Tuesday, January 17, 2012

New Office Setup for the New Year

 

 

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Last year I graduated to a wide format monitor for my office and I instantly fell in love!  So since I have just finished my new Studio ( I promise to post pictures soon!) I have more room at my desk.  So, what could be better than one fabulous large monitor to work on?  Two monitors of course…..

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The Hubby and I went to Frey’s yesterday and I picked up a new friend for my monitor.  Now I have twins.  They are not identical though.  The new one is smarter and brighter than the old one.  ( I know you are not supposed to have favorites among your children but I can’t help myself) 

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Now I can put all of my tools and files one one monitor and work in Photoshop on the other without having to constantly rearrange my open files.  Hallelujah!  It is so fantastic I can’t even tell you.   The Hubby accused me of building an evil lair from which I can dominate the world.  I do feel a bit like Doctor Evil with all of my gadgetry surrounding me now.

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Adding to the family doesn’t come without compromise though.  I now have an unbelievable huge gaggle of cords, plugs, hubs, connections and  drives.  No matter how hard I try I cannot make them look good on my desk.  It bothers me like you can’t believe.  After all I like to make things look pretty and gross metal hardware and yucky black wires don’t fit that mold.  

 

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The cords on the floor are an even bigger problem (please don’t look at my dust – I need to sweep)

 

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But just like with my real kids if I just look at the all of their good attributes and how adorable they are I can put up with the bad.  

     

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Stay tuned for a tour of the new Studio.

9 comments:

Donna, The Decorated House said...

Your office is looking wonderful Jackie! Can't wait to see more pictures. Oh the wires and stuff! The drive us all crazy don't they?

Unknown said...

You just gave me an idea... I have one of those giant monitors on our 'family' computer that is NEVER used anymore since we all have our own laptops now. Can't I plug my laptop into one of those monitors and use both together when I'm working on my designs? I'm getting ready to re-do my home office and so my wheels are spinning now... Looking forward to seeing your new studio :-)

My best,
Michelle Jamieson
NewEngland-Style.com

Kathryn said...

I just re-did my office as well. It's so refreshing to clean out, get rid of, paint & put things back in that will work so much better. I love your new set up! The double monitor situation is fabulous, I hate to toggle as well. Looking forward to seeing the whole room.

NR Designs said...

Cute post, Jackie! Sounds like your off and running in this New Year with electronically organizing your studio office. Looks great -- and wishing you the best in 2012!

Rebecca Grace said...

To Tame the Medusa Cords:

1. First, maybe you can get a little riser shelf thing from an office supply store for your printer so the other black box thing (in the right on the photo) can go underneath the printer. That will free up some more room.

2. You know those shirred fabric tubes some people use on lamp cords or chandelier chains? If you made up some of those to go on your computer cords and cables, maybe in your hot pink and lavendar colors, and THEN coiled the cords and set them in a basket, they would become a bowl of fabric rosettes. You could even add some green leaves. WARNING: If you do this, men will laugh at you. ;-) I see this project in those soft, smooshy rayon velvets like Radiant Velvet from Fabricut. I would also suggest making the fabric cord covers easy to take on and off with velcro because they will collect dust like mad, and then you can wash them easily when you need to. Small-scale cotton florals or polka dot fabrics would work, too, with less bulk.

3. Have you seen the graphics on the Bernina 830E Limited Edition sewing machine? When I saw the backs of your twin baby monitors, I thought -- "THEY NEED TATTOOS!" I think you should paint or stencil some bits of damask or your pretty florals, maybe even a bird on the back of your monitors.
You know, in your free time, when you have nothing else to do... ;-)

Michelle said...

a great way to start a new year jackie...I'm actually doing the same right now...a great workspace can be so inspiring! BTW...your new book looks so great...can't wait!
M

Anonymous said...

You can purchase black plastic, bendable, flexible, cord control things at office supply stores. Cut it to length. Then spray paint to coordinate or cover it with fabric. Don't recommend covering all the cords with the fabric directly. The black plastic stuff should be available in different diameters. Enjoy!

Laser fax machine said...

Whether you are the owner of a home-based business, a virtual worker, or you simply want to establish a space in your home to handle the demands of your off-site business, carving out a home office can help you be more productive at home and maintain your sanity when family and household issues threaten to impede your work. It's important to choose a suitable space and assess your technology needs beforehand so that your new home office is compatible with your needs.

Sylvie said...

Dear Jackie,

I use one large double-row power strip. I've attached a wooden box to the underside of my desk to hold the power strip and cord bundles, that way you only have the one cord from the power strip going to the outlet that's shows. You could paint the box or cover it in a decorative paper.