Desk Tour: Business with a Dash of Beauty

I stumbled across this desk from IKEA about a year ago, and instantly fell in love.  I'm not one to rush into purchasing a piece of furniture so quickly, but I did not hesitate to run down to the nearest IKEA store and make my purchase.  At only $89.00 CAD plus taxes, this desk was not only affordable, but perfect for my space.  And since the shelving unit could be installed on other side of the desk, it was versatile enough for my needs.

Image from IKEA.com

Completed desk ... I built it all by myself!!

Now, I've been wanting a vanity for years, and my original plan had been to wait until I finished school, toss my old desk, and replace it with a vanity table.  However my plans changed, and I set out to find a way to create the perfect desk/vanity combo using the desk I had bought.  One year later, and I think I've finally found the perfect setup for my needs, and I thought I would share it with you!  Let's get into it!

My workspace is not always this neat.  In fact, my workspace is never this neat.  However I am able to keep it as clean as possible with the help of these placemats from WalMart.  Had I the chance to go back in time, I probably would have purchased clear or solid coloured place mats, but this is probably an easy fix (hint hint).

I keep various Shea butter concoctions out on my desk at easy reach for whenever I need to grab some moisturizer for my hair or skin.  Also, I like to have these guys where I can see them, since I want to avoid letting them spoil or spill if I kept them with my other products.

My rusty trusty old Toshiba computer has taken permanent residence on the top of this desk, even though I prefer to use my Windows Surface tablet for 90% of my school related activities.  It's just easier to leave it out than move it around, though I will probably be getting rid of this at my earliest convenience post convocation in the fall.

The desk lamp is another item that will probably kick the bucket once I'm done with school, and no longer need to burn the midnight oil.  

I'm able to hide my old (but useful) school books in the shelves to the back of the unit.  They're easily accessible when I'm sitting down, but I don't have to be looking at them on a regular basis.

The front of the shelving unit is a bit more aesthetically pleasing.  I purchased all the journals pictured from the journal section of Chapters Indigo.  You can find some really cute ones if you check out the sale section website now.  And of course, my handy tea chest is stored here as well, taking up very little space.  The bottom shelf houses all of my hair and nail products in a fabric basket purchased from Marshalls.  You can find similar ones at Winners or Walmart!

The drawer is organized using acrylic dividers from Winners.  Similar ones can be purchased from Amazon.ca.  This is where I store beauty products I use on a daily basis, such as my eyebrow gel, eyebrow pencil, mascara, and lip products.

 

You know you're a grad student when you have 4 USB sticks in your drawer, and more in your purse! 

Spot the DIY!

 Just a tip: I reinforced the bottom of this drawer using hot glue, as it was sagging in the middle.  Worked like a charm.

Finally, the bottom of the desk houses my power bar, printer, and extra paper.  It occasionally houses articles/books for my thesis, but I try to keep it clear in case I need to have a grad-school related panic-attack under my desk.  (That was a joke.  Kind of).

And that's my desk!  Hope it gave you a bit of inspiration for your own organization.  Any questions, comments, or tips?  Leave them in the comment section below!

Cheers!

- xoxo, Jayy