create a home office

Monday when it was raining (hoo-ray!!!!) I spent the whole day cleaning and re-arranging my closets and storage areas. I’ve now got room to stash the few things I’m bringing home from the office, and I’ve figured out what will stay here in the city and what will go to the country. It will take at least two trips to the country, so a pile of things will have to be kept in the corner during the winter this year, but I can live with that. I’ve also continued to clean out stuff at the office. I registered more books with BookCrossing (not done yet) and then will give them to this organization we have arranged with to take them away. I went to IKEA on a scouting expedition on Sunday. I’ve decided to put my money into at least two of their wardrobes in order to store some clothes, some books and my dolls that I have from my childhood. The I’m going to buy a fairly inexpensive desk for the work computer, and the computer desk you saw in the picture will become the TV cabinet. Next up, getting a couple of guy friends who have already volunteered to help me move all the present furniture around. Then shopping with another friend who owns a station wagon with room for the new furniture.

We had a clutter clearing day at work on Friday and I got rid of a lot of stuff. I’ve got everything mostly ready to move when I have room at my place.

I have been checking out my place now, and found to my dismay, that there is no phone jack in the place you see pictured, so I can’t make my office there. There are two jacks, one in the kitchen and one in the living room. So the office will have to go into the living room. But this will mean a total furniture and function re-do. I an envision a plan that will work. But it will take WORK as well as some money for a different kind of desk and a new bookcase. Well, an excuse to shop at IKEA is always good.

I’m thinking that I could easily become a real slob by working at home. I think I’m going to make some rules for myself so that I don’t. I think I will say that sweatshirts and tee shirts may only be worn on Saturdays or Sundays. I think I will make myself wear nice clothes every day. I will make myself wear jewelry too, but probably not shoes unless I go out…which I will need to make myself do too.

I will be working out of my home for the better part of the next two years because our building is being closed down for total renovation. About half of us will be tele-commuting. At first I thought I would only have room for my laptop like I use now, but I looked around and decided I could make an official desk. This is an actual desk I got at IKEA last year but I’ve been using it as storage. What I will need is a bookshelf that will go next to the file cabinet where the stuff is piled up right now. That stuff is some books and my old dolls that will go into said bookshelf. In the middle of the room are boxes. This is stuff that will get transported to my country home. I’ll do that over fall break. It’s all stuff I got from Mom’s place that is mostly family memorabilia that I want to end up in my permanent home in the country. I decided I can fit it into one car load.

They are being very helpful at work about this move. They are providing all the boxes we need and say they will move all the heavy stuff. Somebody will come to our homes to set up the computers. They want us to take anything we want from our offices. They say those things will just have to get stored if we don’t take them so we might as well take them. I’m hard pressed to imagine some of my past employers having such an attitude. Others would say things like, “how can we trust that you won’t just steal our desks, chairs, file cabinets?” I’m going to take my desk top computer and my Aeron chair and that should be all I need.

people are wondering now if we’ll want to return to the office again once we’re used to not being there. Maybe we won’t want to! We’ll see. Meanwhile I signed up to be an early adapter, one who wil get all set up while we still have the building so we can find out some of the problems that need to be solved. I can’t wait.

This goal will go on hold for the summer, but I hope it will be done by November at the latest.

I changed my mind about this too. Don’t want a home office for what I’m going to be doing now…So my boyfriend and I cleaned out our file cabinet and desk to have it all organized. Its much much better.

I can tackle this idea on the weekend. I have a few ideas in mind, but I’m thinking a new desk might be the trick (:

I do not have an extra room to use. So my mission is to somehow create a small office within my living and dining room. I’d like to start school and look into my business within the next 6 months, so I really want and need this. Luckily, I have a pretty large space to work with. I’m thinking shelving, room dividers…I have a few ideas (: I’ve been searching and reading on the internet for tips as well.

All done and it’s lovely. Spent the day cleaning up, putting light fixtures back up, putting up curtain rods, putting up blinds, ironing and putting up curtains, hanging paintings, moving stuff into the room, etc., etc., etc.

I love my new office. Will post pictures soon.

I thought I was done! But in the light of morning I could see that there were all these tiny little bits of lint or something in the ceiling paint. It was a warm day, so I did have the windows open the other day. Little bits of something must have blown in and stuck to the wet paint. I just spent an hour sanding down the ceiling and now I’ll have to run the roller over it again after lunch. With the windows CLOSED this time.