Inside Peek: How I Style My Desk For Creativity

I'm going to start off with a little moan -- I had this perfectly planned and ready, then everything fell apart! My server went down, posts wouldn't publish, things didn't arrive, my camera decided to stop working (hence the less than ideal quality of these photos).. finally I managed to actually get it done, but it's not my best work so I'll probably revisit it soon! 

Now moan over, let me welcome you to a special smeethsaysfashion feature called "Inside Peek" where I let you see certain aspects of my home/life/work. This particular feature is based on how I style my desk for maximum creativity! Aside from writing here with all you lovely people, I am a professional journalist and photographer, so it's very important for me to have somewhere to sit down and WORK! I thought I'd show you my work-space so shall we take a peek?

The first thing you might notice is no computer, I know crazy right? But no, I have evicted the desktop to another room. If I'm writing I find it easier to work with pen and paper anyway, so a computer takes up extra space. For research I just bring in the laptop when I need it. The desktop has now been given a new home, as it is required for photo editing but it's actually better placed there than it was here. The first thing I noticed when it was gone was all the SPACE! I have room to spread things out, and there's nothing for me to kick under the desk, it's wonderful! 

As you can see one of the main feature is that beautiful 'Love' light, it's from valuelights who I'm a brand ambassador for and you can read my review on it here.

                                                                  DESK
So the main area to get right first is the actual desk you're going to be working at. You have to decide do you want one with or without drawers, the material you want, the colour, the height, your budget, etc.
I knew I wanted a white desk, but I also didn't want to spend a fortune. I found this desk on Amazon for about £15 (free postage). 
It came flat-packed but was easy to assemble. It is strong (I can sit on it) but it's also light enough for you to move around easily without taking it apart!!
It is the perfect size for me (especially without the computer screen) and I can fit everything I need on it. If you want under-desk storage then there's plenty of room for you to place a small filing cabinet or set of drawers under there! 

                                                                 LIGHT
As I mentioned earlier, another big feature of my desk is the lighting! This is particularly important if you're going to be working early/late, but also don't forget it will be getting dark earlier in a month or so, which means getting the lighting at your desk right is vital!
You can read my full review of the 'Love' Wall-Hanging Light from valuelights here. 
It is gives off a warm, but bright light which will keep you focused without tiring your eyes! 

                                                          ORGANISATION
I have always wanted a memo-board, but I could never decide if I wanted a whiteboard with magnets or a corkboard with pins. Well problem solved when I found this memo-board on Amazon (approx £11) as it has both! The weekly planner, notes and things to do sections are whiteboard and magnetic, but there is also a corkboard section at the end for pins! 


Now you may have noticed my rather delightful pompom magnets and pins on the board and on the 'love' light.. they are from PomPom Galore  and I think they are just the perfect way to really brighten up your desk (or anywhere else)! The magnets cost £10 for a pack of 7 and the pins cost £8 for the lovely little jar you can see. I absolutely adore them, and I've even got my eye on a couple of their pompom garlands for other decorating projects! 

                                                   STATIONERY
I'm fairly certain everyone loves notebooks right? Well I'm no different, and I also think they are very important!! I have a notebook with me at all times, in every bag, in pockets, next to the bed, in the bathroom.. everywhere! 
It's also important to have one on the desk because quite often I'll write something down, walk off with it and then never bring it back, so the next time I need to write something down there's nothing there to do it on (please say it's not just me)! 
This gorgeous notebook is designed by the wonderful illustrator Louise Tate, she has a newly launched line of notebooks and they are all just amazing! I couldn't choose between them but eventually settled on the small flamingo notebook.

                                                    STORAGE
You can never have enough storage, I'm very sure of that! But my desk is often a complete mess, just piles of jumbled paper.. and while it might look quite creative it means I can never find what I need! 
So I decided to get drastic, I didn't want a filing cabinet or shelves or lots of boxes, just one simple, attractive solution... and I found it! 
This is the Revival Oskar A4 Letterbox with Leather Handle by The Holding Company, isn't it simply beautiful?! It comes in a range of colours (obviously I chose this bright sunshine yellow) and cost £13. 
It is perfect. It holds everything I need it to, looks amazing and fits nicely on my desk. 
For me it's the ideal storage solution for any desk, I certainly wouldn't be without it. The challenge now will be keeping what's in it tidy! (EEK)

You can also see the second part of my hunt for attractive, but functional storage! It is a cupboard insert from IKEA (the name escapes me) and is only about £2, although I don't have an IKEA nearby so I purchased this from Amazon instead.
It fits really well on my desk, my letterbox fits perfectly underneath and it keeps things out of my way but still accessible! 
I also purchased the larger of this version, but it's too big so it will get a job somewhere else instead!

                                                      CLOCK
My final must-have item for any creative desk is a clock! I get lose track of time so often when I'm working.. I'll start at 10am and before you know it, it's 7:30pm and I haven't eaten and only drank tea all day! So clocks are very important! 
This beautifully designed clock is from redcandy, who have the most delightful range of colourful accessories for you home (GO LOOK NOW!). It is the Block Desk Clock, and the blue is just wonderful as it reminds me of the sea and makes me smile every time I see it (other colours are available)! 

So there you have it.. a sneak peek at my desk and my favourite items that I think any creative mind should have at their work-space! Let me know what you think, do you agree or is there something I've missed? You can also see some more photos below!

Stay safe,x