Sidetracked

My second bedroom has served more as a storeroom than an actual bedroom. Sound familiar? In the 11 years I’ve lived here the spare bed was only used twice (when friends stayed over per post-cataracts surgery instructions). Since moving in I’ve been doing all my writing on a small desk in my bedroom. I offered the vintage bed and dresser occupying the room to a friend for their daughter, and they accepted the offer but wanted their talented friend to refurbish the pieces. Everyone’s schedules finally came together and the bed, mattress & box springs, and dresser vacated the second bedroom.

I finally had potential office space.

I had draft novels with associated research material and development binders crammed in my closet along with reams of printer paper and duplicated purchases of office supplies. You know how it goes. You already have the item you need but can’t find it, so you buy it again and end up with multiples in several locations. Many of my reference books and books on writing were stashed in the closet of the second bedroom that also serves as my pantry annex and mini storeroom. Other books were still in boxes.

Then there were the art and craft supplies that I rarely used because I lacked a usable workspace.

Wouldn’t it be wonderful to collect all these things in one location? A place with a computer table large enough to spread out a project. And a second location for note taking, art projects, crafting, etc. Imagine adding a comfy chair to the room for reading and watching TV.

And this is what I’ve been working on for several months. I surfed the net for furniture and storage ideas. Took measurements of the room and existing furniture. Played with floor plans. I gradually began to narrow my findings to potential purchases. I shoved the piles filling the bedroom to one side of the room. On the vacated space I set up an Ikea gaming table with plenty of room for computer and novel in progress. An existing small bookcase tucked in nicely beside it.

Obviously I needed more room for books and binders. What if I filled the entire long wall of the room with bookcases?! The hunt was on. But the bookcases I found online generally lacked adjustable shelves. Multiple matching bookcases either left vacant space along the wall or didn’t quite squeeze in. Custom wood cabinetry was too costly, since I also have a small kitchen project I should have addressed some time ago. I eventually located bookcases on the website of a big box office supply store that came close to what I wanted. However, the cost for three units to fill the available space (and a handyman to correctly secure them to the wall in earthquake/exploding volcano country) was in the ballpark of custom shelving.

Hmmm.

What you see above is my final decision. A custom system from a major home organization store. A designer with the store helped with the layout and materials list, and an installer familiar with the system secured it in place after we decided on the final arrangement. I now have a whole freaking wall of bookshelves!!

I’m presently in the process of filling up the shelves and working toward the floor plan I have in mind. There’s still the issue of a locked 1940s cedar chest with a missing key that could provide more storage when and if I can get in it. I’m sure it’s full of crocheted, embroidered and tatted items that I’ll take to a nearby vintage store. Don’t worry, I intend to disable the lock if I ever get it opened.

Even though sidetracked by the effort to create an office in the second bedroom, I’m still mulling over ideas for The Crystal Sword and I have two draft novels nearing completion.