Two weeks ago I shared a video with David about the importance of creativity, especially that which we do with our hands. Although he received his graphic design education doing everything manually, he makes a digital living using a screen and a mouse. So the video hit him in a profound way.

David has a significant personal project he’s been working on the past few years, trying to squeeze in time when he can. He realized he would rather do it by hand than digitally.

To that end, I suggested that we purchase a new drawing table. He had a basic one years ago, but we sold it when he had neither the time or the space to really use it. He found a very nice one at Michaels which then set into motion a week of home changes.

That’s what kept me mostly away from here the past week. I’ve been all-in on home stuff. David describes it as working a slider puzzle in the home when various things are moved and require the movement of other things in a particular order. This went far beyond what I had been doing with the cozy little room changes. 

The Decision to Reimagine Our Home Office

If you’re a very long time reader, you know that we’ve gone through several iterations of our office situation since 2000 when David was downsized out of his corporate job and became a full-time freelancer. Before Caroline, David and I each had a small bedroom for an office in our previous 1920s Craftsman home. When I became pregnant, David moved into my office and we were both in there until we moved to our current home (about five years).

In our current home, we shared one of the three bedrooms as an office for about nine years. When the lockdowns came, we decided to repurpose a corner of our living room into an area where David could work. Our office became my office and where Caroline and I do all our homeschooling. So the living room which had been a living room and then our homeschool room and then a living room again was now a living room and office combo. It worked, but it was also where the piano lived which meant I used the piano very little over the past five years.

Setting Up a Cozy Workspace in an Unfinished Basement

Anyway, we decided that the best option for the life we live now would be to set up an office area for David in the basement. It’s unfinished, but has several windows and is in very good condition. We’ve toyed with this idea a few times in the past and it never felt right. It felt like we were banishing him to the lower regions of the house. However, this time it was different.

We purchased a large area rug at Lowes. He has his desk and his new drawing table. There were already bookcases, file cabinets, and nice curtains on the windows. So it looks very cozy. Best of all, it gives him his own space away from me and Caroline. Now he faces his drawing table which we both hope will encourage him to sit down and work on his personal project. (It’s something near and dear to all three of us.) 

The Ongoing Process: Decluttering and Organizing for Peace

So sharing one video with David resulted in about ten days of working on the home. I had already planned on finishing up the basement cleanout this summer and this moved that right along. I have a bit more to do today down there and then it will be done. I’m opting not to sort through all of Caroline’s homeschool files until next summer.

I have spent a few days shredding documents of all kinds. Thankfully this is the kind of task that only has to be done once. Once I finish up going through the last banker’s box, I will be caught up from years of not keeping up. 

Homes That Serve Family Needs: Embracing Change with Confidence

Our home should serve us and the way we live at the moment. Our living room has gone through several iterations over the years. Did I always love the choices we made? No. But I knew at the time they were the best choices and would serve our family well.

Am I happy to have my living room back to being a living room, library, and where the piano lives? Yes, I am. I’m also happy we worked out a solution for David’s art and paid work that serves our family now.

Cozy Life Reset: Small Changes, Big Impact

So that is how we are doing a reset that includes relatively small changes that cost relatively little but are already making a big impact in our family life.

• How could reimagining your home better serve your current family needs?
• Have you faced resistance or uncertainty regarding changing how your home is organized? What held you back? What helped you move forward?
• What’s one area of your home that needs a reset to reflect your family’s priorities and/or stage of life?
• Do you feel your home supports the kind of relaxed homeschooling (or simple living) lifestyle you desire? If not, what’s one small step you could take?

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