Does your home support your needs? One of the choices we faced when downsizing was the reality of much less space to support our lives inside the cottage.
We had consistently downsized from a family home
Then to our more modern new home when we first arrived in Oklahoma
To our little cottage, which is almost half the size of our modern home at 990 square feet.
Working from home professionally creates a need for dedicated space to work, write and engage online.Ongoing renovations keep having that space, a challenge.
Within a day of moving into the cottage this was my space.
A corner space that was in a bedroom that housed all of us for the first weeks. Not luxurious, no frills but got the job done.
The cottage has two bedrooms. When we moved in one looked like this
It wasn’t the space I dreamed of. My joy is light and lots of windows. This was neither.
Renovations mean reinventing so it wasn’t many months before another space emerged in the added on addition the previous owner had added as a dining room. We turned it into a bedroom and sitting area while the other 800 feet of the cottage was not habitable.
While it wasn’t a separate dedicated office room, it was a more comfortable room to gaze into, work within and enjoy.
Remember just weeks before it had been an abandoned cottage that had seen better times.
It’s amazing what paint and a clean surround will do for a space. Rolled flooring never made me happier. Clean, forgiving and fresh.
As the first two years of projects came to life the office moved five times. We decided to use one of the small bedrooms as the office, but it is often in dual mode use as a guest quarter, sitting room when Madi entertains, or a quiet space for me to write.
Its current configuration includes a wall hung desk area, a pull out sleeper loveseat and shelving to house my books.
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The room has new three door french doors and a view to the pastures and space in our yard.
Each project offers small inconveniences to my work week and flow …
Progress requires patience and allowing the messy to replace order
The light is so worth the inconveniences. Every.single.time. Even if it meant the flooring waited another 3 months.
How do I manage compact office space organization? I had to realize contained necessities mattered. An above shelf with pretty solid linen styled boxes with lids that hold needed items, staplers, stickers, papers. A standing wicker box table that doubles as hanging files hidden within.
shelves with a basket on each bottom shelf for printer paper storage.
little things that keep a 10×10 space feeling uncluttered.
Free hanging shelves to show freshly arrived client or friend’s published books. Plants to keep the space fresh and producing good air. A patio deck found on Marketplace to house a step into nature work space outside the doors and add much needed coffee space for clients and guests. Imperfect but working as we renovate. How do you manage small spaces?
Your adapting in small spaces and in the midst of construction zones is admirable, my friend! Love how you always make it your own.
Thank you friend, for me, finding a place to rest my eyes on something lovely matters.