Let's See Your Vintage Inspired Office!

[poetman]

I took all the photos, but I'm having a horrible time uploading. I think I need another day. Photobucket is so slow it's driving me nuts. I value my sanity too much and I've spent about 5 hours trying to upload them.

You can try just pasting a link to Photobucket.

 

[John Boyer]

Parkins & Grotto Oak Stationery Cabinet

I think this link to Photobucket provides a larger image of the previous posting.

 

[Dr Doran]

Two small side by side desks. The dark one is a flip top. The white one (yikes, I didn't paint it) is a hundred year old secretary. My old typewriter (1930s?) is on the right one. My grandfather's black floor lamp is between them.

Is Photobucket insanely slow these days? Is something going on with their servers?

 

[Dr Doran]

More from the home office. Wallpaper is expensive so I just use books.

 

[Dr Doran]

Slightly better angle on the last. Gives you that study feel. It's not an office, dammit, it's my "study." (Pretentio-meter in the red.)

 

[Dr Doran]

This might be a little pre-vintage but I can certainly see it in use during that period. I am particularly fond of this home office item. And, it is tremendously functional. It is a Parkins & Grotto Oak Stationery Cabinet w/ Writing Slope, Watch, Calendar, &/c. C. 1880

John, that's wonderful. Can you tell us a little more about it? Does it fold up? Because I love it, but I cannot exactly see how it works.

 

[poetman]

Doran,

Great shots! Do you work from those desks? I have an old bookcase that was painted white. I'm actually trying to strip and stain it. Do you have a panoramic shot of the room? That looks like a nice library.

 

[poetman]

John, that's wonderful. Can you tell us a little more about it? Does it fold up? Because I love it, but I cannot exactly see how it works.

Yes, I'm wondering the same. It looks really nice.

 

[AmateisGal]

I'm insanely jealous of these fabulous home offices. Mine right now is a corner in the basement on a cement floor. Since it just flooded last week and I had several inches of water on the floor, I refuse to put any kind of antiques down there.

But when we buy our new house in the near future, I *will* have an office upstairs with all of the bells and whistles!

 

[Dr Doran]

Doran,

Great shots! Do you work from those desks? I have an old bookcase that was painted white. I'm actually trying to strip and stain it. Do you have a panoramic shot of the room? That looks like a nice library.

My mother also was fond of painting white anything with dark wood. A sin. A crime. This white desk has been painted with HI-GLOSS white (jeezuz) several layers. I tried Jascoing it. Now it only looks "distressed." I need to truly strip it.

I'd love to give a panoramic of the room but my frustrations with photobucket have approached the murder/suicide level so I'd better leave off trying to post pictures for a while. Last night was my big picture posting blowout and I had to use my wife's computer because mine is too lame. Luckily she was asleep so she couldn't complain.

Amateis, let me assure you, my office is NOT a separate room. Don't be too jealous. It is a corner of one of our two living rooms. We have a peculiar place with one bedroom but two living rooms.

As for the books, that wall is almost 100% ancient history/Greek and Roman stuff. The other rooms have the psychology, social welfare, modern history, modern social theory, erotica, and modern literature! We are a bit buried in books.

 

[Caroline]

Freud's office

While not the traditional office, his office ruled!

Also check out H.L. Menkens office. The real problem, imho, is concealing the nasty computer. You may want to invest in an almost-antique roll top desk and a drill for the cords. A pain but well worth it.

 

[Dr Doran]

While not the traditional office, his office ruled!

Also check out H.L. Menkens office. The real problem, imho, is concealing the nasty computer. You may want to invest in an almost-antique roll top desk and a drill for the cords. A pain but well worth it.

That's why I use a laptop.

Very cool Freud office. Now I want to be a psychoanalyst. Unfortunately all we have today is Lacan, and he's a fraud.

 

[poetman]

My mother also was fond of painting white anything with dark wood. A sin. A crime. This white desk has been painted with HI-GLOSS white (jeezuz) several layers. I tried Jascoing it. Now it only looks "distressed." I need to truly strip it.

I'd love to give a panoramic of the room but my frustrations with photobucket have approached the murder/suicide level so I'd better leave off trying to post pictures for a while. Last night was my big picture posting blowout and I had to use my wife's computer because mine is too lame. Luckily she was asleep so she couldn't complain.

Amateis, let me assure you, my office is NOT a separate room. Don't be too jealous. It is a corner of one of our two living rooms. We have a peculiar place with one bedroom but two living rooms.

As for the books, that wall is almost 100% ancient history/Greek and Roman stuff. The other rooms have the psychology, social welfare, modern history, modern social theory, erotica, and modern literature! We are a bit buried in books.

I think it was popular for a while to paint furniutre white. I think this was some official home decor trend. In any case, photobucket should not encourage murder/suicide.
Is your room lined with shelves, or are those a bunch of similar sized bookcases? Books sure look better than wallpaper.

 

[John Boyer]

Statinery Cabinet

Yes, I'm wondering the same. It looks really nice.

For some reason I have not been able to successfully enlarge these pictures. However, in short, the Writing Slope opens up to store some sizes of stationery. When not in use, the writing slope "folds up" and slides back into the rest of the cabinet--therefore, taking up little room when not in use. I am particularly fond of the "white board" on the left. While this appears to be a "dry erase" board, in 1880 you used a graphite pencil (wipes clean easily). Of course the right and left wing close the cabinet up, also, while not in use. I have always been fascinated by Stationery Cabinets and Writing Boxes.

I tryed to post a better link to Photobucket in #29 below.

 

[Dr Doran]

For some reason I have not been able to successfully enlarge these pictures. However, in short, the Writing Slope opens up to store some sizes of stationery. When not in use, the writing slope "folds up" and slides back into the rest of the cabinet--therefore, taking up little room when not in use. I am particularly fond of the "white board" on the left. While this appears to be a "dry erase" board, in 1880 you used a graphite pencil (wipes clean easily). Of course the right and left wing close the cabinet up, also, while not in use. I have always been fascinated by Stationery Cabinets and Writing Boxes.

A company today called Levenger makes a few things of this general nature. But nowhere near as cool.

 

[Dr Doran]

I think it was popular for a while to paint furniutre white. I think this was some official home decor trend. In any case, photobucket should not encourage murder/suicide.
Is your room lined with shelves, or are those a bunch of similar sized bookcases? Books sure look better than wallpaper.

The bookshelves are old wooden pear crates and apple crates I collected over the ten years I worked in produce. I stained them with dark walnut stain. I fitted boards together with them in a shelf arrangement. Only gravity is holding it together. An earthquake would make it fall down. Naturally, no one sleeps under it.

 

[AmateisGal]

Amateis, let me assure you, my office is NOT a separate room. Don't be too jealous. It is a corner of one of our two living rooms. We have a peculiar place with one bedroom but two living rooms.

As for the books, that wall is almost 100% ancient history/Greek and Roman stuff. The other rooms have the psychology, social welfare, modern history, modern social theory, erotica, and modern literature! We are a bit buried in books.

We're surrounded by books, too - mostly fiction on my husband's part, and fiction and history books on mine.

At this point, I'll be happy to have an office with a door someday.

 

[John Boyer]

I would echo the sentiments extressed below---my office, too, is not a separate room, but rather, "a walk through room", between our living room and family room. Technically it is an "old-bed-room"--removed-between a new family room and living room. We refer to it as a "sitting room" or "walk through area." My office mainly consists of an old library table (C. 1860), stationery cabinet (C. 1880) and small book case my father made in "wood shop" (C. 1940). I do have one very large wall of "built-in" book cases I enjoy--greatly. All-in-all, my office consists of the the library table, stationery cabinet, small book case, candle, a few quill pens and "I wall of books"; about an area of 12x15. In my mind--just perfect. Oh, and a "Thomas Jefferson sitting chair".

 

[poetman]

I would echo the sentiments extressed below---my office, too, is not a separate room, but rather, "a walk through room", between our living room and family room. Technically it is an "old-bed-room"--removed-between a new family room and living room. We refer to it as a "sitting room" or "walk through area." My office mainly consists of an old library table (C. 1860), stationery cabinet (C. 1880) and small book case my father made in "wood shop" (C. 1940). I do have one very large wall of "built-in" book cases I enjoy--greatly. All-in-all, my office consists of the the library table, stationery cabinet, small book case, candle, a few quill pens and "I wall of books"; about an area of 12x15. In my mind--just perfect. Oh, and a "Thomas Jefferson sitting chair".

John,

That sounds like a really nice room. If you have pictures, please do share. I never took a wood shop class in my life, but I'm on this kick of trying to build a bookcase now. I detest the idea of spending so much money in a office supply store for a bookcase made of particle board. I figure I could make one out of real wood.

 

[Dr Doran]

John,

That sounds like a really nice room. If you have pictures, please do share. I never took a wood shop class in my life, but I'm on this kick of trying to build a bookcase now. I detest the idea of spending so much money in a office supply store for a bookcase made of particle board. I figure I could make one out of real wood.

Simple shelves are the easiest thing in the world to build. If you don't have a circular saw at home, you may wish to have the lumber cut at the lumber shop. You can make it fit any alcove precisely, and stain it exactly as you desire. I made (elsewhere in our apartment) such a shelf unit and it fits and looks perfect(ly). Drill, screws, a yardstick and wood is all you need. A plumb bob (make it yourself from string and anything heavy) helps, too.