So, I’ve finally gotten around to redecorating my office from being a disorganized drab room into a place where I can be productive. As someone who works from home, four days a week, this is essential for my sanity.
I actually have two desks: one for work and one for play. My office is in the basement of our house in the “fourth bedroom.” I use the term loosely because to be counted as a bedroom, there must be a closet and a window for emergency egress. The closet rod was barely hanging on to the horrendously installed drywall screws. The window is too high, too small, and I’m not convinced it opens. First order of business when I set the room up was get rid of the closet doors followed by lightly tapping the closet bar and letting it come clattering out of the wall on its own. I moved my desk in, set up my workstation and largely left it at that the past two years.
When the husband and I were getting hitched, I made up a seat assignment board out of steel sheeting, spray painted one of our wedding colors and accented with ribbon. They never saw the light of day because 1) We had no place to stand them up at the reception and 2) It was so hot the day we got married, the hot glue holding on the ribbons, melted and wouldn’t stick to the sheeting. Because of this, I was determined to repurpose them. Or purpose them, I guess, since they never saw their original destiny take form. They are now the backdrop behind my computers where I can put notes to myself or keep information I always need but haven’t committed to memory. And they are magnetic! I have lots of magnets. It’s the little things that amuse me most.
Last but not least for this round are the shelves in the closet. None too fancy shelves from IKEA, drywall screws properly installed with a suitable weight limit and I was good to go. Let’s just gloss over the fact that those shelves have been languishing in the basement for 3 months while I goofed off in my spare time playing video games. (along with the lights I need to install on either side of my desk to give me more light in the space…) I needed a place for my work notebooks, programming, books, and assorted other bits of documentation that I will need when working. One might say I have an unhealthy relationship with flat surfaces, so, I was bound to say “hell yes” to some shelves. That they are level and didn’t fall out of the wall the second I put books on them is a feat enough to make me giddy.
Not pictured are:
- my papasan on the other side of the room, usually occupied by Felix, my older cat
- gate leg craft table with drawers in the center console
- Expedit 4×4 bookshelf on the adjacent wall cluttered up with craft things, old papers and other various flotsam
- plastic craft drawers for yarn, fabric, and various crafty jetsam (to go with the flotsam, you see)
The room is still pretty messy, but it’s coming together, slowly but surely. I have mad dreams of taking out all the ceiling tiles in the basement and seeing what is up there fully exposed and properly lit. You should know, my dreams are usually terrifying. So far, I’m pretty happy.
