Simple Steps to GREEN Your Workspace aka Mom Cave!

You asked: I have a small room I'm converting into my studio and wanted it to reflect my creative side and making it a "responsible" work area without spending too much money in the process. Where and how do I start?

My answer: I should tell you now that I have this personal mission to be "green" in every possible way I can. Call me Eco-freak but I love the principle of being green and living it. I'm not a tree hugger but I do have trees waiting to be hugged in my backyard -- maybe later. And then, I'm also frugal and I finally have a studio/workspace, all of my own, that I spent most of my daily, breathing life in since we moved. What's an Eco-freak gotta do? You got it babe, Green it frugally! How? Read on...

Taking the first step to being green is really not that hard. You just have to start at the very obvious. Here are some simple steps to a green, sustainable workspace, er, mom cave:

My GREEN STATION

• Start with your "trash" - Assign receptacles that would serve as your Green station. One for recyclables and another for documents needing to be shred which will be recycled afterwards too. If you're like me, I used colored trash bins* and labeled them (see picture above). It's easier to spot which is which and makes sorting easy.
• Upcycle materials - Upcycling is a great way to save money and eliminate unnecessary trash. One example is upcyling tin cans and turning them into cute, decorative holders.  I have 3 upcycled tin can holders on my work table right now and I love them! (see first picture above). Click here to find out how to make them.
• Use natural light to your advantage - Situate your work table close or near a window where you can avail of the sun's illuminating power. More natural light means less electric power consumption. And use sheer curtains for your window during the Summer, they let more sunlight in, enough to brighten up your room throughout the day.
• Decorate your walls with your own creations - Display your masterpieces. Looking at your own work will motivate, if not inspire you, to be productive and hopefully fuel your creative jujus. Besides, it's great to admire a work you put so much effort on. A reminder of how AWESOME you are!

• On the left is a wall art made out of leaves and branches from my yard where I used to live. Almost 2 years and still looking "fresh" as it was the first time it was created. To see how to make this, Click here: Fall Leaf and Tree Branch 3D Wall Art Poster.
• On the right is a painting I painted at Canyon Ranch in Arizona and favorite photos I photographed myself during our beach vacation at Ocean Lakes. 

SAVE SOME BUCKS!

Product recommendation:

If you're looking for an affordable yet good-quality work table, consider Linnmon table top from Ikea. The white-colored table with length: 39 3/8 " and width: 23 5/8 " is only $5.99 and the black-brown is $10.99 (my table shown in picture on the left). Then partner it with the ADILS legs which are $3.50/piece. The cool thing about it is you can chose which color you want! They are available in silver, black, pink, red or white. I chose silver. But you can mix and match! 

It is sturdy and tough enough to withstand some creative abuse from my tools. This table is worth every penny!

*Colored Trash bins from Dollar Store. 


Now go and create your mom cave!

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