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New year, new office

Writing Life11 Comments

GwensOfficeBlue

I got a new office!

I wasn’t supposed to get an office, but then my husband decided to paint our older son’s room in preparation for our possible move this summer (more on that when we get orders). After spending a few nights in the guest room (an old master suite), my son asked if he could stay. He’s only going to be with us until August—then he’s off to college, sniff, sniff—so we said yes.

His younger brother, Taz, is handling it admirably since he’ll get the queen bed after WileE moves out, and the whole room if we stay. 😉

My old office was actually a corner of our oversized—thanks to the previous owners’ addition—master suite. Now instead of staring at my bed, clean laundry that needs folded, and the side of my neighbor’s house, I have a view of trees and the street through two windows, and a room all to myself.

Not the ocean view I aspire to, but an improvement for sure.

I love the blue color—good for creativity!—and the fact that I don’t have to worry about interruptions now that I’m not in a multi-purpose room. Plus, I used to sometimes avoid spending time at my desk because I was getting sick of working and sleeping in the same place. No more (unless you catch me napping on the carpet).

Anyway, we’ll probably be downsizing and I may be back to sharing if we move this summer, but for now, I’m enjoying my new space.

What would your ideal office look like?

My Ideal Office: Missing the SLO Life

Writing Life

When I was in grad school at Cal Poly in San Luis Obispo, CA (or SLO, pronounced “slow” by the locals), one of the things I loved about the campus was all of the outdoor nooks and crannies where I could hole up and study while surrounded by trees and plants. The weather was spectacular year-round, and I took every opportunity to be outside.

What a great environment for writing! If I could, I'd tote my MacBook and a sack lunch to Cal Poly–or nearby Shell Beach!–every day and write for hours. Unfortunately, I'm a few thousand miles away, but, the longing got me thinking about my ideal office. I came up with a short list of things my perfect writing space would have.

  1. Lots of light, but no glare (maybe even a sky light)
  2. Plenty of greenery, both inside and out
  3. Lots of windows to let in the light, the breeze, and the view
  4. A great view, preferably with some water in it
  5. A desk at the perfect height for typing on a laptop
  6. A comfortable office chair
  7. A cozy chair for curling up to read, or taking a break from the desk (I like the one-and-a-half-sized armchairs)
  8. Large dry erase and magnet boards
  9. A tall bookshelf

I'm sure I could go on, but I really should start working on my book…

What would your ideal workspace be like?

P.S. My site's header photo is from a spot in Shell Beach (one of my favorites in the world) just below Spyglass Park.  You can tell I took the photo in winter because the mountains are green instead of yellow.