loop collection: eco stationary

My new very favorite stationary company made with recycled paper is Loop. Swoon.
Read More..

ex libris anonymous: recycled book journals

I love this book cover reuse idea by Ex Libris Anonymous--much like the record album cover book journals here. Other book journals by ReBound and book handbags by ReBound.
Read More..

imotime: repurposed clocks

Imotime, perfect for being on time.
Read More..

Un-beige cubicles

via Flickr user: Kristen Anna

I worked for a few years before falling pregnant in a small cubicle. While I wasn't one of the lucky few with a view of Sydney Harbour and the Opera House, all I had to do for that was stand up and the window would be 4 feet from my seat. It was a rather open office and I didn't feel boxed in... and I guess my design passion wasn't quite so... intense as it is today.

But I think a few more years in that space and I'd be tempted to do the same as graphic designer Maria, seen today on Lifehacker. Maria got some inexpensive fabric from Ikea and created a personal and happy space for her daily 8-hour grind.



Good huh? And not much of experience and skill required, just a "that's it, I've had enough of beige", a staple gun and some pretty fabric. Read more of Maria's cubicle happiness on her blog.

Of course, that got me going to Flickr for more cubicle happiness.

Enjoy!!

Flickr user: creampuffles

Flickr user: jamalistics

Flickr user: lorihighfill

Read More..

Reinventing the Basics: Setting Up Your Home Office

In this day in age when we are sticking to our budget and only buying the necessities, that doesn't mean forgoing design and beauty. We're seeing more design on basic necessities making functional products fun and beautiful to satisfy our desire for purchases that brighten our day. Today's post is a round up of inexpensive products to make your home office a little more beautiful, a little greener and a little more fun - on a budget!

These file folders from M by Staples are sitting on our desks here at Sphere Trending and we love them, they're artwork for your briefcase!

Inmodern creates eco-friendly tables, bookshelves, entertainment units and magazine racks that are affordable, earth conscious and look great. Their real wood modern furniture and products are made in the USA from 100% renewable FSC Certified Smart Wood®, and are available in a variety of eco-friendly, UV finishes.

Who doesn't love sticky notes that make a statement? And, we all need the little tabs of paper to mark those important pages. These, from Bob's Your Uncle, are surely good for a giggle!

Made of recycled glass, these vases from Crate and Barrel are affordable and would make unique and stylish desktop organization when used to hold writing utensils, supplies or maybe even the rare bouquet of flowers.

If you happen to be sharing your home office space with one or more of your kids, this desk from DucDuc NYC is not only made in the USA, it's built with consideration for minimal waste, low energy manufacturing and sustainable woods.

To brighten your day, Remarkable Pencils has turned trash into treasure by recycling plastic cups and CD cases to turn them into bold and colorful pencils. The company also offers other recycled material office supplies such as file folders, notebooks, ring binders and rulers.

Read More..

nude alphabet: type font

What could be more au natural than naked type font? Looks like nudes are a popular medium:

Anton Beeke is the fabulous designer behind nude ladies alphabet font-which he orchestrated in 1970.

Another more contemporary take on the nude alphabet is Body Type by design studios Smart Head and Red Keds. This set is nice because the incorporated red converse into the photo shoot.

Read More..

Kim's home office

One of the few rooms in my house that is somewhat finished is my home office. Back in May I posted about painting the floors and the frame of the door. Before I began the kitchen renovation I had managed to complete the space with some revamped furnishings and lots of vintage finds. I think it's about time I share the progress.

It's a pretty small room - 10 ft long by 11.5 ft wide, with a 5ft square bathroom in one corner, making the room L-shaped. One part of the L is my office, and the other part is an entrance from the back deck. Here is what it looked like right after I moved in.


It was awful. Pale blue walls, unpainted trim (the entire house had unpainted trim - WHY???), and the hardwood was totally uninspiring. It was a really fun room to redo and since it gets alot of sun I wanted it to be cheerful and bright. First thing I did was paint the floors, trim, walls and ceiling white. My pink laptop should be on the desk in the photos below but it's a cold room in the winter so I've been working on the dining table since the kitchen was completed.


Below is in the left corner as soon as you walk in the room.


I love piles of fabric. I love piles of anything really. Fabric, books, magazines... (the 2 beaded boxes on top of the books hold the ashes of 2 of my cats that have passed away in the last few years)


The desk is an Ikea table top wrapped in vintage retro fabric, and topped with a piece of glass (some photos were taken before the glass was bought). The inspiration board over my desk is made from some trim I found at Home Depot that I spray painted and made into a frame and I nailed a large piece of cork to the wall behind it.


The chair is a vintage Herman Miller Eames that came upholstered in green fabric, that I found at a local antique market for $160. The souvenir pillow cover I found on eBay. It is now in the trash, as Felix, gawd love him, peed all over it. The lamp I found at a local mid-century shop for $40.


Below are some tchotchkes I have on my desk. The grapes I found on eBay, the dog letter holder in Etsy, and the clock I bought several years ago at an antique fair. I write with markers as often as I can.


Next is an armoire I spent alot of time reworking. I found it at a flea market in a town about an hour from here for $159. It was a darkish brown wood (see here), so I dry-brushed it with the teal paint I used in my dressing room. I removed the door and built shelves for the section that you would ordinarily hang clothes in. I bought some vintage wrapping paper on Etsy and mod-podged it to the shelves. It stores my copier/scanner on the bottom shelf, and behind that is my modem/router and all that fun stuff hidden away. Everything you see is either from eBay, Etsy, local vintage shops and an Asian shop in the Byward Market.


I walk through Chinatown and Little Italy on my way home from work. I stopped in a shop in Chinatown one day, found the pot below and another one, and carried them home (HEAVY!). The yellow Eames shell chair I bought on eBay from the same shop where I bought the green lamp. The curtain fabric I found on Etsy, and since I don't sew I used that iron-on tape to make a hem and used curtain clips to attach them to the rod. Easy peasy.


Jo had suggested I paint the frame of the back door yellow, and it is one of my favourite touches in the room. When the kitchen was renovated I tore out the only closet on the main floor, so this back corner is where I stash my outerwear. Below is also a photo I took standing against the window, looking into the (new) kitchen. (I haven't gotten around to painting that little ramp into the office yet).


So that's my office in it's current state. It's an addition to the house and since it's not very well insulated, ideally I'd love to tear it down and rebuild it bigger and properly insulated. I may settle for making the powder room smaller, and building a closet where the coat hooks are (it's currently not wide enough there to have a closet where coats could hang). The powder room is hideous, hence the lack of photos. So there's still work to do. The list somehow seems to keep growing no matter what I get done... Read More..

Studio AV Inc.

Steve wrote us recently with the following: "I’ve been a big fan of the website since a friend turned me onto it last year. Lots of inspiration for my slow house remodel project. In the meantime, though, you may like some pics of our office and some of the projects we work on. We’re a high-end audio/video/security/control systems integration firm in Bozeman, Montana, US. While there are lots of businesses who offer similar services to us, we take pride in working closely with architects, interior designers, home builders, furniture builders, electricians, and owners to ensure a clean, aesthetic installation. Definitely check out the Studio AV Offices section in the portfolio." I did just that and loved the raw, industrial loft space and cool furnishings. See below.








Here are a few photos from their portfolio of spaces they've done installations in.



Read More..