The (Not-so) Great Home Office Makeover
Lately, I’ve been thinking I need a space of my own.
When I started writing about five years ago, I chose to work in the dining room―which gave me an excellent view out the front of the house and of the backyard―so I could keep an eye on my boys when they played outside. It’s worked pretty well, except that I have to clean up all of my folders, books and papers (ie. junk) whenever we have guests.
I also have no place to hang writing-related memorabilia or inspiration boards for my work in progress. And I’ve got an award or two I picked up as an unpublished writer hidden in a drawer somewhere.
Since the boys are older now and I no longer need to keep as close an eye on them (at least not when they play outside), I’d like a place to shelve my research books and favorite things, while also centralizing my writing tools and needs in one place.
Luckily, we’ve got a study that pretty much no one uses. It’s the place sports equipment is dropped and old instruments go to gather dust. The book shelves are a mish-mash of old children’s books and other books that are not really keepers.
A key part of the makeover is budget…as in, I don’t really have one. So this is going to have to be a thrifty redesign. Remember that old HGTV show, Design on a Dime? That’s kind of what I’m going for here.
To start, I went in search of a deal at an antiques place near where I live. The shop has an annual “Ground Hog Day Sale” where I’ve managed to find some treasures over the years. This time, I came away with a couple of great finds, including a black painted wood desk with nice clean lines. And the price tag? An amazing $69. Sold!
My next big question is what to do about the shelving unit. It was a freebie when we moved into the house and looks much better in pictures than it does in real life. Should I paint it black and keep it or is it time to start scouring Craig’s List for a nice set of shelves? Decisions, decisions…