One of the most important things to me in a workplace is esthetics.

When I say esthetics I don’t only mean cleanliness, it’s not even the most important thing to me.

My intention is to a pleasant working environment in terms of design, the kind that gives inspiration and makes the whole work process a lot nicer and more pleasant.

I have several traumas from the period of my military service, one of them being the dull gray offices we worked in, with peeling walls and equipment that was falling apart. As soon as I would walk into the office, I counted down the seconds till I could go home {Well, OK, it wasn’t only the office… but it did play a big part}.

Even when I got to Eilat, during the never ending job hunting quest, I always came across offices that looked just like this… Employees’ offices in hotels, various shops and almost everywhere – they were all dull, with the same military style, and automatically made me dislike working there.

Many companies around the world, like Google and Facebook, have already realized that a pleasant work environment contributes to their employees’ satisfaction and productivity.

Therefore, during the period I was setting up my blog, when my working hours at home got longer and longer, I decided I can no longer sit on the couch watching TV while working on my laptop – the time came to design a small office at home.

A place that will be comfortable to sit in for hours and hours, and a place I could enjoy and pass all these hours pleasantly.

So, I started searching!

Those of you who already know me know that I could search and explore the internet endlessly (!!!) if I want to.

So I pinned countless inspirational ideas for work areas, looking for bits and pieces that will give me that special touch I wanted for my own work environment.

Now, anyone could design something incredible with a ton of money, right?

So my goal was to create my own special work space without exaggerating with the expenses.

True – it’s definitely more difficult and requires a lot of searching online and beyond – but it’s totally worth it!

Slowly but surely, I managed to create a work space for myself without having to find a second job just to pay for it… if you know what I mean 😉

The wall I sit on front of was designed in a “clean” way, just with a sticker of the map of the world that Daniel and I bought a long time ago, when we moved into our apartment. I love the minimalist look of the sticker and what it represents to me – travelling the world!

Except for the sticker, I didn’t plan on hanging anything on the wall {especially since it’s a wall shared with our “private shelter room” that requires a little more than a hammer and nails} but my plans changed after a short visit at Golf & Co. I couldn’t stay indifferent to their new collection, and to the sale they had on it, and I bought this gold clock {original price: 120 NIS} which is exactly my taste.

What else did I buy at Golf & Co?

A cute mug with a rabbit printed on it {17.90 NIS} that I use as a pen holder, and two more things from the new marble line {which is perfect in my opinion} – a porcelain mug with a marble pattern {20 NIS, if I remember correctly} and a beautiful marble tray {69 NIS}.

I don’t know what happened at Golf & Co in recent year, but their collections are just perfect, and I can’t leave the store without buying at least one item.

Let’s continue with the shopping…

A desk. How difficult it is to buy a nice desk without having to sell a kidney.

I searched everywhere…. Home Center, ACE – the desks were hideous. I went to other stores, small private stores and big chains – everything was super expensive.

Finally, IKEA came to the rescue – they had exactly what I was looking for and for the best price {cheaper than the ugly desks back at Home Center}. They have a MIX&MATCH collection now, with affordable prices, which allows you to choose a table surface and legs separately.

I chose a clean white table surface and black trestle legs – the total came out to less than 250 NIS!

I got the desk lamp from IKEA a few seasons ago, but apparently it’s a standard model they carry, so you could still find it there.

I bought the chair from URBAN {IDdesign’s low-cost brand}. I really love the style of Eames chairs but they usually aren’t comfortable enough for me. The thing that’s great about this model is the soft cushion on the seat that allows me to sit hours without getting up.

Another raw material I’m obsessed with lately and wanted to incorporate on my desk top is cork.  Fortunately, IKEA’s new collection is full of items based on cork I chose a simple cork placemat and a simple round cork trivet as surfaces for my laptop and mouse. I also got modular storage containers decorated with the same clean lines, matching the rest of the space. I would say it’s quite perfect, right?

Another important thing in any office is a speaker, and if possible, it should be designed in a special way and should match the overall color scheme. On the day I started setting up my office, I was so lucky Daniel received a package from Aliexpress – a speaker that suited my new office perfectly!

There are so many advantages of having a Romanian friend {or in my case, fiancé!} ;), including their uncontrollable love for sales. So here’s the story – a couple of months ago Daniel saw there was going to be a huge sale on Aliexpress and he actually made himself a reminder not to miss this speaker and a few other gadgets that were going to be reduced to ridiculously cheap prices {we payed around $20 for it!}, and then I just stole the package from him when I realized how perfect the speaker would be in my office – definitely worthwhile!

And now, for the little and cute odds and ends that make my office absolutely perfect:

Great cute pens, a decorative golden spoon and a wooden merry-go-round music box I got on EBAY.

A ruler / letter-opener, a cool wax stamp, a picture frame and a sign that says “WISH IT, DREAM IT, DO IT” that I got from the European chain “HEMA”. They have amazing things but unfortunately they don’t deliver oversees to Israel, so if you know someone travelling to Europe, be sure to send a detailed list with pictures!

And one more thing, this time from Israel – a sweet postcard from the chain “LALINE” with the ten commandments to nurture your body and soul

So what do you think about my new office?

Share if you liked this post!