By Sabrina Cardoso, Style Editor

Hey Marjorie Gals!

Do you work in an office setting? Do you find normal desk sets to be too boring, industrial or just not fit your vintage lifestyle? Here are a few tips how to add a vintage flair to your workspace.

For wall decorations find a few vintage inspired postcards, some art work or even greeting cards. Halloween is my favorite celebration so I found a few greeting cards that I keep up year round. One is a Victorian inspired black cat in a jack-o-lantern and I think this year I will add a Victorian Christmas card or maybe some Gibson girl art.

I also have a post card that is an Alphonse Mucha painting from 1896 entitled Biscuits Lefevre-Utile. Museum gift shops often have post cards of artwork, I purchased this one from the Legion of Honor in San Francisco. I also have a wooden plaque hanging in my cubicle with a quote from Coco Chanel written upon it.

When it was time to purchase receptacles for my pens, paperclips and my desk trays, I didn’t want the basic desk set. I did order my desk trays from Office Depot. Office Depot has a collection called See Jane Work, which is a more feminine brand of desk supplies. Not all of the sets have that vintage look to them. I was fortunate enough to find desk trays in pink and grey with a Victorian pattern. Currently, they have a black and white floral pattern that is very elegant. For my other receptacles I bought vintage glass pieces. I chose Carnival glass since I love the opal sheen that the colors have. The paper clip bowl is a blue, iridescent candy dish and my larger clips are kept in a floral, golden compote bowl. For my pens, I decided an amber sugar bowl from the 70’s. I even have a steam punk inspired kitty fan for when I get too warm.

Whether you are at work in an office or in your home office, you can create a vintage setting with just a few, inexpensive pieces. Have fun creating an inspiring work space!

California native Sabrina Cardoso has dressed for almost every century with her wide knowledge of historical fashions and participations in period reenactments (you can find her starring as Mary Fleming, cousin of the Queen and head lady-in-waiting across many local Scottish Guild events). She also runs Timeless Elegance, an insightful Facebook Page featuring historical archives on beauty and fashion.