It’s been over a year now that COVID-19 has altered our way of life. Despite the sadness, uncertainty and hardship there have been moments of beauty, joy and clarity. Much of that comes from how we have embraced, or at the very least, accepted this reality. We have turned challenges into opportunities and leaned into current global circumstances to envision and establish a new way of living (at home).
It should come as no surprise that many of us have transformed spaces in our homes and/or carved out quiet corners to work from home over the past year. With school/daycare and work happening in the same place, some type of physical boundaries were essential. Though every living situation is different, we’ve all had to do the best with what our space allowed. I’m guessing that by now you’ve got a rhythm. Your home has new found functionality and you’ve put a little love into areas you previously ignored. Maybe you got some new plants, switched out your bedding or bought a desk to make your home feel welcoming, fresh and practical since you are spending so much time there.
It’s been inspiring to see how resourceful people have become.
One significant change we made was transforming my daughters former shared bedroom into my office. We moved them into the garage. Just kidding. We gave up our guest room and moved them into separate rooms but that’s a whole other post. Back to me setting up a workspace. Talk about life-changing. File under things I should have done ages ago. I had become so accustomed to working at the dining table when my husband was physically at work and the girls were in school but with everyone being home I was getting pretty burnt out and super irritable amidst the flurry of movement and constant interruptions. “Mom, can you get me a snack?” I didn’t realize how desperately I needed my own space to be productive and simply retreat when I needed some peace and quiet.
The aforementioned changes gave me a chance to redecorate. Woot woot! I’m still working on the rooms but they are currently functional and inviting despite not being entirely finished.
I didn’t want my office to feel to cluttered so I decided to just use a streamlined desk from Ikea (Vittsjo) which looks light in the space and is really just a surface area for my laptop and a place to make jewelry. I purchased in black and spray painted it gold.
I kept one of the girl’s beds intact and restyled it to be a day bed where I can read or work if I’m feeling lounge-y. Also, if we have a solo visitor or an adult takes ill, we have a bed to sleep in. Similar beds below, which both have added trundle. Click images to shop.
The antique table was a gift from my parents years ago and I’ve struggled with where to keep it since it’s really not very functional. I decided to use if for display and to keep some books, props and papers. The Ikat “blanket” is actually a large tablecloth I have had for years #repurpose. I linked similar item below in addition to other similar products from the room. Click images to shop. Side note, I wish I had cleaned out under the daybed before I took pictures but the truth is I store stuff underneath the bed. Maybe it’s time to swap out the Target boxes for some legit storage containers?!
The orange suitcases were a total score from Homegoods. Nothing like a good Homegoods find! They are quite heavy and impractical for actual travel but they add a nice pop of color to the room and I use them for storage. They also happen to be the perfect height to act as a foot rest for my vintage tulip chair, you know, in case I need to prop my tootsies up. Here are a couple of options if you like the orange as much as I do.
I was lucky enough to find my set of tulip chairs on Craigslist. If you also want the real deal you can shop vintage on Etsy, Craigslist or mid-century modern furniture resale sites. Otherwise, reproductions at a lower price point are readily available.
SO… now I have an office / storage are / pseudo guest room / chill space / infirmary all in a 8′ x 10′ room. That’s pretty multifunctional!
At the point of publishing this, my kids are both still 100% distance learning. Many schools around the country have reopened at least partially which has taken things back towards normalcy for a lot of people. It will be interesting to see how our lifestyles evolve as things continue to open up. These space changes have been great for our family so we will plan on keeping this set up and then figure out what to do with guests when the time comes!
What changes have you made to your home in the past year? How have you leaned into the hardship of working from home with kids to create opportunities for yourself and your family? Are you single or living with someone? How have you adapted your space? Please share!
FIONA FINDS 