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Reclaiming Space and Serenity

As my youngest son moved to his own home in July, closets, cabinets, and corners of our house emptied, clearing the way for possibilities. We left both our sons’ childhood bedrooms intact through their college years, but now that they’ve launched, we’re empty nesters living in a four-bedroom home with room to spread out.

Bedroom
Closet outfitted with Elfa shelves

At the start of the pandemic in March of 2020, and after mulling over several possibilities, Mike bought a used sit-stand desk, cut a foot off the back, and set up his home office in a corner of our bedroom. Never in my wildest dreams did I expect it would still be there six years later, but so it goes. It’s great having him work from home, but a bedroom office has its challenges.

My youngest son’s empty bedroom is now Mike’s office. He has room for paid work and hobbies, a small seating area for me and Tessa, and the ability to spread out.

Bedroom/Office
Bedroom/Office

I’m an organizer by nature and by trade, but not everyone enjoys the process of decluttering, so I’ve learned to tread carefully over the years. Excited at the possibility of his own dedicated space, we worked together to reduce the excess from the garage, den, and assorted closets. It feels transformative.

After donating, recycling, and a trip to a toxic waste collection facility with a small box of solvents and old products, I’ve been able to move all of Mike’s hobbies and treasures into the converted room.

A neatly organized closet workspace featuring shelves with storage bins, tools, and decorative items. The setup includes a standing desk, smaller containers for supplies, a framed photo, and a few mechanical devices.

It’s a small room, only 10 x 10, so years ago I converted the six-foot closet using a closet component system. I used different shelf widths, creating a desk, a small hanging space for jackets, and three drawers. The altered closet now houses all of Mike’s model airplane kits, too many electronic components to count, his pilot gear, and assorted treasures.

Sit to stand work desk
Sit to stand work desk

We moved the sit-stand desk to one side of the room, bought a rug and a small, flat-pack foyer table, and I scored the small settee at a second-run store for a song. We framed a print rescued from my brother-in-law’s apartment after his death that originally came from their parents’ home.

Settee
Queen Tessa

Mike is already enjoying his space and his passion for electronics. He’s dusted off his oscilloscope and converted a battery-operated light to an electrical one. I’m going to have a small sign made for the door that says “Renaissance Man.” He’s a sailer, a private pilot, a ham-radio operator, and an engineer. He writes well, loves to travel, and he’s fluent in English and Spanish, with some mastery of Italian. He’s a keeper!

Cozy corner featuring a colorful armchair with floral patterns, a small round table, and a framed photo beside it. The wall is painted blue, and a doorway opens to a garden view with outdoor furniture and greenery. A canvas print of a dog running on grass is displayed on the wall.

I moved an upholstered chair and table from other rooms to our bedroom to fill the corner once occupied by the work desk. I hung my son’s photo of his sweet dog, Juneau, a Christmas gift one year. The owl watercolor is an original from local artist Lexi Grenzer. Our bedroom feels spacious and light.

I’m free to shower and change without first making sure Mike’s Zoom camera is off. I can put away freshly laundered clothes, change into gardening shoes, etc. without disturbing him or potentially mortifying myself. 

Change is good.

41 thoughts on “Reclaiming Space and Serenity”

  6. Looks great Alys 😊 I see Mike is a fellow electronics nerd like myself (I noticed the oscilloscope and multimeter or frequency generator on the shelf). I’d still keep an eye out for those ring cameras though 😁

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  7. That last paragraph sure made me giggle! Now, where to start on all the things I love about what you have done? There are so many, I’ll probably miss a few. First the animals—lovely, lovely Tessa and that beautiful picture of Juneau. Also, that owl watercolor is fantastic. As for Mike being a Renaissance man…Holy cats! He certainly is. Everything looks fantastic and how satisfying it must have been to rearrange, declutter, and give Mike a smart space of his own.

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    • I’m glad you had a good giggle, Laurie. We all heard the horror stories at the start of the pandemic about partially-dressed spouses, or the worker themselves, unwittingly appearing on camera. No. Thank. You!

      Thank you for the kind words about Juneau and Tessa, my friend’s art, and the room itself.

      It is satisfying reducing the clutter to what’s essential, as it makes everything easy to find and accessible. I’ve always preferred passing on items for someone else to use, when possible, and I’ve found many ways to dispose of things without sending them to landfill. Our local Goodwill, for instance, will reclaim e-waste. Most paint stores will recycle used paint, animal shelters take old towels and bedding, and we feed our Little Free Library with books once read with a few cherished exceptions.

      It feels wonderful.

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  9. You did a great job Alys! It must be nice for Mike to have his own space at last, and so much easier for you not having to organize your activities around his meetings! The corner of your bedroom looks so pretty with that chair and the pictures. And how lovely that you can go out onto the patio from there too. 😁

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    • Thank you, Cathy. These changes are working beautifully; it’s spacious and uncluttered, functional, and it includes memorabalia that Mike enjoys.

      I’m helping a client rework a room as well, but we’re still decluttering. I’m having a lot of fun.

      As for the patio, that was one of the things we loved about this house when we moved here thirty years ago. I love space and light, and the sense of inviting nature “indoors” (not the mice that Tessa keeps bringing in!)

      I hope you’ve had a good time in England and I hope, too, that your family is doing well. xo

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  11. This is a classic highlight of a difference between USA and GB homes! 10’x10′ with a built in (yet external) closet would be about the same size as our front room, which is a very standard size for a 3bed 1936 semi-detached here. Our 3 bedrooms are 10×12, 10×10 and 6×8, although we extended in 2009 adding a 1.5m wide two storey extension sonthat 6×8 is much more useful (it’s my workshop) now.
    This all looks fab.

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    • Thank you, Dawn

      We’re enjoying our spacious home. They built this housing development in 1962. We moved in thirty years ago, one of the smaller homes on the street, a one-story 1,800 sq foot home.

      I’ve spent time visiting friends in Germany, New Zealand, Canada, England (my Aunt Alys lived in the UK) and Switzerland, but they all had spacious front rooms, or what we often call a family room or a living room. You are managing well with a 10 x 10 front room. I’m glad you could make room for a larger studio and a second floor.

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  12. I love how you organized your home. I made it easy on myself when my son got his own place, by moving to smaller apartment with my daughter. My son brought about half of his belongings to his new home, and we sold the rest, to give him a little bit of extra cash at the beginning of his new journey. I love having an organized home and it is very unusual that I go to bed without first organizing the home for the next day, to get a calm and beautiful start of the day. It is the little things that makes a huge difference. Your home is beautiful.

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    • Thank you, Maria. I’m the same way. I’ve always liked the idea of leaving a room as you found it, removing your water glass, fluffing the cushions, etc. I’m glad you are happier in a smaller place. I hope your son is adapting well to his new home.

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  13. Love that wall color! As my Feng Shui teacher said; it essential to fluff the chi every once in a while. I love how you did this and made such good use of what you have in the space you have. ‘This is your calling and you do it so well. You are both keepers and it’s good that you are keeping each other. It’s perfect yin and yang. ;) Love both of you great humans. Had to go to my reader to get this through.

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    • Thank you, Tierney. You are too kind. The space is working well. Since 1996 it’s been an “extra room”, the so-called “baby’s room”, my oldest sons room then my youngest son’s room, and now Mike’s office. Fun, eh?

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  17. You and Mike have always been such a great team, dear Alys! Mike must be thrilled with his new workspace and hobby space. All of the changes look fabulous! You are such a gifted organizer, Alys, and a true gift for all of your clients. Be well, sweet friend! 🩷 ~ Dawn

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    • Thank you, Dawn. We are a good team. The space is working really well for Mike, and it feels fresh as well as functional. That said, we’re both happy to be on vacation for eight days, leaving the hectic work days behind.

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