Add Style and Organization to Your Home Office

traditional home office design

If the organizing bug didn’t bite you hard enough at the first of the year to get you moving, it’s sure to do so as longer days turn into the warmth of spring and abundant sunshine makes the dust more visible on your furniture. Spring is always my final reminder that hibernation time is over and it’s time to get things under control!

One of the biggest challenges I face when it comes to getting organized is my home office and the myriad of papers, notes, photos, coupons, business cards that just seem to pile up everywhere.  I am a very visual person and I have discovered how incredibly helpful bulletin boards can be in keeping me focused and on task.

I, like most people, have used a variety of cork bulletin boards over the years.  For a long time I just tacked things up on it when I didn’t know where else to put them but wasn’t ready to throw them away. But once a friend and business coach suggested that I place the bulletin board in front of me, instead of to my side, I discovered a whole new world of organization.  I began putting reminder notes and important bits of information there because I could see them.

The wonderful thing about bulletin boards these days is that we’re not just stuck with the cork board variety anymore, although I still like using one in my work shop. You have other, more visually attractive options that actually add to the overall look of a room. Prior to beginning my office organization project I put a fresh coat of paint on the walls and replaced my old bulletin board with one from a selection of fabric bulletin boards I found on line. It instantly warmed up the look of the room but still does the job of keeping me organized. 

From New York to Hawaii ~ Finding a Home You Love is a Personal Thing

View of Mauna Kea

I don’t know about you, but I have always thought that living in Hawaii would be my nirvana. How can you beat the weather, the scenery, the beauty of the place? I have spent a good part of my life in New York and I dare say that life in Hawaii would not only be thousands of miles away from a practical standpoint but from a personal one as well. The problem is, how do you choose?

The longer I live, the more I have come to believe that finding a home and a place to live is a very personal thing. To some extent we must rely on what “feels” right when we choose where we live. This, of course, should only be relied on as a compass because being humans, emotions are a bit fickle. It should not, however, be ignored, particularly when something comes up again and again. For example, if you wanted to live in Hawaii then years ago, and you still want to live in Hawaii, take the next step. Do some research and put some facts behind the growing fantasy of your imagination.

Whether you are choosing a location to call home, a house to buy or a couch for your living room, the decision you make should always be based on a little bit of imagination and a lot of hard facts. In the end it will feel like a bit of a risk if you’re following your heart. Playing it safe probably will not get you your dream home, or décor that you will love forever. That requires a little bit of inspiration.

Perhaps you are not quite ready to pick up and move to Hawaii, you can still consider what it is about Hawaii that sparks your imagination. What is your heart telling you that may be missing in your current location? Do you long for more sun? or a body of water outside your front door? Does your absolute comfort requirement need a room in your home where you can find deeper relaxation? See if you can figure out what your yearnings are telling you about your living environment and make some changes where you are.

If you still long for Hawaii, by all means, take the leap!