This might be one of my favorite posts so far...and unexpectedly so, because I wasn't planning on tidying the office today.
When we moved in, I surrendered the office to my husband and kids. The master plan was to use it for John's game collection and a place for a second computer. And storage.
Over the past six months, it has turned into a dumping ground catch-all, family IT department and film sound stage...but there was nowhere to move! (Sounds familiar!!!)
I had some inspiration to clean out the office today...oh how I wish I snapped a before shot! The room is transformed! I forgot how big it is. The inspiration to clean it out stemmed from the idea I would be moving my nail table into the office to make more room for my sewing machine in the flop room.
During staycation, I finished a quilting project. I've pieced quilt tops, but have never made a quilt sandwich with binding from start to finish. I have aspired to do so, and completing this quilting project birthday gift, I felt inspired to do a real quilt. Sarah loves to use the sewing machine as she feels inspired for various projects. I think she'll do even more sewing with the sewing machine out (it's home has been the master bedroom, but no one likes to go all the way back there away from the family activity center that is the flop room, kitchen and office just to sew...and it is a major deal to get out the cutting mat and iron, it would be nice to centrally locate all of those things).
I had the sewing machine by the nail table and the cutting mat and ironing board on the bar in the kitchen. I've been debating learning longarm quilting by taking a class at my local quilt shop, but when I boiled it all down, it made so much more sense to somehow figure out how to do it on my own sewing machine. So I set to work to figure it out and figure it out I did! In order to make it comfortable and efficient, I need to add a small table to the left and back of my sewing machine to support the weight of the quilt or blanket and thus the need to move some things around. So I was thinking if I moved the nail table to the office (there's a perfect spot), then I could create a sewing corner that could be easily accessed anytime I could carve out some time for quilting. And it would be accessible to Sarah anytime she was inspired...and it might even inspire her just being out!
Since cleaning up from my quilt project, I've been wanting to find a place to keep the cutting mat (it has been living on the bar making it unusable for kitcheny things). Previously, it's been squished into a closet since we moved and really needs a good home. Once the office counters were cleaned off (I pushed through dealing with a big stack of frames and random stuff from moving) I noticed the second computer bay (which doesn't have a keyboard tray) would be ideal for the cutting mat. And then noticing a nice space for the ironing board to live (I fetched it from behind the master bedroom door) I realized I had a nice permanent cutting and ironing area (how EXCITING is THAT!?). So the idea to move the sewing machine (instead of the nail table) into the office made me realize how convenient it would be to have everything "sew" close!
I actually feel like I have my own sewing room now! I love that the tile floor is easy to keep clean and is a perfect spot for basting my quilts! I can do it all in this room! There's plenty of light and plenty of room to store upcoming projects and the placement makes it super easy to cut and iron and sew all in a close space!
So that was unexpected, to turn the office into a sewing room (without really impacting the kids' activities which are using the second computer and making movies). I tucked the card table along the drawers used for long term storage so it can be set up anytime...and put away when not in use. The sewing area can be expanded for larger quilt projects by setting up some soon to be purchased 3' or 4' folding tables. My son has more space for using the small tv and album ripping turntable now that many old cords and various things have been stowed in drawers and cabinets. The room is USABLE! And my husband can still see and get to his beloved board games. Daniel wanted to put up some posters to liven up the wall-looks awesome! I love looking at the vintage Star Wars poster that's been rolled up for years. After going through the stack of frames, I remembered the birthday gift from my dear friend...and I found the perfect spot for it!
I love that Sarah will have a good five feet of counter space with a few drawers underneath for her crafting. I'm hoping she'll decide stash her glue gun in one of the drawers and use this space instead of the kitchen and dining room table...it would make our lives a bit more tidy if she would do that. If not, that's fine. But she could have a designated space if she wanted. And here we agonized over getting rid of the eight foot counters when we moved...this is so WAY MUCH BETTER! I know what is in every drawer and cupboard. And did I mention there's a few EMPTY cupboards and drawers!?
Even though we're in a new house, this space would probably translate as the sunroom in the old house. It's like having a FINAL TIDY in the sunroom! Fantastic!
What a fabulous feeling! I think I can say that "I know what I have and where it is" in the office! THAT really is freeing! Just thinking about this actually gives me butterflies and a tear in my eye...a tear of JOY!
FINAL TIDY COUNTDOWN:
Attic/Shed/Barn
TV Room
Laundry
Flop Room/Desk
Pantry
Master
Master Bath
Master Closet
Kitchen
Dining Room
Playroom
Main Bath
Fred
Dan's Room
Sarah's Room
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