i’m loving this month’s lonny magazine and this was one of my favorite features — the small studio apartment of matthew kowles, general manager of charlotte moss’ interior design firm. by layering a piece of glass over a family heirloom desk from his grandfather, matthew re-purposed a fairly basic looking desk creating an amazing conversation piece and catch-all for his collections. i love the unexpected industrial-looking metal sawhorse legs supporting the glass over the desk, and leaving that great little space for books and collectibles. then, to entertain he pulls the glass top and sawhorse legs out and into the center of the room to repurpose as a dining table. genuis!

• photos by patrick cline for lonny.

Atelier is the French word for ‘workshop’, and in English is used principally for the workshop of an artist in the fine or decorative arts. so many of us work at home these days, or have at the very least carved out a little niche for ourselves where we might sit and aspire to greatness, whether it’s designing your next blog post, or a sofa slipcover or perhaps writing the next great novel. i found some inspiring spaces that might just help you along. even if it’s just a desk with a pretty chair or two like this atelier from rum, we all need a special spot we can call our own.

love the idea of the old mattress coils as organizer, via boligliv.

post it’s even look pretty on this gray wall, via nato welton; car möbel desk; and ledansla’s beauitful workspace and inspiration wall.

this space has such an eclectic mix of industrial chic and mid-century modern, via a beautiful living.

lovely looking industrial task lights in the studio of lisa grue via dos family.

pretty counter space you could achieve with two files cabinets as base, vie karlsson & uddare.

a stairwell makes a cozy desk space, via hus & hem; erin scott’s re-purposed door and sawhorses, via design*sponge.

another great use of sawhorses as desk base, photographed by Chris Warnes for Country Style Australia, via coasters retreat.