I don’t know what to call this room…
Wait, wait, yes I do. Ugly.
Okay, ugly may be a strong word. Disturbingly neutral may be a better phrase. Or perhaps “eye-twitchingly sevenites.” Either way, I feel like the fact that I haven’t touched this room for the last ten months– didn’t even remove those lacy curtains–shows that I am the pinnacle, the pinnacle, of self restraint.
Then, when I was supposed to be wrapping presents, this happened…
Actually, what happened was that I shifted a bunch of tables around for my Christmahanukkah party a few weeks ago, and in the process lost my computer workspace in the kitchen. So I’ve been floating my laptop to different spots around the house– kitchen counter, temporary dining room table, parlor couch, bedroom– and I hear some people do this often, but it drives me effing nuts. I am a creature of habit, and I need a dedicated workspace (complete with second monitor, full sized keyboard and mouse… it’s just how I roll.)
Which is how a number of projects for this room make it on to my current list.
And I finally decided it was time to get moving on in. This room will house both my “office” (i.e. desk, second monitor, printer, files, and general work related nonsense) and my “indoor workshop” (i.e. workbench, tools, supplies, inspiration, and general sawdust related nonsense.) In short, this will be a place where I create things– where I will make messes both physically and grammatically.
But first, I need to make messes with paint and wallpaper. However, I’m pretty sure my Christmas present from the house this year was that the wallpaper came of easily and in full sheets…
Of course I found what I thought was the one spot where the old wallpaper–shockingly, hunter green– hadn’t been removed, but upon closer inspection I realized that none of the old wallpaper had been removed, it was just primed over before the new stuff was put on.
And… I decided to just paint over it and leave it that way. There was a time where this would have been unfathomable to me, but the truth is that what I’m doing to this room right now is just a temporary fix for what will probably be a larger overhaul down the road, and I’d like to have a desk set up in there asap– which means not spending the next 6 weeks scraping god knows how many layers of wallpaper off in 1″ chunks and then skim-coating the walls.
Instead, I painted…
I’m seriously lamenting the fact that I didn’t just have the painters do the trim in this room while they were here, but I’m sure this is the kind of thing that builds character.
Another thing that builds character? Spending 20 minutes trying in vain to find the screwdriver that was just sitting right there so that you can remove a switchplate cover, and almost losing your shit before you remember you did this…
Yep. Fantastic.
Once I pulled myself together I finally got a good chunk of painting done.
Right now I’m using the same color combo as in the Parlor (BMoore’s OC-125 Moonlight White at 25% in Satin for the trim, and at 50% in Eggshell for the walls.)
I’m still a little shocked at how taken I am with big, white spaces, but it just feels right in this old farmhouse. Plus the walls in here are going to be filled with all kinds of fun, inspirational, and organizational stuff, which will give the space a ton of color.
One of my first projects will include these prints of my instagram photos…
And these Birds on a Wire clips from Urban Outfitters…
(Blackbirds are kind of my thing lately.)
So the Office/Indoor Workshop is going to be the project that carries me into the New Year… what about you guys?
22 Responses
Am I the only one who thinks sawdust and computers/monitors/printers don’t play well together?
No, you are not the only one. That was my first thought.
Me, too.
Me, too.
Me too.
Me four.
Me too!
I seriously appreciate the concern over my computer guys, but as the person who knows exactly what I plan on doing with that room and whether or not, say, a table saw, will be involved, trust me in that this baby will be fine. It gets dirtier in my kitchen than it ever will in my office.
I too like the white neutral spaces. I enjoyed your video very much.Your a gal of many talents and an inspiration.
I’m agreeing w/Elizabeth. Sawdust and electronics don’t mix well. Sort of like oil and water.
Surely somewhere in that big old house you have room to keep them seperate.
Loved the video w/the Christmas (?) carol. The lyrics were hilarious.
Ha! I love that you guys think that there’s a spot in my house right now that isn’t covered in sawdust. Or drywall dust. Or– a personal favorite– little bits of asphalt shingle. Everything in the house has become accustomed to it, and like me, the computer just doesn’t act right if it doesn’t get its daily fix.
Not that I’m going to be using the big tools actually inside the house, but I also don’t coddle anything I own. The computer will get dusty. It will be fine. I had it in the room with me playing music while I sanded down the parlor floors… the hardware on this thing will be out of date loooooong before it gets killed by construction debris. Unless I throw a hammer at it.
I see a new fashion trend for 2013 and it started right here. If only my hair was long enough for a screwdriver!
Your Christmas carol was the best! It was a bust out laughing moment – and not at your singing – you have a great voice 🙂
I am soooo soooo excited, Santa brought me a Ryobi tool set, cordless with it’s own carrying bag! Everyone told my husband he was nuts to get tools for the wife – but it was the.best.gift of the season. First up for the new year, reorganize my tool room and find them a place of honor, with enough room to add to my new collection 🙂
You inspire me to no end – thank you!
That is awesome Nancy! There is nothing like getting tools from Santa. Unless it’s playing with the tools you get from Santa!
I adored your video – made me snort-laugh! The office/shop is shaping up nicely. I am almost motivated to paint the hideously disfigured trim and walls in our new house…
The computer will be fine. My computer geek boyfriend just cringed, but given the current status of his work area, He needs to shut it!
So, did you tear off wallpaper before wrapping gifts?
White is drawing me as well. My living room and dining room are all open, and I am leaning toward painting it all a creamy white. This is one of about 53 things on my Great Home Improvement List, 2013 ed.
Haha. Thank you. I maybe overstated how much sawdust will be in that room (as in, not any more than in the rest of the house) because I didn’t realize anyone would be concerned over the well-being of my electronic equipment. Probably I shouldn’t mention how much paint is currently on my fancy camera…
Also, I totally did not use that wallpaper as wrapping paper, but I may have briefly thought about it!
Great Christmas song and you have a better voice than you say! I love white spaces, or at the least lots of white woodwork.
One of my best friends (who happens to work at HD) bought me a work bench for Christmas! Woohoo! Now to decrappify the basement so I can use it and not the dining room table…at least not all the time.
Now that’s an awesome present! (Very handy to have a friend at HD.) It never hurts to have a second workspace!
HA! I literally laughed out loud at the screwdriver in the hair. I do that crap all the time, except it’s usually back in my pocket or tool belt (hair’s a little short for your method).
On a sidenote, just discovered your blog and you’ve done some amazing work. As a guy going through a house reno it’s nice to know you have company in the fun and the misery that’s involved, haha.
You should have used the wallpaper as gift wrapping paper for your buddies who changed the To-Do-List, hahaha.
Your parlor is awesome. It’s such a fantastic space for an office and tools. No doubt you’ll have it looking awesome.
20 minutes looking for a tool isn’t that bad. At least you didn’t throw it across the room after finding it, or did you?
Who did you use to print the Instagram photos?
Love the blog, your exhausting work is my little getaway as I’m currently stuck in apartment mode. Paint/demolish/rewire something for the apartment-dweller-by-force, please!
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