Pottery Barn has nothin' on me!

This was almost 2 1/2 years in the making.  Well, in my head, that is.  This summer I finally took the plunge and bought the bedford desks from PB to outfit our little nook upstairs. AT LAST!!!!  The dining room table won't be homework & coloring central for the big and little monkeys (just in time to move...the way Murphy's Law works sometimes I guess).  There's two work stations and eventually, when I can resurrect my laptop, there will be two computers.  From PB, I bought:

• one 70" rectangular desktop, 
• one small desk with the legs, 
• a CPU cabinet, and 
• a three-drawer file cabinet.  (I do get a 40% discount, folks....so PB is economical for me neener neener).

I didn't want to buy another cabinet to support the other end of the desk, so instead I installed a cleat to the wall all around the 70" desktop to support it and this is how it all fits my space:  Custom look for a lot less! (believe me, I priced out a few custom sets from Home Depot & Lowes).

I LOVE the PBT style tile system, but not the price.  SO, I designed and made my own...for $150 with the input of Bray, Kenz, and Mons.  It's 3x4 feet...and the kids have put it to good use.

Each tile is 12" square.  So Bray, Kenz, and Mons each have:

• 1 magnet board
  
• 1 white board
  
• 1 peg board
  
• 1 cork board.
  

I didn't want chalk dust, but it would have been easy to spray some backing board with chalk spray.

Each of them helped me pick out some heavy-weight fabric for their cork boards.  I had Home Depot cut backing board & pegboard into 12x12" squares for me, as well as a 4x3 foot piece of backing board, which I screwed into the wall. I also picked out some molding to frame this whole board out at HD and mitered the edges (did I mention I LOVE TOOLS??).  I assembled each square and backed it with a square of backing board, with the exception of the pegboard, which got two 1x12" strips of backing board on the top & bottom of the back to allow for a voided space for peg hanging.  Then each finished 12x12 piece was attached to the main 4x3 foot board with industrial strength velcro.  How handy!~My new friend.

The magnet board (galvanized sheet metal) came in a 4x3 foot sheet.  I bought tin snips for $10 and cut the metal sheet into 12x12" squares.  Because the edges were quite sharp, I wrapped electrical tape around the edges to avoid another ouchie to my fingers.  I then mod-podged the front of the tin and laid a piece of 12x12" scrapbook paper on top (covering the tape), then smoothed it down adding another layer of mod-podge to secure it and preserve the paper.  I used industrial strength velcro to secure it to the 12x12" backing board.  Walaa!  A custom magnetic surface with some panache!

I bought the cork board online in 12x12 sheets, then backed it with backing board using liquid nails.  I then centered the front of the board on a 14" square piece of decorator fabric and used my power stapler to secure the fabric around both boards.   

I bought this dry erase paint from Home Depot and painted three 12x12 backer boards with the white board paint.  I did find 12x12" dry erase squares online...all different colors for $8 each.  What a deal compared to PBT's $29, but the company must have gone under because they took my money...TWICE and never sent the product.    Gheesh...people these days.

I then cut and backed the molding with my handy velcro...attached it, then painted it and look how great this command center is!  I sing a song  and move with a hop in my step everytime I pass by my beloved little nook.  I know you want one...so now, go make your own! I've included a video tutorial I found for the copycat PB style tile board just in case what I say is gibberish and you really want to make one. (You have to watch a plug for the Huntsman Cancer Institute first cause KSL says so).