Kim Johnson is one half of Desire to Inspire - a blog packed to the brim with great interiors. She and fellow blogger, Australian Jo Walker, have never actually met. They came together on Flickr and “well that was that. Desire to Inspire was born.” It’s a picture- heavy global tour of chic homes that attracts people from all over the world. Kim, who is a web programmer based in Ottawa, Canada, talks with us about blogging from her home.

What does an average work day look like for you? The majority of my day is spent in a cubicle while I am at my day job as a web developper for the Canadian government. Not very exciting. But then I get to come home and spend my evenings working on the interior design blog I share with Jo, who lives in Australia. That involves answering reader emails, conversing via email with advertisers, collecting photos for a post to be published the following day, and hopefully finding a bit of time to make dinner, check out other blogs, and relax a bit before the day ends. Then it all starts again (at 5 am). My workspace is pretty small; a room at the back of my house that is 11’x10’, with a rather large powder room taking up a quarter of the space.

What technology really works for you? Being surrounded by technology all day, I am inspired by the simple things that get the job done quick. My pink (I loooove pink) Dell laptop is a god send. It is fast and super handy. I often move it into the kitchen where I sit at the dining table and while working I can watch the TV in the living room (and keep an eye out on my 7 cats).

Do you have a favorite desk accessory? The only desk accessory I really need is my whiteboard. I have a marker obsession so I love keeping track of everything (blog advertising, grocery lists, Home Depot lists) on my whiteboard.

What makes your home office work well? Organizing a home work space is essential. Disorganization = stress. No one needs more stress in their lives. So I am always on the hunt for fun vintage metal baskets, storage furniture, trays for stray papers…whatever I need to have a space for every single thing that enters my office.

What do you listen to while you work? Sadly I find I am too preoccupied with other things to find decent music to listen to. I often turn to my digital cable box for help, where I set it to one of the “hit list” radio stations.

1. A Desert Fete This funny, sparse blog always make me smile. Jamie lives in San Diego and has been blogging since mid-2008. Reminds me of life before kids and I like that. Where to start: Her post on hanging a branch above her bed made me laugh…mostly because I’ve done the same thing but it was a date palm branch.

2. Unclutterer Not to lose focus, lets get back to workspaces and our work lives. Unclutterer of the best organizer’s sites I’ve come across. Inspiring and informative without being dull and preachy. Plus it’s well designed. Look out for an interview with the editor, Erin Doland, next week. Where to start: I like the productivity posts…but that’s just me.

3. We Love Stop-Motion I know I just tried to bring the focus back but sometimes we need a break. Some might call it procrastination but a 3 minute time out is often al that’s needed to get through the next part of the day. Where to start: Please watch Her Morning Elegance. It’s lovely.

4. Design to Inspire Edited by two women who have never met but share a great eye for interiors and a passion for design. This blog never fails to offer up new and exciting work. They recently redesigned (it needed it!) and now the cleaner palette lets all those great images shine. Where to start: Try their Flickr round-up of work spaces.

5. IKEA Hacker It’s ugly ugly ugly but the amazing ingenuity of some of the hacks are amazing. There really are some very clever ideas here. Plus it has been going since 2006 which is a lifetime in the blogging world. I like that tenacity. Where to start: The pencil holder made from those lovely wooden IKEA pencils.