Home Office Update!

Last month I wrote about my journey towards creating the perfect home office space. 

And I’m just about there this month. 

So last time we checked in on this topic I was still out in the main room, using my window desk, but on the search for “my desk”. 

And I found it. 

On Craigslist, for $25. 

It was a clunky old desk, but it had the bones of what I wanted. 

After a morning of cutting it up, rearranging it’s parts and adding some new parts of my own, there it was. My desk.

I took off the cabinet that held up one side, chopped off one of the drawers that made up the other side, bought legs and angled plates to attach them, and my modern desk was born. 

It fits perfectly in that open space that was waiting for it in my back bedroom. 

The very same day I went in search of a chair, not expecting to find it. But then there it was sitting, unmarked at the thrift store. 

How much? I asked. 

Hmm, how about $10 she whispered back. 

Sold! I said. 

I still need to sew up a cover for the cushion (not too big into the pattern), but I’ll get around to that eventually. 

I grabbed my framed print of downtown that was living in my bathroom, along with the candle holder that was with it. 

And the finishing touch? 

An ethernet to thunderbolt adapter for my laptop. 

And we were in business. 

This is my space. 

This is where I go and feel that sense of, “this is where we work, Victoria.” 

And I couldn’t be happier. 

Not to mention I’ve spent less than $70 so far for all of it. 

Trying to Create the Perfect Home Office

When I started creating FemmeHead from my apartment I didn’t really care to have a space. I always just sat at the kitchen island because the stools were slightly uncomfortable, which helped keep me focused. 

You see, I can’t work from a couch or anywhere too cozy or my mind will slip into “Hey, I’m comfy, let’s watch some videos or some Netflix.” 

When you work from home you have to learn how to create a “work" environment that is separate from your “home” environment. 

I know what keeps me on track, and structured chairs are part of that. 

A few months ago I found myself in a work funk. The usual motivation I have for FemmeHead wasn’t there.

I was frustrated and confused. 

Then one day I realized, I need my own work space, I need a desk.

But where was I going to put a desk? I really didn’t have much space. Michael had a desk in the back bedroom that he used every now and then. But it was too clunky and the internet wasn’t strong back there. 

I wanted to be able to sit in front of one of our windows, which meant I needed a taller desk. 

So the next morning I went over the shop my mom works in and built myself a desk out of three scrap pieces of wood I had, that I’m fairly sure were one table sleeves (wood pieces that you slide into the middle of a table to extend it). 

I had a desk, but then my next issue was I didn’t have a chair/stool that was the right size. My solution was to take one our kitchen stools and put it up on blocks to raise it to the right height. 

And that’s what I’ve been using for the past few months. And it has been great to have a space to go to each morning, and for my mind to know, right here is where we work. 

But now I can feel that it’s time to graduate to a bigger work space. One that I can work in and film videos from. 

This has all come at kind of the perfect time. Michael just signed a lease on an office in the East Village (Des Moines, of course). This means he isn’t going to be working from the back bedroom, which means I can take that space over. 

Right before my birthday I went on a little decluttering spree in that room, went through it all, donated and moved quite a bit before finally rearranging the room so it was basically just a bed. 

So much room for activities. 

Not to mention an entire wall that opened up is just perfect for my little office corner. 

Now, comes the fun part, designing and decorating it. 

The first step is that I have to find a desk. But I’m not just going to buy a desk to have a desk.  

Nope, I’m an annoying conscious consumer. I’m only going to buy something that I absolutely love, and that can move spaces when the time comes. 

And I don’t want to spend a butt load of money. Seriously, why are desks so expensive? 

I’m going to hunt around town through the antique shops and such. I’ll know my desk when I see it. 

Once I find the desk then I can choose the perfect chair, and then I’ll have the necessary bones. 

From there I want some greenery, some prints or photos, and probably a spot to store my pens. 

Everything will have a place, and it won’t just sit on my desk like it all does now. 

Having a space to work from gives what you’re doing a certain amount of legitimacy that you don’t get from your kitchen counter or a coffeeshop bench.

And while I love the freedom I have to work from anywhere (I’m typing this on a plane ride from San Francisco to Portland at the moment) I know the structure of having my spot at home will do me a world of good. 

I also want to be able to film from that spot as well, which I already have started to. But at the moment it’s just a blank white wall. Clean, but kind of boring. 

As for the internet, Michael and I ran an ethernet cord through the ceiling all the way from the front room, so a simple adapter will give me lightening fast internet. It doesn’t get much better than that does it?

I can't wait for this process to continue, building my space as well as building my business. What a fun time it is to be alive, am I right?