A Wedding Invitation Designer Gets Home Office Makeover

This summer I had the pleasure of working with wedding invitation designer Steph Brown of Oh My! Designs on her home office. When she contacted me, she had gotten to a point where her office was becoming unruly, and needed help whipping it into shape. From our initial consultation, I knew from seeing Steph’s office over Zoom that it had a lot of potential to be both functional and beautiful with the right design and products in place.

Her unique challenge as the owner of a stationery business was to create and maintain a system for her sizable inventory paper stock, office supplies, and shipping materials, all in a small, shared space.

To accomplish this, the room had to be redesigned to accommodate new and repurposed office furniture that would maximize storage space and fit all of the new containers to house Steph’s inventory. A lot of precise measuring and product comparison was necessary to find items that were the perfect fit, which was all the more satisfying when it all came together!

See below for the Before and Afters, and then keep scrolling for my conversation with Steph about the project.

Ample desk drawers provided much needed storage space. The packing materials in the corner were relocated to the other side of the room to a newly created shipping station.

We repurposed this larger bookshelf from another part of the room to expand the cubby space. At first glance it looks like the same bookshelf but it is a bit bigger, and those extra inches helped in getting everything to fit and up off the floor.

A taller and wider bookshelf along with extra shelves allowed for everything to fit and be accessible. We moved it to the other side of the closet door to make room for a shipping station in this corner.

We moved a standing desk from the other side of the room to this corner to create a shipping station. The desk provides much needed surface area for packaging up invitations to send to clients.

What are some of the biggest challenges in running a wedding invitation business from your home?

There are so many moving parts and lots of supplies + materials! I’m typically working with multiple clients at once, so I’ll have each order in the office at a different point in the process. It can quickly get chaotic if I’m not staying on top of things. I need space for designing (at my desk), printing, and assembly.

I also have a collection of leftover paper, envelopes, and materials that I stock alongside extras of my most popular items. There are a few different sizes of everything and they’re constantly moving in and out of being stored to being used.

I truly feel like I have the best job ever, but sometimes running a business from home can lead to overwhelm if your space isn’t set up for success.

What was the point when you decided to bring in help for your office?

I’ve tried in the past to organize myself, but it was always a quick fix - never for the long term. With Covid, I had a lot of work put on hold and the time to devote to making over my office. I knew it was something I needed real help with to create a system I could stick to.

What surprised you the most about the process of working with a home organizer?

How you could look at something and so quickly see a solution or better way to do it. You bring a totally new perspective to the room and really look at the big picture. I was constantly surprised by all the small adjustments that could be made to make a huge difference.

What would you say was the biggest benefit of working with a home organizer?

My favorite part and the biggest benefit was the work you did outside of my office - mocking up the room, researching products and furniture, giving me different options, and providing a shopping list. Having everything measured out so it would all fit perfectly together and I didn’t even have to think about it!

What is it like now working in your newly organized space?

This room is totally transformed and it’s brought me so much energy to work in here. I absolutely love being in this space and feel mentally refreshed. It’s so important to my creativity, productivity, and processes to have a space that allows me to do my best work!

Thank you Steph!

About Oh My! Designs:

I work with modern couples to create pretty paper for their big day. The wedding invitation is the first impression of the entire event, so I make sure it counts. oh my! designs is based in San Diego, California and serves clients worldwide!

www.ohmydesignsbysteph.com

instagram.com/ohmydesigns_

3 Simple Bedroom Feng Shui Tips for a Better Night’s Sleep

Treat your bedroom like a sanctuary and see your quality of sleep improve. There are so many amazing Feng Shui tips for this that you can customize for your specific needs. But let’s start with the basics. Here I’ll go over 3 of the most common sense remedies that will apply to everyone regardless of your room layout, Bagua Map, or Personal Trigram (more on those in future posts).

1. Deep Clean

It is so important that we regularly clean our bedrooms to keep our indoor air quality clear. Just from every day living, dust containing mold, bacteria, and allergens gets kicked up into the air we breathe which leads to adverse health outcomes. Studies show that home cleanliness is linked to not only better physical health but better mental health as well. As stress can be a factor in sleep troubles, anything we can do to reduce stress is something to be mindful of. To put a finer point on it: Cleanliness is about more than just appearances, it literally affects your overall health & well being. If you are having trouble sleeping my advice is to start here: Give your bedroom a deep clean. Dust and wipe down all surfaces with a non toxic cleaner (50/50 vinegar & water with some drops of citrus essential oil is my go to). Put freshly cleaned sheets on the bed. Sweep & mop. Bring your area rug outside, shake it out, and let it sit in a sunny spot to disinfect it. Which brings us to part two…

2. Declutter and Get Intentional

The bedroom is for rest and romance. Anything that does not contribute to your sleep and love life (whether with a partner or for your self love) should be removed from the bedroom. Put piles of clothes away with care. Electronics should be kept to an absolute minimum, and if you can remove them entirely, even better. Many people rely on their smartphones for alarm clocks, and if you do, make sure you put your phone on airplane mode while you sleep to reduce EMF exposure. Exercise equipment, large amounts of books, or anything work related should not be in the bedroom. These things can subconsciously lead to a feeling of work yet to be done, which is not conducive to a restful environment. We don’t need those reminders in the bedroom. Even if you have gotten so used to having those things around that you don’t consciously “see” or notice them any more, your subconscious is aware of it and is internalizing those objects’ energy. Another way to think about it is that each space in the home should have a dedicated focus so you can be present and attuned to the intention of each of those spaces while you’re in them. Find homes for all of those unfinished projects and miscellaneous objects in other areas of your home and give yourself more clarity and peace when you lay down in bed.

3. Lower the Lights

Ideally, your light sources should be at or below eye level. This is both a Feng Shui principle and a common interior design principal. When we have overhead lighting or a large light fixture above the bed, something is looming above us which can create a sense of unease. This can oftentimes feel too harsh and spotlight-esque, especially for the bedroom where we want to be encouraging more tranquil vibes. We don’t need the feeling that the eye of Sauron is on us while we are in bed! Bedside table lamps that dim or have low wattage lightbulbs are ideal for a creating a cozy ambiance. Remember how I talked about limiting electronics in the bedroom? Well, another good reason to keep them out is because the light that is given off from our screens is blue light, which studies show keep us more alert, disrupts our circadian rhythms, and effects the quality of our sleep. So, choose bulbs on the warmer end of the spectrum that mimic the look of candlelight or the setting sun. These warmer tones help create an environment that will better lull us into a deeply restorative sleep.