After working at home for more than two years, I’ve got some experience under my belt when it comes to working and living in the same place.
Rule number 1: The recliner in the living room is not going to cut it.
My husband and I are lucky enough to have a beautiful 4-bedroom to ourselves (well, and the cats). So we each have our own dedicated office, which is an enormous blessing. When it’s time for me to “go to work” for the day, I literally enter a new room. At the end of the day, I get to close the door and resume my personal activities.
Today I’m giving you a peek into my sweet little work space. It’s undergone an overhaul recently, after my husband and I did some painting and swapped offices. It feels fresh and new, and this feels like a great time to welcome you in.
Here are some highlights to watch for around the room:
- Greens make everything better, don’t they? I have both fake ones and real ones in my office, including a jade plant that is perfect for my rather brown thumb—because it thrives on being starved then flooded. Which tends to be how I treat most houseplants these days.
- You won’t be surprised to see vintage treasures mixed in with new…if you’re curious where anything came from, just ask!
- The desk is situated in a corner so I can look out the left side and see the weather (and occasionally overhear neighborhood cats getting into tense confrontations) or turn to the right to see who’s coming in the door. I don’t know anything about Feng Shui, but I’m pretty sure that’s good, right?
- My yoga mat, cushion and workout things are stowed in the room for mid-day breaks. It’s a lovely thing, I’ve discovered, to have my work space share real estate with the place where I meditate, move and de-stress. It lends a more peaceful, contented quality when I walk into the room.
- You’ll notice the ONLY framed art in the room is non-noncommittally propped on ledges. This is because I am EXTREMELY twitchy about putting nail holes in the walls, because I’m just sure I’ll hang a piece at the wrong height, or want to change it two weeks later. If Jon would let me, there would be ledges all over the house so I could change my mind—and my artwork—at will. For now, I’ll just overdo it on ledges in this one room.
- I hung the curtains the morning of the photo shoot. If I had known how difficult it would be (plaster walls, plus a mysterious layer that was VERY hard to drill through…) I wouldn’t have attempted it…but in the end, it was worth the effort!
- The bulletin board might look familiar—it’s the one I made in this post. It came together super fast. I use it to keep pieces of inspiration, favorite pictures, important reminders and things that make me happy. One of my favorite quotes is in the upper right—”Happiness is a place between too little and too much.” (Finnish proverb)
- The wallpaper on my computer desktop is by Isabelle Menin, and I can’t get enough. I’ve put it on all my devices so this beauty literally follows me everywhere I go.
- The watercolor phrase to the left of the window—Good things happen to those who hustle—was a handmade gift from my dear friend Kate. It’s pretty amazing to have friends who are makers.
- Ten points if you can spot NFL player Jerry Rice in the room. :o)
Enough from me, let’s get to the tour!
Photos were taken by Erica Thibodeaux, my dear friend and talented real estate photographer. If you’re in the Winona area and need pro photos to sell your house or promote a rental/VRBO property, I’d highly recommend Erica! Visit her website here.
Click on an image to view at full-size.
