The Write Space - Part 3
Let me start with an apology. I planned to do a full reveal of my new writing office today. I dreamed about showing you a beautiful space, fully finished and furnished. But, the carpeting process (ordering, shipping, installing) took a little longer than I thought, and the massive L’shaped desk couldn’t even be un-boxed until the carpet was in. Sooo, this blog post is me punting.
The leader of my writing group recently challenged us to write entertaining descriptions of a favorite item of clothing, as if it would appear in a catalog. I thought it would be fun to experiment with this exercise and apply to the items I’ve chosen to place in my office. If nothing else, my description skills were given a workout! Hopefully I’ll be able to entertain you as well as give you a preview of the room via my décor choices.
So without further adieux… here are the trinkets and doodads furniture and décor, I have selected to fill my lovely, literary space.
Austere Antique Trunk, in questionable condition
No, this trunk didn’t come from Hogwarts (although that would be wicked cool!); it came from the convent. Once upon a time, it carried a young nun’s worldly possessions. But once at the convent, travel became less of a necessity, and therefore she no longer needed the massive two foot deep, newspaper lined trunk. Though the brass is a bit tarnished and the original leather straps are disintegrating, this hundred-year-old trunk will be a beautiful addition to my office space. Dually purposed to hold my stock of books and also act as a table between two sitting chairs, it will be both functional and stylish. I am thrilled to have commandeered this piece of furniture back from my children who have, for the past 5 years, been using it to hold every sphere-shaped object in our home. (purchased from St. Rose Convent Auction Sale in 1996, for $25)
Mood Altering Floor Covering
According to MyDomaine.com “Red affects the body, blue affects the mind, yellow affects self-confidence, and green affects the balance between mind, body, and emotions.” Well this rug has it all, and I can’t wait to see what stories I create with this fun, bright, mood altering, zany rug as the center focal point of my office. With stripes thickly woven in a chevron pattern, it is sure to be pleasing to the foot as well as the eye. (gifted to me by a friend, free) http://www.mydomaine.com/paint-colors-and-creativity If you want to buy it, you can find it here. https://www.amazon.com/Safavieh-Nantucket-Collection-Handmade-Abstract/dp/B00CNAJ3GC
Polished Wood Tray
The perfect resting place for mugs of coffee, or home to a small vase of flowers, this sleek tray is embellished with silver handles and beautiful triangle inlays of ivory colored wood. (purchased at TJMaxx Home Goods, $17.99)
Glitter and Gold, All’s Well That’s Spelled Well
These linguistic wall accents are enough to make any word nerd happy… for oh-so-many reasons. Measuring in at 8”, these wooden letters are covered in gold glitter, easy to install and bring geek-chic to a whole new level. Who wouldn’t want to monogram their office? (purchased at Hobby Lobby for 50% off, $2.50 each)
A Story with a View
This bright conversation piece started as a shabby, brown paint-peeling, window. Found sitting on the third floor of a small town, Sells-It-All shop, I saw it for the diamond in the rough it truly was. My investments in this wall hanging included $10 for the window (glass included!), a left over paint sample from my basement, and pages torn from books bought from the second hand bookstore ($13)… and voila!
Dreamy Swivel Chairs in White (that my children will never be allowed to sit on)
Worth the splurge, these chairs are the final furniture contribution to my creativity cove. Supportive of my lower back and my future collaborative meetings, these chairs are pure perfection, upholstered in white linen. After opening a TJMaxx rewards card and showing the sales person the massive crack on the back leg (which my ever-handy-father is repairing as we speak), I saved $140. I love these chairs and can’t wait for you to drop by and visit, so we can have a big ol’ chat while sitting in them. (Home Goods, $299 each/pre-discounts)
The remaining items…
The white framed, vertical picture holder was purchased at Michael’s, on sale during their new location’s grand opening sale, for the bargain price of $20.
Painted Stone Utensil Holders (Hobby Lobby, $4.99 each)
Lamp, including shade that matches chair fabric to perfection (Goodwill, $3.99)
Assortment of colorful candles, books, and trinkets (gifts from friends!) (I am so loved!)
So there you have it. Just under $600 of furniture and décor, ready, and waiting, waiting, waiting… to make my writing oasis a bit more beautiful. As I said before, I was REALLY hoping to introduce you to these treasures fully installed in their new home, but alas, it is not so. Projects always take longer than intended, and this room is no exception. This will have to tide you (and me) over until next week.