In addition to our Cherry Moon and Vermont Shaker Writing Desks, our Classic Shaker Writing Desk would also look great and fit perfectly into a closet office space!

DIY Closet Office

I have a small confession to make. I, Loryn Dion, am a Pinterest addict. Every time I have a spare minute, I find myself flipping through DIY projects and cooking recipes on my laptop, Kindle, cell phone and even on my TV. It’s a very big problem. One of my favorite ideas that I’ve seen pop up on Pinterest in the last few weeks, and you’ve probably seen it too if you’re an avid Pinterest user like me, is the DIY closet office.

Basically, the closet office is exactly what it sounds like. For modest homes that do not have the luxury of having a separate room for an office, you take a large closet or nook space, outfit it with a desk, chair, filing cabinet and a plethora of shelves and organizers, a little paint and voila! A secret office space that can be closed up when you’re done.

There are a few versions of the office that link to pages telling you about chairs and desks from Ikea or Pottery Barn that would fit perfectly in your spare closet. While it may be true that these pieces will fit in your closet now, in 5-10 years you’re going to be tossing out that “disposable” desk to replace it with a new “disposable” desk that will just fall apart in another 5 years. Plus, these pieces are no friends to the environment. So I’m here to tell you that you can get that dream closet office space with our lifetime guaranteed, eco-friendly, office furniture.

First, I suggest starting with our Cherry Moon Writing Desk. I think it has a nice mission-flair that works well with many styles and has a unique, two-toned drawer pull option. This desk also comes in 5 different sizes to fit whatever shape your closet space is. Also check out our Vermont-Made Shaker Writing Desk if you like these options but prefer a more traditional shaker style.

Next, pick up our Cherry Moon 2-Drawer Vertical File Cabinet for additional, under-desk storage (Or our Vermont Shaker 2 Drawer File Cabinet, if you like the shaker option). If you have the room, browse our customizable book shelves to find a bookcase that will fit in nicely with the style of your closet office.

Now, you can decorate how you’d like (If you’re choosing cherry wood, I would suggest earth tone colors. They look great with cherry wood no matter what age it is) and fill up your space with supplies and appliances (I love thegreenoffice.com. They have some great deals on office supplies that are green and energy efficient).

There you have it! A quick guide to an environmentally-friendly closet office. If you have a closet office or have some great ideas for one, tell us about it in the comments or show us your pictures on our facebook page!

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A couple customers have asked "what's a return?"  Good question.  It's the smaller desk that's lined up at a right angle with your main desk to form an "L" shape so it fits nicely into a corner space.

So why is it called a "return"?  I've looked everywhere and can't really find a good explanation for that.  The best I've found is this by JBENZ of Askville: 

 It comes from architecture. A "return" is a portion of a building that sits at right angles to the main part of the structure, what is usually called a "wing" or an "L". Hence the added on part of the desk where the typewriter or computer sits. Why they call it that is beyond me. The word itself is from an old French word that meant to "turn on a lathe".

Well, sorry I can't come up with more detail than that but maybe one of you can.  I welcome your input in the comments section below or on our Facebook.  Thanks!

Oh… and for more desks and returns, check out our Copeland Berkeley Workstation with desk, return & organizer or give us a call to order a custom return for any of our Vermont made desks and workstations.

One more thing: if you're ordering a return, be sure to specify whether it's to be aligned on the left or the right side of your desk.  Otherwise you won't be able to open the pencil drawer on the return.

The post Home Office Furniture: What Is A Return? appeared first on Vermont Woods Studios.

With this Buy More – Save More Sale you will save 10% off any single piece, 15% off two pieces or 20% off 3 or more pieces (plus Free Delivery)*.

Your new hardwood furniture can be customized online and crafted in natural black cherry, sugar maple, oak and black walnut. Every piece is traditionally handcrafted one piece at a time right here in Vermont and made just for you. And all are solidly built to last for generations of use and backed by a lifetime guarantee.  Check it out and give us a call with your questions.

This Sale ends at midnight on May 22nd.

* Excludes Copeland, Polywood, Artisan & Barnwood furniture

The post Living Room and Home Office Fine Furniture Sale appeared first on Vermont Woods Studios.

The sales runs for 1 week from today through next Tuesday, November 8.  You can take 10% off any single piece or save 15% when you purchase two or more pieces (Plus Free Delivery).  Check it out and give us a call if you don't see exactly what you're looking for.  We are always happy to customize.

The post Home Office Furniture and Living Room Furniture Sale appeared first on Vermont Woods Studios.

Isn't this a beautiful home office? 

It sort of makes me think I would get a much higher level of work done in it… what do you think?

This desk, bookcase and file credenza are part of our new Modern Shaker Furniture Collection and Manjula has them on sale until May 17th, 2011. 

Everything is handmade in Vermont by Vermont craftspeople, using natural solid wood and clear  non-toxic finishes.  We've had great feedback from customers who recently received some of our first orders from this collection. You can check out customer comments at the independent third party website, GreenPeople.org or on our Facebook page.

The post Living Room and Home Office Furniture on Sale- Save 15% appeared first on Vermont Woods Studios.

I found this quote on Ann Stone's blog today but she had credited Donald Cooper.  Whoever said it, I love it!  We've been working from our home office and Annette's farm for 5 years now and I feel certain we could not have come this far if we had had the added expense of an additional office all these years.

It seems to have worked pretty well for the Queen, the Pope and the President, so who's to argue?  Well, maybe Bongo– it does cut into his lounging space from time to time.

Typical Vermont Woods Studios office worker.

The post The Queen, The Pope, and the US President all work from home appeared first on Vermont Woods Studios.