So, for those following the renovation journey, the task this weekend is to get ready to lay our hardwood floors in our second floor. One this gig – the floors, doors and trim – is done upstairs, our interior renovations will be 95% done. There are still small projects here and there, but nothing substantial. Do these and we have FINALLY found the finish line.
And that got me thinking… .
Now, if you were my husband, you would have groaned by now. Evidently, me having thoughts gives him PTSD. I’d like to say it wasn’t justified, but let’s be honest: this is learned behavior. While the outcome of all my thoughts has generally been excellent, it’s the amount of work it took to get to those outcomes that drives him crazy. But this time? No fears on his part. He has no obligation to the job. This one is all on me.
You see, I’m ready to close down my office. Specifically, I’m ready to turn my office back into a guest room. I believe I can find a way to keep a small desk in there for when I need to do video calls, but generally, I don’t even work in the office anymore. Further, I don’t want an office – it places an over-emphasis on my work life and candidly, that’s just not where my head is anymore. Finally, that space is completely underutilized. Turn it back into a guest room and it becomes more functional. Particularly for those nights when I can’t sleep, being able to be my restless self in an upstairs guest room will be much better than tromping all the way downstairs to the downstairs guest room. Plus, let’s face it: I’m old and an upstairs guest room keeps me closer to the bathroom.
So, while my husband is blissfully unaware of my planning, I’m on a mission to make things right in my office. But this time? I want it to look good on a budget. I’m setting a $1,000 threshold to make it happen.
Now before you think I’m nuts, I should point out that there is a super high-quality futon already in that room. My husband purchased it long before me and it actually has a full mattress on it – not a futon mattress. It’s also solid wood. So, while I do still intend to put a box spring on the platform, mainly to give a little more height to the futon, it’s easily transformable into a nice looking full-sized bed and that will save me no small amount of money. Next on my list is a dresser. I don’t want the room to become over-filled with furniture, so I really want a small-sized dresser. Nothing huge and something that can double as a night-stand of sorts on one side of the bed. What I’m really looking forward to here? Extra storage. I can dedicate one drawer to linens and the remainder to overflow clothes. Now, there are two sources for said small-sized dresser. My preferred source? Facebook marketplace. You can get some amazing deals there. My second source? Pottery Barn Kids. The furniture tends to be high-quality and a lot less expensive than regular Pottery Barn. Plus, it’s smaller sized, which is what I need. My target price is $500. Let’s see how realistic that is.
As for the rest? Since I’ll be spending most of my $1,000 budget on a dresser, there isn’t going to be a whole lot leftover for accoutrements. I’ll likely re-use my desk and use one of my dining chairs as the desk chair (I currently have a Herman Miller chair that I’m not a big fan of – go figure!) I repainted the room when I made it an office and I’m still happy with the color so that can stay as well. I’d like to get new bedding and possibly an inexpensive night stand for the other side of the bed. Depending on how I thrift and bargain shop, I may also be able to throw in an area rug.
But in the end? I want the space to feel calm, comfortable and like a retreat. What I don’t want is it to feel like a bed was thrown into my office. To that end, it may be a whole lot less about what I put in but what I take out. The Pottery Barn rolling file cart? Out. The litter box? Out (and put in the nook by the landing, where it belongs). The broken floor lamp? Out. The cheap particle board stand with wicker baskets? Out. The hanging portrait of Darryl and me on our wedding day? Out. (If anyone else stays in that room, it would just be creepy.) And all of the extra stuff that has been cluttering up the closet? Purged, purged, purged. When I get done, I want those shelves to be 50% utilized and for the items that had been there to be largely out of this house – not shuffled into some other space.
In the end, that room needs to be as durable as it is calm, because let’s face it, the cats are going to go in there as well (their feeders will still be in there). But, it can be a whole lot more functional and attractive. And that’s what I’m going for here.
It’s time, baby. Time to really commit to all of the things I want for our lives: family focused, laid back and generally content and calm lifestyle. The office – even as it once served as a symbol of my new life – has become an artifact of my professional life that I’m ready to shed. And getting there – if I can stick to my budget – will not break the bank.
The Yuppie Homesteader 