New Spaces

Even though our home and property isn't blessed with a lot of yard space, we have almost an overabundance of interior living space. Because of this, it was rather easy to just shove excess stuff into a small room off the living room. The room had been used as an office by the previous owners, and they had even left their old metal desk and a shelving unit they cobbled together using old desk-particle board materials.

On and off, I've said I would like to use this smaller space for my own office. Matt has overwhelmingly claimed the upstairs office for all his online RPG pursuits. I find it rather hard to keep track of stuff up there even though we do have a couple filing cabinets in the closet. Last week, I got the promise from Matt to carry items out of the office and put them in the attic for storage or the basement, where they will be eventually shipped outside for that elusive garage sale.

So it began on Friday night. Here is a before picture I took while sitting on the floor of the closet that's accessed by going through the little room.

















After I moved everything I wanted out of the office into our living room, I began unscrewing the bolts that held together shelves. I would have kept them if they didn't look so shoddy. Plus, they were built in a way that kept me from opening the desk drawers.
















On Saturday, Matt carried out the heavier stuff like the treadmill and the old shelves. I sat under the metal desk to take this picture of the cleared space.
















The cool part about reclaiming this room is that it took care of some issues in other rooms. I moved a bookcase we had in the dining room into the new office and was able to give some books a new home. They had been scattered over various places in the house before because we couldn't keep them on the shelves in the dog's room. Well, we could but Buddy and Zak have occasionally shown their displeasure with us when we were busy and not home a lot by destroying several paperbacks and a few hardcovers.
















Sunday, I made some "final" touches by hanging some curtains (sheers because it's a dark room), moving some files to the desk, arranged desk supplies, and arranged some decorative pieces. One of my favorite things on my desk that I've never had a place for before is a wicker/woven lamp that my dad made. I needed something that gave off some additional light, and it has a cool, retro look.

As I sit at the desk and type this, my dogs are laying under the desk and behind me. A couple candles are lit to my right, their flickering light being caught in the reflection of a stained glass mirror on my left that needs to be hung. I have a wool blanket covering my legs because there is a little draft from the window behind the desk that looks out into our enclosed porch. Earlier today, it was a joy to re-write my news stories and look at the snow blowing outside.

A final note on the clutter that had occupied the place I'm now sitting, the treadmill remains in this room, but pushed into the far corner. I'd really like to make that corner my violin practice space. Anyone with means to haul away a heavy piece of fitness equipment want a treadmill for a reasonable price?