the edges of the card stock, and secure with double-sided tape. Line the glass with paper, and fill with supplies.
Storing baking sheets, cutting boards, and sturdy platters upright on kitchen shelves frees space and keeps you from having to lift a heavy stack when you need only one item. Create dividers for them using tension curtain rods. Buy rods to fit the space, and position pairs of them at intervals. Twist to tighten.
Add a splash of personality to a lackluster work space by covering plain floating bookshelves with wallpaper. Measure the shelf, and cut the wallpaper slightly longer than shelf and wide enough to wrap around it with an overlap. Use wallpaper paste to affix the wallpaper to the shelf, pasting one side at a time. Cut slits into excess paper at ends, forming flaps; fold down, and affix with paste. Let dry completely, and hang shelves as usual.
Setting up a bin in the entryway for each member of the household is a good way to keep this busy space tidy. And with umbrellas, hats, and sunglasses near the door, leaving the house will no longer require last-minute searches. Use an existing wall-mounted coatrack to make this custom organizer. To start, drill a hole in the end of each of two 1-by-4-inch wooden rails to fit the coatrack pegs. Paint rails to match rack; let dry. Hang rails from pegs. Attach evenly spaced wire baskets using screw hooks.
