Behind the Scenes: My Home Office

Working from home definitely has it benefits, but it also presents its challenges. When I began my business almost 5 years ago, I had a small desk tucked into a nook in our bedroom. I spent many hours here designing mostly digital items; holding and breastfeeding my newborn at the same time. Eventually, I had to add a small worktable (also in our room) where I could assemble baby books, my newest product addition. I guess you could say that’s where it all began.

We moved houses just in time as my business began to grow, and now I had an entire room devoted to my office. It was magical! It started with one desk and a worktable, and it grew and grew. Suddenly I had 6 baby book designs instead of 2, along with a Quote Book and a School Memory Book and I was beginning to hold stock in items instead of simply printing on demand. One IKEA Expedit shelving unit turned into 4 and suddenly the walls of my office began to close in on me!

So just a few months ago, we made a huge shift in our home and turned our living room into my office, our basement (formerly my boys’ room) into our living room, and my former office into the boys’ room. The living room is much larger than my old office, and now my husband and I both have room for desks (mine is Kate & Laurel and I LOVE it, velvet office chair is West Elm) and all my inventory and I still feel like I have breathing room!

It might sound weird to turn a living room into an office, but our 4-level house is quite odd when it comes to layout already. We have an upstairs living room on the main floor, and this room is actually a sunken living room - so it’s not like you walk right into it. Maybe I need to do a house tour someday to show you!

I couldn't live without the organization that IKEA Expedits offer... they hold all my baby book stock and notebook stock, along with lots of supplies. I have a desk for my computer and a work table for product assembly (which I use on the daily), as well as room for my hole puncher and binding machine.

And we even found space for a cute little settee (flanked by my husband's guitars and amps...)! Someday I'll show you my husband's half of the office, but it needs a little organization TLC first...

This is honestly just one part of my at-home business. Last summer we turned our laundry room into a laundry room/stock room, and that is where more inventory and all of my shipping supplies hang out. (that’s a blog post for another day!)

And that’s not all! My printer is local, which is incredibly convenient, and he holds stock for me there as well. I have supplies, inventory and another hole puncher/binding machine there. Anytime I have a large wholesale order, I usually do all the assembly and packaging there in his warehouse because there is so much more room and employees to help.

So basically, I operate out of three locations. I’m sure I’ll eventually grow out these spaces as well (at least, that’s the hope). But for now, I love that my husband and I find ways to make this crazy life of owning a small business work within the confines of this house we are blessed to have.

Next stop, converting our garage! (I kid… sort of).