Besides that, I often like to work with the router unplugged to avoid the distractions of Twitter and Facebook completely, and when I go online to do research, it’s much more tempting to follow a rabbit hole than it is when I simply open up a book and look up the answer. So, those are my reasons for having a print reference library (I’d love to hear yours!), but what five books are on my most-turned-to list?

1. The AP Stylebook. I’ve mentioned my magazine  background, and it was my very first  internship where I learned the importance of a really good stylebook. They used AP, and I’ve stuck with it ever since. If you do any writing during the day, a book like this can help keep your writing style consistent so you’re not referring to Website in one paragraph and web site in another. (Though, I’ll admit, online, there are reasons to write it both ways, and I use email instead of the AP prescribed e-mail… So, in other words, use a stylebook, but don’t wed yourself to it.)
2. The Oxford American Dictionary (full set). I have all 20 volumes on my bookshelf, but really, any good dictionary will do. When I was a kid, I used to read the dictionary when I ran out of books, so I splurged. (Weird, I know. But, it was illustrated, if that makes this revelation any better.)
3. The Oxford American Writer’s Thesaurus. I seldom use this one, but every so often, I absolutely must have a good synonym for a word, and I’m always glad I can turn to a print thesaurus instead of a web search.
4. Flip Dictionary. Billed as the book, “For when you know what you want to say, but can’t think of the word,” I find this resource to be far more useful than my thesaurus. I think it’s in the way the words and concepts are linked, so you’ll want to find the resource that suits your thinking style best (though, really, I don’t think you can go wrong by having both a reverse dictionary and a thesaurus on your shelf). This is the style of resource that I find is most lacking online.
5. The Elements of Style. The fifty-year-old classic continues to be a must-have writing resource. Jim Lehrer said, “Only something to actually write about trumps the list of what is required to put words together in some kind of coherent way.” Assuming you have something to write about , this book will help you assemble your thoughts coherently.

So, those are my five top favorites. What are yours? Or are you an internet-only kind of researcher?

***Links in this post are Amazon affiliate links which means you’re supporting GirlyPC when you use them to buy one of these books. We appreciate that!***

First up, Real Simple published a lovely collection of 21 home office spaces that are carved out of other rooms–from bedrooms to kitchens to entry ways. I do wonder about their suggestion to tuck an office into a nursery, though! But the photos are full of great ideas and hints for making the most of the space you have. And I love the idea to use acrylic furnishings for a “disappearing” office!

Yesterday, when I was looking for knobs for Ana’s secretary plans, I came upon a set that fell into the “cute idea; ho-hum execution” category for me. I loved the idea that they were monogramed, but didn’t love the typeface. So, when I ran across this charming tutorial for making your own drawer knobs, I had to share both with you. I have a tall chest here in my office with five drawers and I think it’d look really cute alternating letters and clip art for the knobs to help me remember what’s inside.

And, finally, who couldn’t use more storage? These fabric cubes are easy to make and I love how customizable they are–from size to fabric, you can make them exactly the way you need them. I save cereal boxes for the cardboard, too, so I had some stashed and could get started right away.

Any links, articles or tutorials that have caught your attention so far this week?

But, there’s another benefit to building your own wood home office furniture that goes way beyond saving money or getting to use the saw… You can customize it. I don’t know about you, but when I spend a pretty penny on a new piece of furniture, I’m always afraid to change it (the same is definitely not true of the pieces I pick up from the thrift store–stay tuned for a tutorial on faux gold leafing a chair to see just how irreverent I am when a piece isn’t brand new and pricey). Plus, often times the size is just off enough to be annoying–like, when you have 32″ for an entry bench, but can only find a bench that’s 18″.

So, being able to choose all your own colors, modify the size to fit your space, and getting solid wood furniture for the cost of materials? Sign me up!

What’s more, Ana regularly features projects her readers have made which means you get to see just how doable those projects are (especially since many of her readers are first-time furniture builders).

And she has a wide variety of plans perfect for your office space. Here are my favorites. (All images from Pottery Barn or West Elm.)

Secretary

A secretary desk is the perfect solution for small offices (or offices that are on display, like those in living rooms or bedrooms), and this one is no exception. Though I love it in PBs white, I think it’d also look smashing in navy or eggplant, with a brighter color on the inside. Though the PB hardware is lovely, it would also look sweet with something a little fancier.

Get Ana’s plans and materials list here.

Project Table

In Ana’s plan, she adds a drawer to the desktop so that you can easily store pens and other desk stuff, which is such a smart idea. See, building it yourself lets you make sure that your home office furniture suits your needs perfectly instead of having to compromise.

Get Ana’s plans, including materials list, here.

Apex Bookshelf

This bookshelf is lovely with its sleek, modern lines, but what I especially like is the way it’s so airy looking–it won’t overwhelm a small space the way a more solid bookcase might. Plus, I priced the supplies at my local Home Depot and it’s really inexpensive to build–well under $50. (Though that’ll vary by market.)

Check out Ana’s plans here.

What’s your favorite?

Beware: you’ll spend quite a long time on Ana’s site if you have any interest in building home office furniture. So, now that I’ve warned you, why not visit Knock Off Wood and choose your favorites?

If you’ve ever snuck into the conference room to use the table in there (I did a lot of that at my first magazine job), or taken a project to the dining room, you’d probably enjoy a home office table as well.

These are my five favorite tables for the  home office.

The gorgeous Pottery Barn Montego Pedestal Table extends to 65″ long with the included leaf. That’s plenty of space for meeting with clients, or really spreading out a project.

It only comes in the one finish, which is a shame as I think it’d look especially lovely in a darker color, but look at that fantastic hand-turned base! Of course, the trouble with a table with a leaf is that you have to find a place to *store* the leaf, but I think this one’s worth the extra hassle.



This Wisteria Spindle Leg Table in blue has a delicate, fairy tale look. It’s perfect for smaller spaces as it’s just 22 inches deep.

Because it’s hand-finished, each piece feels more one-of-a-kind than some mass produced furniture and that gives this table the air of high quality wood office furniture. The legs are also quite elegant and would be right at home in an office with less modern furniture.



Looking for something more modern than the first two? How about the CB2 Silverado? With it’s sleek silver “sawhorse” base and clear glass top, this one will be right at home in a modern home office.

Round tables look lovely with hanging pendant lights, and I think the designer-recommended Firefly Pendant Lamp might be just the ticket to keep the sophisticated industrial look going.



The stylish drop-leaf Harvest Table from DWR would look smashing in a home office–it’s got simple lines, and a space-saving shape which means you could push it up against a wall when you don’t need all that sprawling room, and pull it out when you did.

I love drop leaf styles because then you don’t have to find a safe place for the table leaves.



The counter-height Umbria table from World Market has space-saving storage underneath with the two shelves. Its compact square size (44″ x 44″) means you could tuck it neatly into a corner, and it would make a fantastic mailing station. Whenever I have to do a mailing, I always high tail it to the kitchen island (after cleaning it carefully, of course) because its so much more comfortable to do that sort of work standing up, with a counter-height surface. If you find yourself doing projects standing up and slouching over a table or desk, this table would be a perfect upgrade to your home office if you have the space.



What do you think? Would a table have a place in your home office? Or do you work in a room (like the dining room) that has one already?

While I can’t yet share the boards (though, trust me, they’re good and include a really yummy patent leather ottoman), I thought I’d pop in with a round up of some of my newest favorite blogs.

At Spring, they’ve got some crazy-gorgeous pdfs for planning out your adventures, like the charming “Goal Game.” Plus, the four lovely bloggers behind the site all record themed videos which are both inspirational and motivating. It’s an all-around delightful hangout.

Just One Week chronicles Erin’s efforts to implement new habits which is such a terrific idea. Of course, what gets measured gets done and all that, but more than that, it makes for really encouraging reading, to know that most of us are working steadily to improve our lives and ourselves, one day (or in this case, one week) at a time.

I’m no Penelope. Though I aim to be organized, my desk is almost always messy (though I do straighten up before calling it a day). But the awesome thing about the site Meredith is creating is that you don’t have to be an impeccable planner to feel welcome. She shares awesome tips and strategies, and so much of herself, on this really lovely blog that it makes it a delightful read with a cup of tea.

So, those are three of my favs, do you have a blog you adore that you’d like to share?

Something this cute gets stored for next year at my house. (From Paper-Source.com)

Wintery paper like this one (from PaperMojo.com) would make a lovely background on a bookshelf.

You can also paper the inside of an armoire or hutch, or the inside of your desk drawers (my second-hand desk had been well used and the drawers were full of pencil scribbles–I used Modge Podge to glue in and protect some lovely patterned wrapping paper and now opening the drawer is a delight).

Whether you apply a top coat of Modge Podge (or other protectant) is up to you. The way I make the decision in my office is whether or not the paper’s likely to wear out quickly where it is. In a desk drawer, I always protect it. On the back of a bookshelf, I figure I’m likely to tire of it long before it starts to look dingy.

This one's so cute I might just have to display it all year! (From HelloLucky.com)

You can also frame pieces of especially pretty paper, or use the leftovers to wrap mats for photos and artwork–this is a project that’s high on my list as I haven’t started to hang *anything* on my office walls yet…

Do you have an fun plans for this year’s wrapping paper?

I got an email yesterday from faithful reader Amanda who wrote:

Hey Jess–I have a detached garden office that could be insulated a bit better (it’s on the list of home improvements) and just discovered I need to move insulating to the top of the list pronto–we have mice! They actually shredded one of my client reports for a nest in the wall, and have been sneaking in after hours looking for food. Any suggestions for getting rid of them?

Fortunately (well, more truthfully, unfortunately ) I’ve had a few run ins with the little guys myself and though I used to use sticky traps, I finally found something that seems to work without needing to kill the pests. I installed multiple ultrasonic rodent repellers according to the directions (which help you locate them strategically. I haven’t had a problem since.

If you’ve had an unwanted officemate, how did you uninvite the little guy?

**Amazon links are always affiliate links and we do get paid a commission if you elect to purchase something via our link. We really appreciate your support of GirlyPC!**

Custom-built cabinets by Direct Discount Cabinets

Office bookcases are one good storage solution, especially when you use coordinated boxes to wrangle the small stuff and keep it from looking messy. But, sometimes, you really need closed storage and that means home office cabinets.

Sure, you can go to your local home improvement store and pick up ready-made cabinets. But these are designed for kitchens which means their dimensions might not be right for your space.

Another option is to have the cabinets custom-built by a local carpenter. The great thing about this option is that then your cabinets will fit your space perfectly. Typically, kitchen cabinets are too deep for most home office needs, so having something shallower built will probably make for more convenient storage. This option will probably cost less than you’re expecting and will let you customize every last detail from the door style to wood choice to whether you have pull out shelves to how many drawers you have.

Your third option is to take a look at some of the gorgeous pre-built options on the market. There are some great home office cabinets available these days from retailers ranging from Pottery Barn to Ballard Designs. Of the three options, this is usually the priciest, but you’ll certainly get lots of use from the additional storage and it may be well worth it.

One consideration about either of the first two options is that, depending on your house, a built-in home office may increase your home’s value while the furniture styles of the third choice are best if, for instance, you’re using the third bedroom and plan to convert it back to a bedroom when you sell your home.

So, what do you think? Are home office cabinets right for your space? And which option sounds like the best fit?

But, I have a friend who was recently horrified when she visited me at the office and discovered that I leave the boob tube on all day. “How can you work with the TV on like that?” she demanded. “You’d be so much more productive if you turned that dreck off!”

Okay, so I added that last part–she’d never have called it dreck–but her tone was one of absolute abhorrence. Which got me thinking: I know I’m not the only gal out there who likes to work with the TV on and if you’re in the same boat, I’d love to hear what you watch while you work.

Old movies? Talk shows? TV shows on Hulu.com or DVD? Game shows like me?

I figure one of the biggest benefits to having a home office is getting to choose your own music or background noise. So, tell me, what’s your poison?

But, now I have one more reason to envy our readers in the UK. Michael, the garden office specialist. Sure, I could hire a handyman to build a garden office for me. But it simply wouldn’t be the same. I mean, look at Michael’s Site full of delectable tiny workspaces with all the details carefully attended to.

And he’s so right–who wouldn’t be tempted by the idea that they can simply walk to the end of their garden and get to work. I can’t imagine a lovelier commute than that.

Though I love my home office, should I need to give it up (it’s technically the family room), I’ll definitely be exploring the option of having a garden office built. So, do check out Michael’s website. And if you have a garden office of your own, I’d love to see photos!

What do you think of the idea of a home office that’s secluded in the garden?