In case you don’t know this part of our story, just over two years ago my husband was laid off from his job. At that point we insanely bravely decided that we would pursue the dream of both owning businesses and working from home. We truly believed this is where God was leading us, even though we had no idea how it could possible work out. There are many stories within this story, but today I’m going to talk about how we finally figured out how to not kill each other work together in harmony.

It all started with designated office space, even though we had no space to designate.

You may remember how I discovered the unused potential of a ‘nook’ in my dining room and made my own little office space out of it. Well while it works well for me to be out in the open surrounded by the munchkins, the reality is that Jared needs to be behind a closed door since he’s on the phone a lot (his business is Real Estate related).

We have a full house, no extra rooms…so that left our bedroom. I used to have a wardrobe here but it was bulky, unattractive and I knew I could consolidate and make our one small closet work. I separated my wardrobe by seasons, stored the clothes that were out of season and also got real with myself about what I wasn’t actually wearing anymore.

Boom – wardrobe gone. Enter…bedroom office.

Given that we were no longer working with a guaranteed income, I was determined to keep it as close to free as possible. Here’s how I did that.

• The Desk.  My brother had been storing this for me in his basement. My Grandfather actually made it years before I was even born. Sadly, I never met him but apparently I inherited his love of building.  You may remember he also built the toy box in the boys’ room. Anyway, it was in great shape and the perfect size, it just need a coat of stain. I bought this gel stain from Home Depot (which is easier to apply than a traditional stain – works more like a paint). So for @$16 we had a desk
• The Chair. It doesn’t get much easier than this. This is one of our extra dining chairs (since we now have bench seating on one side). It was meant to be temporary but 2 years later it’s still there. FREE.
• The Light is the Barometer lamp from Ikea. For $29.99 it was a bit of a splurge for this project but hey, lighting is everything!  For more of a bargain I always recommend checking local thrift stores or craigslist.
• The Plant and the Planter are also from Ikea. I think together they were about $6 and I strategically picked this particular plant…it’s a money tree 😉

• The Print had been a birthday present for Jared who is obsessed with loves fly fishing. Loves. A lot. I paid $17 for it on Fab.com (love this site, really cool deals for unique home decorating items) and the frame is from (wait for it…) Ikea – $20.

• The Desk Pad was $5.99 – also Ikea.

So for under $100 we suddenly had an office. Not too bad.

So, this is real folks. As you can see, our hamper is right next to his desk. On the other side is shoe storage and the dog bed.

This is our reality but you know what? It works. It actually works beautifully because we have the best co-workers.

They inspire us everyday. They make the madness worth it.

Do you have a home office space you want to share? I would love to see it!