By Debbi
e Kaufman
Over the last couple of months, I’ve been redecorating. I hired a young woman whose work I’d seen before and challenged her to help me make a few changes, including finding a place to call my own for writing. The caveat was that we had to use as many things I already owned as possible. Can I get an “Amen” to being budget conscious?
One of my favorite results came when we took the front living room, a room that when originally designed had too many openings to easily accommodate a sofa, and turned it into a writing palace. We moved bookcases from other rooms, kept the rug, and traded other furniture around so I could use a small dresser to store my mailing supplies. I highly recommend this type of “repurposing” the things you already own when you are looking to make a change. The only new things in my office are the paint, the large monitor, the curtains that my friend Gail made for me, and the cubes on the bookshelves for organizing the storage.
Best of all, we got my favorite desk out of storage and I now had a place to use it. I originally purchased the William and Mary style desk you see in the picture above when I owned a 100+ year-old Victorian and the huge rooms dwarfed it. When we moved into this house, I couldn’t hardly get it in through the doors. BTW, did you notice that the desk style and my characters’ names in The Doctor’s Mission are the same? Coincidence?
Disclaimer: The walls look green in this first picture, but they aren’t. don’t ask. There is a reason why I normally leave 
the photography to my daughter and son-in-law!
So, where I used to be a bit of a house gypsy concerning my writing space, I now have a completed office that I love. Apparently, so do my dogs. In this rare photo where they are both out from under the desk, I managed to get a shot of the office dogs doing what they do best.
Sleeping and keeping me company.
I wouldn’t mind having you guys keep me company too. Just awake and on the blog, not the rug. Tuesdays are my new Heart and Home posts. And yes, I know it’s Monday, I’m just putting it out there a day early to give folks time to discover it exists. On Tuesdays I’ll share remodeling photos, pics from our Sunday suppers, or just anything related to family and the things I love.
To encourage you to stick around and visit, I’ll have the occasional contest for leaving a comment. Today’s giveaway is something I feel suited to Monday’s theme of Hearth and Home: Debbie Macomber’s Knit Together: Discover God’s Pattern For Your Life, a set of 3 cd’s read by Sonja Lanzener.
So tell me, have you redecorated, repurposed, or even rearranged in your home or a particular room? Is there a particular item that you own that you’ve found a new use for in your life? Or do you just have pets that are underfoot? Leave me a comment to be entered. I’ll draw a winner on Wednesday morning. Entries accepted until Nov. 8th at 11:59 p.m. EST. No prize subsitutions. One entry per person, per household. Void if not permitted in your state. US entries only.
Pamela V. Mason - Debbie! I love this! It’s beautiful and professional and right in the front of your home where you get all the good light and you can see what’s going on everywhere else!
How on earth did you write The Doctor’s Mission without it?
My office is in the dining room – my house has one great room, so no formal living area like a traditional layout has. My Hero built my desk himself, and I’ve repurposed the antique buffet to store my books and supplies… but everything still finds its way all over the place. But I love the light and the view and knowing the kitchen, myHero, and my boys are just feet away – all with the tv set or whatever else is going on so I can hear it but not have to see unless I swivel around.
Love this and thanks for sharing with us!
Peggy Anderson - Debbie, I have a corner in my bedroom, I’m trying to ‘re-purpose’, to finish up some scrapbooking, but I keep putting it off. I hate being a procrastinator. The coolest thing though, an antique dealer just ‘gave’ me a chair that will NOT be useful for scrapbooking but I look forward to owning it. It is said to have come from Jane Mansfield’s Estate Sale, but it is not documented. It’s been stored for as long I’ve known about it. It will be inspiring, I hope just to look at. Ha!
I need to go back and read more about your book. I need to know, if my mom would like it. She likes romance novels but she does not go for anything that is too graphic. It might become her Christmas present. I was telling her about you last time I saw her.
Congrats on your room and your book! You seem to have really followed your hearts desires.
Laurel Barrett - Hi Debbie, I am so happy for you. Yes, I pre-ordered your book, couldn’t wait to get it. I believe the wait was worth it because I am really enjoying it! I am an avid reader, always have been; my day is not complete without a good read. You should see me when I am out of reading material, digging through boxes to find something. So I held off buying a book last week because I had received an email; Saturday, I think, letting me know your’s had been shipped. I let them know at the office today that Griffin had a new published author, Congrats and great success to you. Glad you never gave up your dream.
Julee J. Adams - Love it and yes, I’m all about using what you have. It looks like a comfortable space where you can get a lot done.
My office/craft room is our old bedroom. My writing desk and bookcase are from Mom and Dad’s old house. The cats (Boris and Natasha–yes, they’re evil) will come in to meow at me every once in a while. I have most of my craft supplies organized in the closet and a china hutch full of things I love in here too.
Life is good, isn’t it? Thanks for sharing.
Shanon Grey - I absolutely love it. I am famous for converting living rooms into offices, libraries–or both. It really does make the “work” go better having a special and professional place. It’s beautiful and just perfect, the testament to which is lying on the floor, asleep.
Dianna Love - Debbie – Love the new writing digs! It’s so important to have a place that you only write. Even though I write everywhere from airports to riding in a car, when I need to lock down and get pages done I use my writing “cave.” You are so smart to bring someone in to help you see your home space in a different way.
Missy Tippens - Debbie, I love it!! What a great room. I’m jealous.
I work on the couch on my laptop. I took over a corner of my son’s bedroom for a bookshelf when he left for college. But when I tried to take the room over totally, he moved everything out once he came back home that summer! 🙂 Now that he’ll be graduating in May, though, I think maybe I can sneak back in there. I don’t think he plans to live at home ever again (sob!) Maybe finally have a nice office will make it easier to bear. 🙂
Missy
Sandra Elzie - Love your new space. Mine needs that green paint you said isn’t on your walls. Actually, Jack (the cat) loves to lay on my desk in front of the terminal…but his tail usually lopps over onto my keys. Gotta love our pets, though.
Tammy Schubert - Love your space. I want to hear more about the work you did with the consultant. In fact, I’m thinking about the PFHT blog. You’ll get an email soon. Enjoy your new writing space!
Tami Brothers - LOVE it, Debbie! I like that she did it with what you already had. Very professional.
admin - Thanks guys. Drum roll, please. According to my handy little randomizer.org. Sandy Elzie is the winner of Debbie Macomber’s Knit together!
admin - Test new comments
Joanne Bischof - Yay for new writing spaces 🙂 And budget friendly is even better!
Jean - So glad to have discovered your site when friending someone else. I relate to everything you say in this posting. I stopped my designated space due to house full of people and my desire to pare down my stuff. I do have a writing dog, Lucie, a brown and white, loving, quiet, adopted chihuahua. All the best to you!
Malinda - Superb inrfimatoon here, ol’e chap; keep burning the midnight oil.