Today as I was dusting and tidying up the office, I realized it’s been a long time since I shared any photos of this room. Not a lot has changed in here, but I thought it would be fun to post a little tour of this space where I spend so much of my time.
Pssst: To view other rooms in my home, click on the category “Home Tours” at the top of the blog, then click “My Nest” where you’ll find links to every room. Click on any room in that list, and you’ll find quite a few posts there sharing pics or projects in that particular room.
Next to my living room, I think my office may be my favorite room in my home. I spend a lot of time in this space and it fits me like a well-loved sweater. It never feels like “work” when I’m in this space, probably because I do so many non-work related things here like watching movies, working a puzzle and reading a favorite book.
The one thing I don’t do in here is watch TV. I just ditched cable TV a few weeks ago after my cable bill went up, yet again. I finally realized it was nuts to pay for something I was watching maybe 10 minutes a day, and some days, not at all.
Have I missed it? Not one bit–kicking myself for not disconnecting it a long time ago! Loving Acorn TV, though! If you have Acorn TV, check out Agatha Raisin…such a fun mystery series! I just recently read they are filming a second series/edition, so we’ll get to see more of Agatha’s antics very soon. lol
As you can see in the photo below, the desk space that’s normally open in front of the windows, is currently occupied by a large puzzle board. I’ve placed another one of THESE wood floor/chair mats down so when I’m done working on a puzzle, I can just roll back over to my desk to check email or work on a new blog post.
The puzzle board doesn’t stay up all the time, just when I’m working on a puzzle. It’s easy to close back down to place the cover on top whenever I need to move it out of the way, or I’ve finished a puzzle. I love how it tilts and is adjustable to several different heights. Often I’ll stand to work a puzzle if I’ve already been sitting a lot that day. This puzzle board is available here: Puzzle Board.
If you walked into the office and looked to your left, you’d find a cozy reading corner. The door in the photo below leads to a closet since this was once a bedroom.
It’s a small walk-in closet that I was just able to squeeze (and I do mean SQUEEZE) an Ikea Expedit into. (Read more about that here: An Expedit Miracle.” This pic is from when it was first installed. Now all the shelves are filled with craft stuff, camera supplies and other office-type stuff.
Back out in the office in this little reading corner, you’ll find a small chest that’s the perfect height to place beside a chair or bed. I dreamed this chest up in my head when I first converted this office from a child’s bedroom to a home office. I had just about given up hope of ever finding it when I stumbled across it here: Chest. That was one happy day because it was exactly what I had imagined for this spot. It offers so much great storage and is so well made, even has dove-tailed drawers as shown in this previous post: Another Piece of the Puzzle.
Alongside the chest, I have a floral chair that gives this space some cozy cottage vibes. Home offices can feel so sterile sometimes, so I loved adding a bit of floral and ruffles to make the room feel more cozy and relaxing.
The vintage dress form was a find while antiquing over 20 years ago. It used to live in the guest room, but I moved it to the office to add a bit more playfulness to this room.
The vintage, wood hat rack that’s hiding under all the hats was a find on Etsy. I love keeping summer hats here above my travel bucket-list map because they often accompany me when I travel. The one with the navy-blue bow…
…kept the hot Moroccan sun at bay during a ride through the Sahara Desert.
The one with the white bow traveled all through Egypt with me. Hats are a blessing in hot, sunny climates!
A month or so after I returned from Germany, I realized I had never scratched that country off my travel map. I should have been able to scratch off France, too–but all I saw of France when I pulled my achy, flu-ridden body from the bed and pulled back the curtains in my cabin, was the dock we had pulled up alongside. Technically, I’ve been to France, but I’m not scratching it off until I’ve really strolled its lovely streets.
Here’s what was hiding under Germany when I scratched it off. I just realized I need to scratch off the rest of the gray part down one side of Italy because that’s just water. Funny the things you don’t see in person, but notice in a photo! This travel map is still available here: Travel Map.
Following on around the room, this wall holds a gift-wrapping station, purchased from Pottery Barn when I was first furnishing the office.
I’ve really enjoyed having it here. In addition to wrapping paper, it holds ribbon, gift bags, and greeting/birthday cards.
You can see it here at Pottery Barn, but it appears it may not be currently available: Gift Wrap Organizer.
Alongside the wrapping paper organizer, you’ll find this sweet girl. I found her while antiquing, though she isn’t an antique. I later discovered she’s a Santos. I just love her sweet face. I like to think she’s keeping watch over me as I work each day. ♥
Beneath the gift wrapping center, I have a well-used charging station. I don’t know what I’d do without it, it always in use. In an earlier photo in this post, you may have noticed I was charging my iPad and Kindle.
It’s also where I charge my Fitbit, Go-Pro, a couple of Bluetooth speakers and the headphones I use for listening to Audible books while vacuuming. I didn’t have a Fitbit until a few weeks ago. When I discovered they had come out with a pink one, I was hooked. I like how it tracks the number of steps you take each day, even how much time you spend in each of the various sleep stages at night. I purchased my pink one here: Fitbit. If you’re in need of a charging station, you’ll find one similar to mine, here: Charging Station.
The bulletin board was looking pretty messy before I took these photos. This post gave me a good excuse to go through everything and clear off all the stuff that no longer needed to be there. I promise it’s not normally this bare, or this neat! I found this board greatly reduced in a Ballard Designs outlet several years ago.
On the other side of my desk, you’ll find two silly frogs holding up a few books. The frogs are from Pier 1 several years ago. The orange book is Bringing Home the Birkin by Michael Tonello. It’s engaging, funny, shocking, inspiring, and a tale of survival.
In the book, Michael shares his crazy adventure of moving to another country (Barcelona) for a great job opportunity, only to have the job vanish right after he signs a year-long lease on an apartment. Yikes! What he does next is life-changing and takes him on a hilarious, wild journey. Once I started the book, I couldn’t put it down. Check out the reviews here for more information: Bringing Home The Birkin.
Just on the other side of the books, you’ll find the castle lamp I ordered while touring Belleek Pottery during a trip to Ireland.
To the right of the lamp is where I currently have a puzzle board set up.
As mentioned, it’s super convenient having it here since I can just roll right over when I’m in the mood to work a puzzle. Love doing that while listening to music, a podcast, or an Audible book. Sooo relaxing! The just-finished puzzle that’s currently still on the board is available here: Puzzle.
On the last wall, you’ll find my little decorating library that’s bursting at the seams. Before long I’ll need to cull through and donate some books to make way for new faves.
Snapped this photo this evening after it had gotten dark outside. I love this little office, and though it almost killed me to take apart my son’s old room when I created it, I’ve loved every moment I’ve spent here.
Which is your favorite room in your home? Do you have a favorite spot for reading or relaxing?
What a great place to work! Since you enjoy puzzles, have you ever checked out jigidi.com? Great online puzzle site (I love the european scenery ones) with different size and themes, and you can save your puzzle and work on it at your convenience.
No, but thanks for the tip, Jae…will check them out!
Susan, my favorite room in my house changes from time to time as I add a piece of furniture or change the rooms up in some way. Right now we are making our son’s bedroom into a guest room and I am loving the results! (I removed the surfing wallpaper and surfer border and was very sad to see it go. 🙁 The room held so many memories). We pulled up the carpet, my husband put down hardwood floors and painted the walls a very light grey color. We purchased a beautiful antique Eastlake bedroom suite; the pieces are really lovely. The dresser has a marble top and I have a pitcher and bowl on the washstand. We have an antique secretary with a bookcase and an antique shelf clock that I am trying to decide on where it will look best in the room. I have a dress form with a Victorian dress on it and an antique sewing rocker that had belonged to my husband’s great grandmother. Putting the finishing touches on the room will be so much fun!
I love your Santos (doll?). In fact I loved it when you posted it quite a long time ago and went on a search for one. I settled on a reproduction of her. She had been in my family room, but when we started working on the bedroom makeover I knew that she would be right at home on the dresser in there.
I really like the puzzle board! I don’t work on puzzles at home, but when my family gets together at the lake we always have a puzzle going. They take up a lot of space and the puzzle board would really come in handy around mealtime!
Thank you for showing us around your office. You have such a lovely room and so cozy. I would feel very much at home there too!
Thanks, Ann! Your guest room sounds wonderful, Ann! I know, what you mean, I found it so hard to make all the changes to convert my son’s room in my home office.
My Santos is a reproduction, I’m pretty sure. I found it in an antique shop but all the all the antique shops here carry a mix of antique, vintage and new things, so I’m guessing it’s not antique.
Your office is wonderful, Susan!
May I assume that you work from home?
If so, what a blessing!
Thanks for sharing this lovely space.
Thanks, Tammy! I do, I blog full-time now. Here’s a link to an old post sharing what I was doing before I retired to work from home: https://betweennapsontheporch.net/for-the-past-two-years-ive-been-leading-a-double-life/
Susan, I had no idea you worked as a protective case manager for adults. That takes a very special, strong, brave, and patient person. I’ve always enjoyed your blog, but until today, you were someone who had a nice house and created fun tablescapes. You have clearly earned your retirement, and my respect for you is on a much different level now. Life well lived Susan!
Wow. Just wow! I’m so glad you are here with us today!
Scary stuff. Thank you for sharing that with me. Like you,
I much prefer (for you) your ‘new job’, lol.
My office could surely use some help. Every time I get it organized, I write something new or bring in a pile of papers to organize again. Now tax nonsense is everywhere and I have decided to add more descriptives to my novel. It is also about Spain and Barcelona. Yikes! We have our puppy’s playpen full of toys in there as well. Every time I go to the store I can’t resist buying him a new toy. I am hopeless. I will eventually be organized again ……one of these days……
Nancy, that sounds like my office. I get it tided up but it never stays that way for too long. Aww, that sounds so sweet. 🙂
Susan, I enjoyed your office tour immensely . You are so organized! It has to be a fantastic feeling. [I can only imagine]. Love your travel board, how fun to be reminded of each trip. What is Acorn TV?
Thanks, Deborah! It’s a channel you can watch online that shows a lot of fun British shows. Wikipedia describes it as, “an American subscription streaming service offering television programming from the United Kingdom, as well as Ireland, Canada, Australia, and New Zealand.”
It’s only $50 for a full year, so very reasonable. You can see it here: https://acorn.tv/
Ooooh…thanks for that link. UK programme addicts can also check out Britbox, which advertises it is the largest streaming collection ever:
https://www.britbox.com/us/?utm_source=bbccom_hp_module&utm_campaign=intro_bb1&utm_medium=banner
That’s easy…my favorite room is old Stube off the entry of the Alpine house we are re-constructing. It has porcelain marble floors, oak-panel walls and ceilings, oak cabinetry all ’round, and a huge green-tiled wood-burning Kachelofen that takes up the entire corner. Bench seating around a custom oak table for 12 lets you sit with your back against the warm oven tiles on a snowy day, with down pillows piled high. It’s decorated with vintage ski posters, fox pelt, and an array of chamois and rehbock trophies on carved plaques. It’s one of the few rooms we’ve actually finished (well, almost…it needs new curtains lol).
Beatrice, your room sounds wonderful! Where do you live? We have friends and family in Germany, France and Switzerland. Some of them have rooms much like the one you described. We have spent some wonderful times around their table having coffee and cake, enjoying the warmth from oven tiles!
One of three places–the Montafon (Austria), Switzerland, and coastal Florida. Too bad we can’t post pix here…
It sounds wonderful! And it sounds like you have the best of both worlds! God Bless and…ENJOY!
I hate Comcast I signed a contract so they would not go up and low and behold they did due to taxes, What a bad company….Did you have their triple service? What is Acorn TV? Love your office.
Yes, they called it the Triple Play. I didn’t want it since it included a home phone and I have no desire to have a home phone, but it was a cheaper than just having TV and internet by itself. That’s another thing that’s wrong with phone companies, forcing subscribers to take services they do not want to save cost. They always do that…put you in a plan that expires 6 months or a year later, then you have to sit down and call them when they hike the price back up. Thankfully things are changing and we now have so many more choices! I watch so very little TV, it just wasn’t worth it. I have not missed it at all! There are tons of articles online detailing how so many people have ditched cable TV. Like me, they were tired of paying such ridiculous prices and are now getting their news and programming elsewhere. If you Google a phrase like “how many people still have cable TV” you’ll find a bunch of articles on the topic sharing the the huge numbers of people who have “cut the cord” and ditched cable TV…it’s in the millions! Apparently, people are canceling cable at a much fast rate than the cable companies ever expected.
We had the choice in our new apartment of Comcast or “Senior TV” ( we are in a wonderful retirement community). Senior TV gives us all we need, more that we need, really…with our cable, phone and internet bundled it is less than half the cost of Comcast. Don’t miss Comcast at all !
I am so jealous at how organized it is!
I don’t know why, but I crave organization! lol I get so excited when I find a way to “organize” anything! It’s a disease! lol Thanks, Rose!
The prettiest and classiest office ever! Now, come decorate mine! Seriously!
You have such wonderful taste.
What part of France will you visit? Most say Paris, I’m thinking you will have something else in mine, maybe?!
Really enjoyed viewing your office, it looks wonderful…I took my sons room after he left home and converted it to my little sitting/ tv room. It’s small but cozy…I read there, watch tv and view my iPad with my big orange cat Ollie,he loves to stretch out on the loveseat and snooze. Thanks again for the tour…
I love your office. We are building a new home and I will have a library with a cozy reading chair in it like yours. Can’t wait. I love Acorn TV also. I have had that for about two years now. After Agatha Raisin (I enjoyed that too) try ‘Detectorists’. I got a kick out of that show on Acorn. How fun, a new Agatha Raisin! I will keep my eyes open for her.
I do love your office, Susan. My office is also a converted bedroom, but I’ve left it such that it could still easily be a BR (daybed that can fold out, closet storing my clothes). The one thing I absolutely love is 3 windows, and my desk positioned such that I have a perfect view of the river and street goings on…..
My favorite place for vegging out is my sunroom…all seasons. I love decorating it, reading in it, and having easy access to the kitchen and garden from it.
Such a well-planned office with both work areas and comfy spots. We need a new office chair so will review your chair adventure posts. Your Peleton can’t be far, so you have the total mind/body exercise experience in one area.
Such a lovely space! Other than your blogging, what do you do for work?
There would be a good business for you organizing the hopelessly unorganized like me. I just read what you used to do before you quit the job dealing with the mentally ill, alcoholics and drug addicts. March 20 I will be celebrating 44 years of continuous sobriety and believe me, I know how blessed I am compared to those who couldn’t or wouldn’t grasp the chance to get well. I have seen some of the horrors but was also lucky enough to see the successes. I’m glad you made your house such a place of beauty and share it with all of us.
We are also contemplating ditching cable TV. It seem like we always watch Netflix or Acorn TV anyway and it’s just silly to keep paying for something we don’t use much. I love Acorn TV! I’ve had it for several years and have watched many TV series and movies. Well worth the subscription price.
Great post…thank you for the tips! Since we downsized our spare bedroom is our guest room/office/craft area. We have a bed for guests, a nice wing back reading chair, a desk with computer and charging station(my Kindle Fire has the same cover as yours!), book shelves, and an old tall entertainment center that houses the printer, a tv, and has great storage. This room opens into a great guest bath through a pocket door, then from there into a HUGE walk in closet through another pocket door. The closet is large enough to hold my sewing table(small) with the sewing machine on it, storage shelves, and if need be it can accommodate a small roll out single bed! Your post was perfect timing because we just had our first stay overnight guest and more are on the way…time for me to tweak some of the things in the guest room and give the closet a purge! Thanks for all the great posts!
Hi Susan, your office is a great space.
I love Ashley Jensen (Agatha Raisin) she is so adorable and I was so sad for her to hear about her husband. She was great as the dummy in Extras. I had tried reading the books and didn’t care for the ‘real’ Agatha, but Ashley makes her bearable. The village she lives in is so adorable, and with her is Matthew Horne, who was in Gavin and Stacy, and Katy Wix has been in … everything, Not Going Out, Miranda, etc. I particularly love Bill and DCI Wilkes. Such cute and funny characters.
I completely agree about cable. We still have it for my husband’s beloved sports, but I virtually never watch t.v. If I’m watching something, it’s probably an English programme on a free streaming site.
Oops, I’ve been meaning to ask — any progress on your “Someday Library?” I love the plans you have for it and I know how much you’ll enjoy it.
Susan, your office is such a functional and fun space! I loved all your past how-you-set -up-the-office posts that had so much great information–like the charger station how-to and such. I have several rooms I really enjoy. When I want to be off by myself, though, it has to be our fox hunt room that’s on the third floor (actually a second family room). It’s a big room with an alcove that works as my office and also has seating areas for relaxing with a good book– it’s very quiet up there. The room has a big walk-in closet for easy access to lots of books and our family photo albums. I’ve never watched TV up there as it’s the place where I just want to feel totally relaxed. When we first viewed this house, I immediately fell in love with this room. Michael said he’d probably never use this hidden away space, but I saw it as my girly fortress. Afternoon makes it a bright, sunny area that’s perfect for reading. The only thing missing is a fireplace, but that will have to wait until we do other projects first. Hugs!
Hi – thought I posted but the snow here must have captured the comment. I love your office and how you use the space. I noticed we have the same covers for our kindles…easy to spot when you are looking for it. In our new downsized life we have a spare bedroom that we use for guest room/office/crafts/reading….and everything else. Lucky enough that there is room for a double bed, nightstands, bookshelf, nice, comfy wing back chair by the window for reading, desk, and a tall tv cabinet piece that we have had for years. It is perfect now for holding the printer, a small tv, and gives great storage. This room opens through a pocket door to a nice sized vanity area( with a pocket door there to the tub/toilet area) and at the other end a door to a BIG walk in closet. The floor plan for this apartment shows the closet as being even bigger that ours is, but our apartment was ADA compliant so the bathroom is roomier for a wheel chair. It is a nice touch as we all get older and gives a lot of room for guests when they are using the room. The closet holds my sewing table, some shelves, and storage. It is large enough that (if I ever get it organized and cleaned out of things I am not yet sure where to go with) there is room for a fold out single bed in case we ever get a lot of company. So far the room has been used only once for an overnight and my friend proclaimed it perfect…quiet and comfortable. More guests coming next week, so your post came at the perfect time to get things spruced up and a bit more organized. Thank you for all your great posts that help us make the most out of our homes!
Hi Susan
My favorite spot in my house, is my craft room/office. I work on my cross stitch and can easily maneuver over to get the phone etc.
Certainly not as spacious as yours, but it is my sanctuary.
Hi Susan!
Thanks for the detailed look into your lovely office. Every time I see your castle lamp I’m reminded that I must have one! (Lucky for me, Ireland and Scotland are on our travel list for next year!)
One quick question: I love your needlepoint bee pillow that sits on your chair in the corner. Do you remember where you purchased it?
Thanks for all your great posts. I look forward to each and every one!
Thanks so much, Nancy! I found the bee pillow in the local Ballard Design outlet several years ago. They used to have them available online for 2-3 years, but not sure if they still carry them now. I love the castle lamp so I can definitely recommend it. They have several different styles of lamps in their gift shop, it was hard choosing because I loved them all. But since the tour I took was a castle tour where we were staying in castle every night, the castle lamp stole my heart. ♥
Your office is an absolute delight!! AND, all those comments about ACORN…this “might” be just what I needed to hear to get OUT of Direct TV…I mostly just watch PBS for the British programs anyway….hmmm…franki
I love everything about your room! We turned a 3rd bedroom into a man cave for my husband (i.e. Miss Neat Freak doesn’t have to look at his mess!). But I sure would love my own room. We watch almost nothing but Acorn… I open my mouth and fully expect to hear a British accent instead of my Southern drawl!!
Hi Susan! Your office has always resonated with me. I love yellow rooms, and yours is so bright and cheerful. I have 2 of those Pier1 chairs! Love them! I love your bee pillow and your tole chandelier, too! I have always wanted a tole chandelier – just haven’t found the right one, yet. I’m without an office at the moment, but re-thinking an underused room on our main level. Your office and your porch are my faves!
Susan, I love your blog—& your wonderful home! My happy room is my laundry room—lol! It has black & white buffalo check wallpaper with a border of roosters strutting as lions, zebras & leopards—& a wine rack. Fun little room! If you donate those books, please let me know & I will be driving fast to purchase some! Thx for sharing your life with us.
Love your home office! #decoratinggoals!!!
Very proud of you Susan. I read your post on your former career and my heart went out to you. I was in Human Resources for 26 years, dealing with hiring, disciplinary issues, payroll, benefits, safety, and many people issues for a very fast paced automotive company. The daily challenges and long hours 7 am until 5 or even 6 pm were exhausting, but thank God I never had to deal with rats and animal feces and the other horrible things you mentioned. When my husband’s stroke hit and I knew I would take early retirement, I too was ready to say good-bye to my job. I had worked for a great company and had many wonderful friends who were like family, but I was ready for the change. This last year has had it’s challenges as caregiver and helping hubby with his recovery, but I am thrilled with being able to enjoy my home and yard more, without the worry of the dreaded “Monday is coming” deadline that plaques a person throughout the weekend who is still working. Your office is lovely, a real inspiration. I am working on mine and it’s coming along, but as you said it can get a bit messy faster than I like and I have to work at it again. Good news though, I have completed my closet! Whew, that was a job. Now to finish the storage bins in the basement. The clock is ticking, I’ve given myself a deadline of the end of March. I’d better get rocking! Lol Appreciate you so much! Hugs!
Thanks, Cyndi! I know Human Resources can be very challenging…all the personal issues that crop up with employees and their families. Those are some long hours you were working!
I hope your hubby is doing better with each passing day. He is one lucky guy to have you helping him through it all! What a blessing!
That’s awesome about your closet…that feels so good to get that done. I remember how nice it was when I revamped the closet where I keep my winter clothes and boots. I’ve got to force myself to get rid of some of the summer clothes I never wear anymore. It’s so hard to part with things, but it sure is nice once it’s done…so much easier to find what you really need/wear. Good luck with that basement! I’m working on taxes this month…I’ll trade you! 😉
Pretty room!! I apologize if I missed this, but what size room are you working with? I know we always want more room but this looks very workable and not cramped.
I enjoy your posts.
Thank you!!
The room isn’t very big…it’s around 11-1/2 by 13 feet. It’s worked out great as an office though. Thanks, Dawn!
I also took a small bedroom and made it my “office” for sewing and card making. Just an organized mess of this and that furnishings with a futon for extra sleeping space when every one returns home at the same time. Nothing like yours though. I may have to invest in a day bed with built in storage! Many thanks for the inspiration.
I really love the ingenuity, practicality, and charm of your home office. Could you give me the room dimensions so that I can work out if something similar would be practical for me?
Hi Susan! I am really checking out your charging station. The cords on our kitchen counter are a real pet peeve of mine. So, do you have 2 cords coming out of each hole? Also, I am intrigued by the cords themselves. They look sturdier and are color coded. How did you do that? I like be everything about your office!
Delphine
Yup, I have so many things to charge, I have two coming from each opening. In the back of the charging unit, there’s a power strip for things that need to be plugged in, and also one of these:
http://amzn.to/2FC0s0T . That way I have two methods for charging things (Outlet or USB)
I buy the cord labels at The Container Store. They have them online here: https://www.containerstore.com/s/office/cable-management/flexible-cable-labels/12d?productId=10019508
I love them because they don’t fall off and don’t catch on thing. I also use them to label all the cables for all the equipment I have here in the office.
I love your office best. Light and cheery. If you decide not to donate the decor books, I could sure use a few as I only have a couple and you really need an array. You keep inspiring me to want to travel out of the states especially to Ireland. I would love it if you would do a post on if I did it again what would I change and cover the various travels in the past year. Carol
That desk! Where did it come from? It’s exactly what I’m looking for.