Hello agin, and welcome back! Today marks the last day of the long Thanksgiving weekend. I have a lot to get done today. First off, Sundays are our clearing up days around here. Since I’ve started doing more work from home, keeping a clean house has become a major priority. It can be hard to stay on task when you’re surrounded by visual reminders of all the housework that needs to be done! We’re also planning to put up Christmas decorations today and (finally) the tree!
In addition, I’ve been trying to fit in work whenever I had a chance this weekend. Even if I only had time to edit a few pages of a brief or review some new evidence a few times a day, it’s something I won’t have to do in my busy week ahead!
Okay, back to topic. I wanted to write today about creating cosy spaces at home for work, family time, or relaxation. Again, working from home has taught me the importance of having a space that’s energizing, focusing, yet comfortable. I have a few now, and although I regularly utilize my office (with a proper desk), I tend to gravitate to whichever area meets my needs at the time. Curiously this is usually decided by whichever room is getting the most daylight at the moment (a bit more about lighting below).
I’ll start off with the spot where I am currently typing this blog post. We have three gas fireplaces in our home. I love curling up in front of the fire on a cold day. That’s why I set up this area in the upstairs living room:
It looks a mess at the moment, but that’s authentic! I literally just stood up and snapped the shot. The faux sheepskin rug is from Nuloom and the colorful floor cushion was purchased from Wayfair, but unfortunately, it’s sold out. I really like the selection from Urban Outfitters and plan on adding a few more floor cushions soon. As you can see, I’m not the only one appreciating this cosy fire today!
This next spot is not one I regularly use for work, but makes a lovely reading nook. Here is the window seat in my bedroom:
It isn’t quite a normal window seat, since the cushion doesn’t go all the way across. When we purchased this house last year, I planned to have one custom-made. As of now I’ve still not got around to that (obviously), so I decided on this alternative set up with the portable fireplace for now. I think it works well. Plus it adds some much-needed warmth to the room. The woven sari throw was purchased from Anthopologie, years ago. They don’t have anything that similar on their site presently, but I do love this one. I have an identical sari throw in the upstairs living room and love the bright, rainbow hues!
Speaking of hues, I also utilize the Hue lighting system when working and relaxing. I’ve found certain colors of light to help with energy, focus, waking up, and even migraines! We currently use Hue in five rooms and are planning to expand the system in the future. If anyone is interested, let me know in the comments and I’d be happy to post on the lighting system.
Sorry for the tangent (again). If you are still with me, I’d like to show one more space. This one is a bit simpler than the others, but still provides a nice area for working away from the desk on occasion:
I like working in the downstairs living room on bright days. Daylight really does help to keep me energized and I can never seem to get enough during the winter months. It also helps that this space is fairly near to my office. Sometimes getting up and moving to a clear space (away from the desk) really helps my focus.
We have Hue lights and a lighting strip in this little alcove, as well, which is nice for watching films in the evenings. As you can see, there are always candles close at hand! The ones pictured are all from Bath and Body Works.
Well, I suppose I should stop rambling and wrap this up. I do have a lot more to get done today and this post ended up much longer than expected! What are you’re favorite places to work or relax?
See you next weekend!
-Cate
Weekend Blog 