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Decorating Help Needed

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Miss Sparkly

Miss Sparkly

Brilliant_Rock
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Jan 2, 2010
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I ruined my laptop by accident and bought a desktop instead as I didn't really need the portability of the laptop. Now, I need to set up the spare room as my computer room. I loved being able to sit on the couch with my laptop stand and see the whole room in front of me. Being confined to looking at the corner of the wall seems horrible. It's a tiny bedroom. I'm guessing a 6x7 and I'd like to make it feel cozy but face away from the corner looking into the room. I can't figure out how to pull my vision of this room together :(. I'm also on a pretty tight budget as we had some car repairs come up and then I killed my laptop. I'm thinking an antique looking writing desk, a rug of some kind, and beyond that I'm puzzled.
 
Total budget?
 
What's your style? You mentioned an antique style writing desk so perhaps more on the traditional side?
It's most helpful to pick your furniture first and then items like rugs etc and then the last part is the accessories and paint color. For the budget minded, I would look at places like Home Decorators Collection, Overstock, Target, Kirkland's and Home Goods depending on the area you live.
 
Sparkly, do you need help selecting things to put in the room style-wise or layout ideas so you don't feel uncomfortable (or both)?
 
The desk Gypsy put up is neat -- traditional but streamlined (cute too), would go with any decor.

Since it's a small room, having your desk in a corner would still put it practically in the middle of the space. Does the room have a window? My computer desk is against the window, facing out, so I can see outside while I sit here. Depends on your view, of course, but it makes me feel like the room is bigger. I look out on trees & a horse pasture -- love to watch the birds watching me!

--- Laurie
 
Echidna|1295438507|2826524 said:
Sparkly, do you need help selecting things to put in the room style-wise or layout ideas so you don't feel uncomfortable (or both)?
Click to expand...

Both. I didn't even think of overstock.com! They have some great rugs there. I was thinking no more than $100 for the rug and maybe $40 for the table. I found several tables on Craigslist that I could fix up but I can't seem to get a single email to go through. I want to to be vibrant but yet organized. One of the biggest hangups for me too is what to do about all the cords that a desktop has. I don't like the mess that they create. We do have a window but it's too high up to see out of when sitting down

This hot pink rug with a crackled white desk, matching wood chair and a curtain (not sure what yet) to cover the closet area would be fun :) The tiny closet has no doors and it's the only room without crown molding which I don't understand. The people before us put so much time and money into this house to really fix it up and make it beautiful and it's like they just forgot about the one tiny room :sick:

http://www.overstock.com/Home-Garden/Chenille-Pink-Shag-Rug-5-x-8/3920172/product.html?rcmndsrc=2


http://www.overstock.com/Home-Garden/Cary-Hahn-White-Orchid-Canvas-Art/3481938/product.html?rcmndsrc=2
 
Sparkly - I'd flip your budget around. Spend more for a sturdy, lasting table and get a cute rug that isn't too expensive.

Also, Why not use tape to tape the wires all together and run them along the underside of the table somehow? That would reduce the cluttered look they tend to give off.
 
You can find wire management systems at a hardware or office supply store. They'll have little clips that you can use to attach the cords to the back of the desk and down the leg so they're not hanging out in the middle of the room.

I think getting a cute desk on Craigslist then painting it white and glazing would be awesome - you can find stuff very cheap and painting is easy! Check thrift stores too if you have a good one in the area.
 
Do you have a picture of the room you could post?

If the room is only 6 x 7, then the largest rug you could do is 4 x 6, which at least helps with the budget. You could do this blue chenille rug (http://www.overstock.com/Home-Garden/Blue-Chenille-Shag-Rug-4-x-6/3920161/product.html) for $60 and that would free up some money for the desk.

Finding a desk for less than $100 might be tricky, but definitely doable. There is a cute little writers desk at a local antique store that I love for $65, so definitely keep those kinds of options open. The Craigslist idea is good, too. I am also on the hunt for a Craiglist piece that I can redo (if necessary) because there are some good bargains there. Another option is to find a couple of stands at a hobby store and get glass cut for a top...I think I saw that on HGTV or something.
 
I don't know if you are near a world market, but if you sign up for their rewards program you get one free shipping voucher plus assorted coupons and they have 50% off of furniture right now.
Desks: http://www.worldmarket.com/home/index.jsp

I just got a bed and dining room chairs from them. Not quite restoration hardware quality, but for the price, quite nice.

Good luck getting CL to work, I love CL!

ETA freaky linky issues!
 
Maybe consider something with drawers? Right now a writing desk may seem perfect, but you may later regret not purchasing a desk with additional storage space. My desk top desk has a cabinet on the left side that my CPU is in so I don't have to look at it (or as many cords). Then on the right side, it has a drawer for envelopes and then a small filing cabinet. Also, and this is a biggy, IMO, is that it has a slide out keyboard. That style works SO MUCH better because the keyboard is at the right level so my arms aren't reaching out to type.

Just a few things to consider re: design.
 
wire ties to bundle
clips to attach to desk

They've also got (I think we get ours at Home Depot or Lowes) this cord minder stuff that sticks to the wall and has a cover that snaps on to cover the wires entirely. The best ones have you put a screw every so often so it stays on the wall. You can even paint them to match the room.


If you really hate sitting in there, you could put your computer into the network and then attach to your receiver so you can use your tv as the computer display along with cordless mouse & keyboard. (this could get a bit pricier than you want depending on what cables you already have and if you need a hub or anything -- for us, this cost about $50 since we had most already)
 
Maybe you should take a little trip to Ikea. They have started getting in some more transitional style pieces in your price range. Their rugs are so reasonably priced as well!
 
Super late, but dining table make for better desks. Not to mention, they're cheaper.
 
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