Breaking out of the box
Sometimes you need to shake things up and do something that feels unnatural, and it ends up being the best thing you could have ever done.
In this case, I’m breaking out of the box.
The box being MY HOME OFFICE a.k.a. the world’s tiniest box.
Remember when it was pale pink and heavy on the Jennifer Aniston photos? Circa 2012/2013?
Then I gave it a makeover with some bright red paint (it was supposed to be super deep fushica but something must have went wrong, and I just rolled with it). The very talented Darling Husband built a huge custom L-shaped desk (which then morphed into a U-shaped desk because I needed ALL THE SPACE.)
And it was great …
Mostly …
Except, even when it was VERY clean, it was still intensely crowded and chaotic …
Meanwhile, look what was happening DIRECTLY outside of my home office.
A room that NEVER REALLY GOT USED.
It didn’t help that it was a playroom / family room / guest room / dump zone. It was so many things but STILL never got used.
The other day, I had an epiphany. Frustrated from walking THROUGH this huge room, multiple times a day, to get to my impossibly tiny, crowded office, I thought … what if we switched?
No! I couldn’t … could I?
I was sure Darling Husband would hate the idea. He hates unconventional ideas, like removing closet doors. He doesn’t like when I saw things like “So I had an idea …” or “I was thinking …” He literally groans and braces himself for the worst. It’s really quite insulting that he doesn’t trust my creative instincts after 18 years.*
(*Wow, we’re old.)
I knew there’d be a lot of questions, but I was prepared.
- “What about guests?” My old office will be a dedicated guest room! Like I’ve always wanted! This will be especially good because they’ll have their own door, rather than just the door at the top of the basement stairs. We’ll reuse the existing daybed except remove the back and re-do one of the end pieces as a headboard. The “guest room in a box” will also go in there.
- “What about the kids’ toys?” There aren’t many down here anymore. The Playmobil shelves will stay, but I’ll hang a curtain in front and use it as a photo/video backdrop. We’ll sell some of the larger things they don’t play with anymore (the kids readily agreed to this and have loved getting money). A few toys will be tucked into the guest room closet, and I see C going in there a lot to play dolls with the door shut. (She and her friends love doing that — they turn off all the lights and pretend it’s night, etc.)
- “What about the media cabinet?” It will stay — so will the TV. Then I get to watch TV while I sew, yipee!
- “What about the board game wall?” It’s had its moment. It will live in eternity on Pinterest, but it’s comin’ down!
When I mentioned my idea, Darling Husband listened silently to my little speech and then agreed it was a good one. Whaaaaaaat?
“You spend so much time in your office. You should have the bigger room.” <—- his exact words
Just two days later, this was happening …
It’s really happening!!!
The “main” part of the basement — soon to be my extra-huge, extra-amazing office — is currently a total freaking disaster BUT I’ve already got my desk set up (in a new Z-shaped configuration) and I’m working in the middle of the mess. It’s worth it because it’s going to be SO amazing.
More updates coming soon!
xo
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I’m very anxious for the big reveal! Exciting!
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