Happy New Year, Friends! I hope you had a pleasant holiday season. Ours was nice and simple. We stayed home, as we always do. The kids called and FaceTimed throughout the holiday break, which was nice. I always enjoy any time that I get to spend with them — either in person, online, or on the phone. They’re hilarious. Even when they’re roasting me {which is often}.
MY HOME OFFICE
I also spent a bit of time rearranging my home office. I’ve been wanting a space that I could use as both an office and reading area, while accommodating Bleu and Lola.
When you enter through the back door of our house {the door we use most often}, there’s a small room that we’ve used alternately as a drop point and dog room that I decided to take over. In any other house, this space would be considered a mud room, because there are doors to the laundry room, backyard, and carport, which leaves very little wall space {or electrical sockets}.
Originally, I had my desk facing the window and the word chair was in our living room. I decided to push my desk up against the wall {which puts my back to the doors exiting the house}, to give myself room for the chair and side table.
The wall color is a cozy brown, which was the color of the entire house when we bought it. We ended up painting the walls in the other part of the house a creamy beige, but left the brown in this room. I like it, but I’m thinking about adding temporary wallpaper on the wall where my desk is. I’d also like to swap out the shelf for something a little less intrusive. And maybe in a different color.
Because the dogs still use this space as their bedroom, I had to find a way to accommodate them. Prior to moving the furniture around, we had their crates set up for them to use. They took up a lot of room and weren’t really used by the dogs unless it was thundering, so I removed them and placed their beds by and under my desk. They like being up under my feet and would sleep under my desk even before I relocated their beds, so this made sense.
From my desk or the chair, I can see the dining room and the kitchen. I also get a nice flood of light from the giant windows. And, yes, I’m a dual monitor person. It takes up a lot of space, but it makes working so much easier.
Just a different view of my shelf, loaded with a bunch of odds and ends.
MY READING NOOK
Directly behind my office area is my reading nook.
The chair was one of those lucky finds. We were out window shopping when I saw the chair in a showroom and had to check it out. It has words like “cafe” and “photography” written on it in various fonts; it had to come home with us. Bonus: it’s a recliner.
My plan is to crochet a cozy throw to keep on the back of the chair for when I really want to hunker down with a good audiobook.
The end table holds a container of pens and a doll {gift from my mom}. At some point, I’ll find another place for the doll because, well, that ain’t it.
MY HOME OFFICE & READING NOOK
When I started putting the room together, I didn’t want to spend any money. Or, at least, not a lot of money. And, so far, I’ve been able to curate furniture and decorative pieces from other rooms in the house.
I’m thinking about putting up a bookshelf on this wall, but since I mostly read and review audiobooks, I can hold off on that for now.
The sofa table is both functional and decorative. I needed a place for us to drop items without them ending up on my chair or desk. It also makes a great show space for my cameras and lenses.
The door in the back leads to the carport, while the door with the tote leads to our laundry room/pantry.
I added a few plants, real and faux, for a little bit of color. I’d love to have more plants in this space, but I’m not good with plants. I love them but they fail to thrive in my care.
Overall, I’m really happy with the way this space turned out. In time, I’ll add a few more things to up the cozy factor.
If you’d like to see my inspiration room, click here.
BOOKISH THINGS
Goodreads – Click here to see what I’m currently reading and/or listening to.
NetGalley Professional Reader – I receive free ARCs from NetGalley to review on my blog and share on Instagram.
Reese’s Book Club: The Shelf Life – Subscribe to Reese’s Book Club newsletter and find out about all sorts of fun bookish finds, such as comfy pillows, bookmarks, scented candles, and more.
THANK YOU
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Thanks for reading,
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