Ho ho hum

After all the holiday gifts are unwrapped (and exchanged or returned), the decorations taken down, and the house returns to quasi-normal, where do your thoughts turn? Well, you could run to the stores with your new supply of gift cards, but you might as well wait until the inventory has been restored to something more palatable than the leftovers that no one else wanted. Huge discounts are really only worthwhile if it's a great price on something you truly want. I don't know about you, but I've got enough clutter. I don't need more.

I find that once the chaos of the holidays has quieted and I'm surrounded by a snow-covered yard that doesn't need mowing or gardening, my thoughts turn to improving my indoor spaces. That means that one room will probably get some sort of makeover this winter. And when I make over a room, I remove EVERYTHING — furniture, rugs, wall art — and start with a blank canvas. Sure, it makes everyone else in the house a little annoyed, but I'm a domestic artiste and that's what we do! 

This year I'm tackling the dining room. It's boring. The walls are going from off-white to a soft, creamy yellow. The old curtains will soon be history. And the china plates on the wall will head to storage until I'm ready to reconnect with them. In their place, I'll hang some frosted glass shelves to display an array of family photos. The hutch will move to the opposite wall, just for a change. Two new wall sconces, a new area rug, a new table runner and centerpiece, and I'm done — unless I cave in and add a buffet. Every makeover deserves at least one new piece of furniture. And I figure I've saved a lot of money by not getting caught up in the January sales and not bringing home deeply discounted stuff the will clutter my space. In other words, I'm nesting, and investing in my comfort is, as they say in the commercials … priceless!

Home office makeover

The term "home office" used to mean the headquarters for a corporate conglomerate. In the 21st century, "home office" reflects the purest meaning of the two, separate words: an office in the home. Apple Computer, Mary Kay Cosmetics, and even Hershey's Chocolate started as home-based businesses. Whether you're running a business from your home or just need additional office space there, you need to consider a few things when setting up your home office:

1. Organization. File cabinets, desk drawers, and shelves are essential to the home office, but don't let them become repositories of unorganized files, notes, and materials. Create a system that will work for you.
2. Flow. Look at the way you work. What keeps you moving from place to place during an average work day? What do you need within reach of your desk or primary workspace? Do you need certain equipment (e.g., printer, files) close by? With wireless technology, you don't have to be hard-wired in one place. Walk through the paces of your workflow and then lay out your office to accommodate your paths.
3. Space. How much square footage is available for your home office? What do you need for electrical outlets or phone jacks? Do you work primarily from your computer? Is it a desktop or laptop? Should you use a traditional desk or would an armoire allow better use of your space?
4. Aesthetics. Are you going to have clients and vendors come to your home office? What image do you want the ambience to convey? How will you use the natural light? Do you need soft light and natural colors or are you ore stimulated by more vivid hues? What atmosphere promotes more productivity? Your home office aesthetics are as important to a productive environment as the placement of your computer or the size of the room!

Your home office may be in your residence, but it IS a place of work, which means a corner in the kitchen or the dining room table is not suitable. Create the environment that will help you achieve the best results.