Let's See Your Vintage Inspired Office!

Mr Vim · Jul 24, 2010

MikeBravo said:
Yoy look like a professional gumshoe (detective).

I was going to say professional "dick"which also means detective, but it may have been misconstrued

I cracked up at the "dick" comment, my sides hurt, that made my night, thanks Mike.

Shangus, you too.

ScionPI2005 · Jul 24, 2010

Shangas said:
I agree with Mike. A real shamus

Ah ha! Maybe that's the reason I like that look!

John in Covina · Jul 24, 2010

I am hoping to work on my office in the fall. I had to move my computer into my bedroom to have the DSL modem close enough to the wall outlet, there is no real phone outlet in the office but plain wires to an old non-modular outlet. I am going to move some stuff to get to that and wire in a plug. I want to toss the desk my mom insisted I getand do a re-work at some point.

As to office organization: I have been doing a lot of clearing out stuff from my mom and dad's collection of saved paperwork. I have tossed out all of the monthly statements from decades old accounts closed over 10 years ago from banks that no longer exist. My mom horded mail and there was so much stuff in their "files" that was not important in any way shape of form. I found so much mail that was never opened just "put away" that I want to scream.:eusa_doh:

Anyway it's been 2.5 years since my mom passed and over ten since dad passed away, I finally had the emotional fortitude to start the clean up and clean out in earnest. Did find some really great photos though but no hord of ITT stocks yet.

MikeBravo · Jul 25, 2010

John in Covina said:
I am hoping to work on my office in the fall. I had to move my computer into my bedroom to have the DSL modem close enough to the wall outlet, there is no real phone outlet in the office but plain wires to an old non-modular outlet. I am going to move some stuff to get to that and wire in a plug. I want to toss the desk my mom insisted I getand do a re-work at some point.

As to office organization: I have been doing a lot of clearing out stuff from my mom and dad's collection of saved paperwork. I have tossed out all of the monthly statements from decades old accounts closed over 10 years ago from banks that no longer exist. My mom horded mail and there was so much stuff in their "files" that was not important in any way shape of form. I found so much mail that was never opened just "put away" that I want to scream.:eusa_doh:

Anyway it's been 2.5 years since my mom passed and over ten since dad passed away, I finally had the emotional fortitude to start the clean up and clean out in earnest. Did find some really great photos though but no hord of ITT stocks yet.

That can be a tough time, cleaning out after the departed love ones. Something I will have to go through soon as my father passed away recently. Mind you it could be a good experience remembering the good times and sharing with the family.

I don't call myself a hoarder, though some might. I keep a few old documents, like payslips and some bank statements from when I first started in the workforce in 1980. Just as a record for my daughter so she can get an insight into how much we were paid and the cost of things, and what I spent my money on as a young buck

Zemke Fan · May 11, 2012

Here it is!! Bump!

Shangas · Jan 29, 2013

Here it is. I was going for a sort of 1920s/30s style; Interwar Period.

Zemke Fan · Jan 30, 2013

Excellent. Will have to get some photos of my new space.

vitanola · Sep 16, 2019

This is my office at work. I now manage a lakeside cottage community, and orperate a construction and engineering company. I hide my laptop in the pencil drawer! Everything works, and is in use. No static displays here! The boys still punch in every morning on the International Time Recording Company clock, and I type letters and invoices on the Underwood No. 5.

Haversack · Sep 16, 2019

Well, looking at your calendar, I'd be telling my broker to sell everything.

vitanola · Sep 16, 2019

Haversack said:
Well, looking at your calendar, I'd be telling my broker to sell everything.

The 1929 calendar matches 2019, you know. Next year I'll have to hang a 1936 calendar, for being a leap year, 2020 us matched only by 1908, 1936, 1964, and 1992.

tonyb · Sep 20, 2019

vitanola said:
The 1929 calendar matches 2019, you know. Next year I'll have to hang a 1936 calendar, for being a leap year, 2020 us matched only by 1908, 1936, 1964, and 1992.

In another thread is a discussion of reusing old calendars whose days and dates coincide with the current year. Such has been my habit for a number of years now. I have a stack of the things.

With this house being a generic suburban rambler, calendars dating from the 1950s and ’60s seem most fitting. A ’63 calendar advertising a car dealership in South Dakota (Mount Rushmore figures prominently) now adorns the kitchen wall, next to the red wall-mounted telephone. A ’64 calendar from a farmers’ co-op in Michigan will take its place come January.

Edward Reed · Feb 25, 2020

my 1940s office is a mix of WWII Home Front / U.S. Army Air Forces "Somewhere in England" themed. The desk is a bit small and not vintage but simple enough to pass for the era. I have too much on it for display but I did so for these pics. hope you enjoy

Edward Reed · Jun 21, 2020

I keep forgetting about this Vintage Inspired Office thread as I've been adding to the vintage office supplies thread so just to update this I have added a few new items to my WWII 1940s Army Air Forces office. Lucky enough to have found USAAF used and marked office chairs to add to the atmosphere and authenticity. some other various desktop items including a Property Air Force United States Army marked card catalog file.... and a lot of WWII era pencils

Its a bit cluttered. Need a bigger desk... which is on my future list to get but for now this is my man-cave happy place.

just added this 1940s USAAF marked office chair to my office collection today so this will ship this week... looking forward to it!

Edward Reed · Jul 2, 2020

so I did a thing today... my final dream piece for my 1940s office is a vintage 1940s Teacher's/Office desk. Big, Heavy, Pricey... so in the meantime I did the next best thing. I retro-upgraded my modern desk to look more vintage by using salvaged Oak Desk Drawer Pull Handles from a 1930s desk that was beyond repair. I bought these off the guy for $10.00. Now I have that look I was after until I can afford to buy a vintage desk. The stain on the handles is darker than the desk but I think the contrast compliments the piece.

Before:

After:

The look that inspired the idea:

tonyb · Jul 18, 2020

The southern half of the blue room. I wasn’t aiming for a period piece here. There’s a decidedly “mod” piece or two in this image and more outside the camera’s view. But overall it kinda evokes a “Golden Era” vibe.

Trenchfriend · Sep 15, 2020

My living room, but my desk stays in the living room, so:

Original from 1990.

Finally screwed new and clear bulbs with 624 lumen in, today.

tonyb · Sep 18, 2020

Same room from another angle. The 48–star flag covers a pair of steel bifold closet doors, which are in good condition both cosmetically and functionally and are original to the house, so I didn’t wish to take them out. But they don’t fit the vibe of the room as it is now, so I mounted a curtain rod near the ceiling and suspended the flag from it.
EDIT: And yes, I recall from my Boy Scout days that the stars on the blue field are to go on the upper left, but I think it looks better this way and it’s my flag, not Scoutmaster Lee’s, who can just pretend he’s a cockroach looking at it from the other side.

Edward Reed · Sep 18, 2020

tonyb said:
Same room from another angle. The 48–star flag covers a pair of steel bifold closet doors, which are in good condition both cosmetically and functionally and are original to the house, so I didn’t wish to take them out. But they don’t fit the vibe of the room as it is now, so I mounted a curtain rod near the ceiling and suspended the flag from it.
EDIT: And yes, I recall from my Boy Scout days that the stars on the blue field are to go on the upper left, but I think it looks better this way and it’s my flag, not Scoutmaster Lee’s, who can just pretend he’s a cockroach looking at it from the other side.
View attachment 262540

warm, cozy, vintage and inviting. I like it a lot!

Edward Reed · Jul 4, 2021

Finally got that vintage 1940s office/teacher's desk I've always wanted to complete the look of my vintage office!
For some time searched for a 1940s desk but being large, heavy, pricey and always too far away I pretty much gave up on the idea. They rarely list them to ship as the price of shipping is often more than the price of the desk itself and these vintage desks are most often $300 to $600. (Sometimes more!) so they are almost always listed as local pickup only… Four months ago this small 1940s teachers desk was listed at $250 and located only 100 miles from me. I kept thinking about it and kept trying to talk myself out of it... but I can justify anything! (never drink and ebay…)

22 "watchers" later I decided it needed to be mine! Being so close and affordable I figured it was my one chance to get the desk I've wanted so I hit Buy It Now!
This morning I made the road trip! There and back in 4 1/2 hours.... and now I have a more vintage style home office... lots of dings and marks... shabby chic and full of character... sadly no maker marks anywhere to be found

(*Hobie Ocean Kayak not vintage

)

Obligatory vintage selfies...

so cheesy!

if you look closely at the bottom at the guy's foot you can see his lunch box under his desk which I replicated with my 1930s lunch box under my desk as well... just for fun!

Edward Reed · Jul 4, 2021

I moved the 1941 Underwood to the other side onto the smaller desk....

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