My new favorite spot in the house

After all the hours I spent painting, assembling furniture and organizing in here, it's no wonder that our new-and-improved den is now my most favorite spot in the house.

I could say it took me three days to take this room from what it was (a space that was functional but not fun) to what it is (a bright cozy spot in my home that I think would make even Nate Berkus proud) -- but in reality, I've been scheming up this concept for months.

And I couldn't be happier with the outcome:

The desk, shelving, office chair and filing cabinet behind the couch were all new purchases from IKEA. And a big THANK YOU to my dad for helping in putting this all together. Seriously, without his expertise with all things tool-related, this project would have been weeks -- not days -- in the making! (as you can see, the room is a hit with Daisy too!)

I'm a big fan of bold-colored accents, like the "Keep Calm and Carry On" poster I purchased from this Etsy seller. Have I mentioned how much I love Etsy? I haven't devoted a blot post yet to the amazing finds I recently bought on there, but it's coming!

All the bright pillows (and colorful rug) were gifted to Nick and I from his parents and siblings for a wedding shower before we got married. They've been in this room for the past 2 years, but only now do I feel like they really pull the whole room together.

Finally, a closer look at one of the coolest work spaces I've ever seen (obviously I'm pretty biased ;)

Until now, our computer sat on a desk in one of the closets in this room and with all the time I was spending there, I was starting to get a bit claustrophobic in the space. Now I am giddy over the size of this desk and all the room I have to edit and have fun on our new Mac.

A final decorating note: The wire-hanging contraption above the desk was another ($14!) IKEA purchase. I love it now, but in the process of putting it together, I wanted to scream. I spent (no joke) 45 minutes trying to screw one end of it together, eventually resorting to trying and pound it together on the floor with a hammer. Nick came home from work and in four seconds had the job done. "Gail," he said, "it's reverse-threaded. Did you try screwing it together the opposite way?"

Despite the sass behind that question, I still gave him the biggest kiss in the world for getting the job done! HA!