Space To Work In

jessica rogers

So you may have noticed that I’ve missed doing my Exploring the Ordinary feature the past couple of weeks.  I do apologize for this and feel a bit of guilt for letting it slide, but I’ve been stressed about a number of things lately and apparently something had to give.  I will get back to it though, I promise!  (Now that I’ve promised, I kinda have to don’t I?)

Well, instead of going on about what’s been missed let me show you what I’ve been busy with these past few days.  In an effort to make our shared office space better for both of us, my husband and I did a kind of overhaul with the room.  (This has also had the effect of starting to clear my head, so I feel a bit more energetic about getting work done!)  We live in a two bedroom house and have converted our second bedroom into a shared office space.  For a while now, we’ve been making do with the small room and all our things stuffed in there.  But my brilliant husband came up with a plan of action and we rolled up our sleeves and got to work changing the room this weekend.  Had I the foresight of doing this blog post I would have taken ‘before’ pictures, so only those of you that have been to our house will know what it looked like before.  Everyone else will have to be content with the ‘after’ shots!  (Click on the photos to see a larger version, just be sure to hit the “back” button on your browser since it won’t open a new window)

 This is my husband’s side.  Can you guess what one of his favorite things in the world is?  (Hint: look at the top shelf!)

 Installing the shelves here were the biggest part of the project, but they definitely helped open up the room!

We’ve even got a better location for the printer now.  (It used to be stuffed in the corner by the windows.  But what made the printer so special that it got to hog all the sunshine?)  There’s even a perfect little spot for me to set my laptop next to it when I’m using it.
The space in between…(our two spaces that is)

This bookshelf is some shared real estate, but it definitely needs a bit more work.  Eventually I’d like to use some of this space to keep items I’m selling in my Etsy shop, matting materials, and shipping materials.  Maybe some of my fabric arts materials, too.  (Oh, dear!  My hubby might have to fight for his territory here…either that or we’ll need a bigger book shelf!)
And here is my half of the room.  I’ve had the shelves for a few months now, but I keep rearranging things periodically as I use the space.  I’ve got plans to add some sort of board on the wall to the left of the short shelf where I can hang often-used tools, a calendar and/or to-do lists and so on.

Now that the room has been rearranged (my husband’s desk and filing cabinet used to be along the wall to the left) I have easier access to the windows.  That corner is one of the best spots in the house for natural light and I can’t wait to try out a new mini-studio for set up shots!

 
 Here’s a closer look at my work table.  That’s my sewing machine and light table hiding under some covers I made myself.  And of course I’ve got my inspiration board on the wall full of photos from our travels and some favorite quotes.
And lest all this organization fool you into thinking I’m a highly tidy person here is my next project: my desk!  (Is that my plate from lunch still on my desk!?!)
 

See?  I’m a scattered/cluttered artist too!  (And there’s more mess hiding in the drawers, ugh.)  I do try to keep things neat, but the little gnomes I hired don’t seem to be doing their job!  (P.S. Yes, that is a photo I took above the desk)

What does your home office/studio look like?  I’d love to see what you’ve got set up (always looking for better ways of organizing my work space!).  If you do a blog post about it let me know by leaving a comment and I’ll link to your blog!

7 Comments

  1. laura evans/photography

    thanks for sharing your work space … i too share with my husband & really you should see the mess we have. My work station seems to end up being the general dumping ground in out house. oh & the beer bottle … i feel ya!!

  2. andrea

    this looks so nice! i can't wait to have my own office area (i currently still live at home with my parents). and everything is kind of scattered between my bedroom, the computer room downstairs that we all share, the printer that i use for my photos that is still at someone else's house, and my mom's store where i sell my photos. i can't wait to have it all in one place.

    ps. i LOVE that giant photo above the desk! that is beyond awesome! if you're able to print it that way again, you should offer it in your shop!

  3. Jessica

    Laura – Oh the bottles! That's not even where the fascination stops – this last summer he started brewing at home! But it's good beer and keeps him busy so I don't mind at all. :)

    Andrea – I totally understand! This is actually the closest I've ever had to my own studio. Sharing the room isn't bad – especially now that we've improved the room, but I still dream of a single space all to my own! :)

  7. Pam of Always Artistic

    Your shared space looks great now! lol I think most of us have a desk like yours, cluttered and messy, I know I do. I clean it up once in a while and then can't find anything!

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