I never intended to work from home.  My commutes were always easy. In fact, over my 15 year career with this company, my longest was 8-round-trip miles.  When I was offered a promotion two years ago, I asked my husband and then 14-year-old son if they’d be willing to move.  My new clients were in Ann Arbor – a 60 mile commute from my Royal Oak home – each way.

In some places this doesn’t pose that big of an obstacle.  Chicago has the Metra system of commuter trains and most of the people I know that use them are very happy with the service.  They can have some time to “decompress” after a day at the office.  Some use the time to catch up on emails or to read or knit.  Some nap.  (Naps are good.)

Michigan is home to the Motor City.  We don’t have mass transit.  We have cars…lots and lots of them.  And really crowded expressways.  Expressways filled with people on cell phones or experiencing some level of road rage.  Napping while driving is generally frowned upon.  Carpooling is difficult, at best.

Besides, I hate driving – being in the car for two to three hours every day was not my idea of having a good work/life balance.  It was move or … well, we had to move.  Turning down the promotion would have been career suicide.

When we were shopping for our house, our mantra was “location, location, location.”  We found it, and the fact that it was 2.2 miles from my office became the deciding factor in making our offer.  It was the perfect location and the perfect size for the three of us.  We fell in love with the land it was on, the old trees in the subdivision, the peace and quiet.

Little did we know that I would, in less than two years, be out of my office and working from home, full-time. Or that my stepson would be moving in with us and taking over the basement – the one place that I could have possibly made into a real office.

What’s a woman to do?

I had to take part of the “computer room” (at the time, my sixteen-year-old’s domain) for my own.  The room is 9 foot by 10 foot.  Since there was no place else for the family computer, the “overflow” bookcase, and the winter-clothing storage armoire,  I needed to make a home office in a spot approximately 4-and-a-half foot square. I needed to condense, compress, and combine. I needed to get creative. (Note: I took this picture first thing in the morning and hadn’t cleared off my breakfast dishes yet.)

This is my desk.  It’s about 4 feet wide and 3 feet deep. To preserve desk space, my keyboard is on a hidden tray that pulls out. I use a flat-panel monitor set to the side of my calendar – my mouse is there, too. The calendar acts as my desktop blotter and my phone and a small desk lamp sit on the opposite side.

As you can see, it’s perilously close to the “family” computer.

Ground Rules

Ground rules were established early.  I start work at 7:30 a.m.  I finish sometime between 4:30 and 5:30 p.m. Monday through Friday.  Computer games can wait until Mom is finished with work.  No bargaining.  Homework is obviously allowed, but if you “need” music (as so many teens seem to these days) while you’re doing your research, put on your headphones.

Finding Room

This room also houses my linen closet. (Pay no attention to the bedding coming unfolded in some of these pictures, please.  The cats seem to think it’s great fun to climb to the top shelf to sleep on the flannel sheets!)

Storage Solutions

I put stick-up hooks on the inside of the linen closet to hang various cords and cables that seemed to constantly walk away from where I left them just when I needed them most.  My magnetic whiteboard gives me some easy-to-reach space to remind myself of what needs reminding better than the Post-It® notes that disappear under the latest pile.

Next week, I’ll show you my “storage” solutions.  But here’s one of my favorite parts of my office.  This window is right in front of my desk.  It overlooks my front yard.

I’ve seen the seasons change from Winter to Spring to Summer.  I’ve watched the rabbits play chase; I’ve seen groundhogs cross the road.  I’ve learned to identify bluebirds and finches.  And when I’m done at the end of the day, I walk downstairs and say, “Honey, I’m home!”

(Image Credit: slrw82)

My personal blog is My Life as a Hotfessional – if you’d like to hear about the rest of the craziness in my life, please come by for a visit.