Balance work and life – get inspired by my new home office and master closet to create spaces that work for you!
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Work-life balance isn’t easy, is it? Sometimes it makes me think of a teeter totter at a playground when the kid on one side weighs more than the kid on the other side. And no matter how hard the lighter child tries, she can’t keep her side from flying up into the air.
There are steps we can take to achieve better work-life balance. For me, part of that was having a dedicated work space at home. There were SO MANY times I hopped in my car and drove over to the Framed! Warehouse just to record a training video or go LIVE to do a box opening or to attend a remote meeting.
I knew those were all things I could do from home. The problem? I didn’t have a space to do them from.
There was the time I (kind of) famously went LIVE from my laundry room during a launch. I had just gotten back from a long weekend of watching my daughter play soccer. I was sweaty, sunburned, and exhausted. Getting back in the car and driving to the Warehouse wasn’t going to happen.
I could only think of one place in my house where I wouldn’t be disturbed. The laundry room. Because if you have teenagers like I do, you know they don’t suddenly decide to catch up on their laundry without being asked!
That LIVE ended up being a big hit – people still ask me about it. But it also showed me just how much I needed a space at home where I could work.
I made a decision to add onto our home. There simply wasn’t a space that could be turned into a home office. Adding that space gave me a chance to solve another problem – and end up with the master closet of my dreams.
A Space Dedicated to Working from Home
My home office started with a blank slate. Well, it actually started with a patch of dirt. We added a room onto the back of the house with a door that opens to a covered patio overlooking our backyard pool. It’s the BEST spot to sit and enjoy my morning coffee.
My home office needed to be a place I could work comfortably and (mostly) quietly. Remember, two teenagers and two dogs? It also needed to be a place that inspired me. A lot of my work involves being creative and solving problems. This space needed to help me do just that.
So I had fun. I designed a beautiful accent wall feature. And I chose squishy, comfy couches perfect for stretching out on for a power nap. I had a desk built roomy enough for all the things.
This space represents all of my hard work over the years. From the early days at my kitchen table to my tinier-than-tiny shop to the Loft and then the Warehouse. Each place housed my business at a different stage. And each one was just right at that time.
I still spend several days a week at the Warehouse. But there are days each week when I’m able to work from home. In a space that inspires me to keep dreaming big.
If you work from home, it’s important to find a spot dedicated to your work. A place where you can focus on what needs to be done. And a place where you can “shut down” at the end of your day.
One problem with working from home is feeling like there’s no separation between your work life and your home life. Whether it’s a room with a door you can close or a corner of a room where you can close down your laptop and tuck away your notebooks and files, find a way to maintain that separation.
The Closet of My Dreams
There are a lot of things I love about my house. The backyard pool area, of course. The spacious kitchen and the den with room to relax and hang out with my kids and my dogs. It’s a great house. But what it lacked – seriously lacked – was storage. So when it was time to add-on my home office, it was also my chance to solve my storage problem and design the closet of my dreams.
A closet is a space filled with those things we wear to make us feel good. To make us feel pretty and put together and confident we can face whatever the day brings.
A closet that is cluttered and overcrowded, where it’s difficult to find what you’re looking for or even see what your choices are? That is not a closet that makes it easy to feel pretty, put together, and confident. That’s a closet that leaves you frustrated and annoyed, reaching for the same old shirt and pair of jeans because they’re right in front of you.
When I had the chance to design my dream closet, I went for it! I was lucky enough to be able to customize everything about it from the layout to the cabinets – and inserts – to the chandelier. Because yes, I’m a little bit extra and I felt like I needed a chandelier. 🤣
My closet is now one of my favorite places in my house. It’s like a sanctuary! Everything has a place – clothes, shoes, purses, jewelry, all of it. And you know how much I love earrings – let’s just say I finally have room to keep my hundreds of pairs of earrings organized and displayed so I can quickly and easily choose the perfect pair.
You may not be able to design a dream closet from scratch. But that doesn’t mean you can’t turn the closet you have into something that works for you.
The first step? Decluttering. I know. But getting rid of clothes, shoes, and accessories you no longer wear means having more room for those items you still love. And, if you’re anything like me, decluttering often means finding “treasures” – clothes you forgot you loved!
This decluttering doesn’t have to take long. Check out this blog post to follow my steps for a 60-minute closet cleanout!
Creating spaces in your home that truly work for you is a journey. Think about what those spaces need to do for you. Then look at what you already have – space, furniture, organizational tools, and get to work. Remember to let your personality shine – these spaces are for you so it’s important that they look and feel like you!
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