Apparently, I have this need to move furniture, especially in hotels, nothing radical, it usually involves repositioning the lamps, the reading chair and the luggage rack. Just so it suits me and feels cozy.
At home, various seasonal shufflings go on, usually around sofas near windows for summer reading and then come winter, away from the window and closer to the fireplace. My latest furniture reorganizing is a bit more organic or as they say these days ‘granular’. I have moved writing HQ. It used to all happen in my den, which was my daughter’s bedroom and has since been renamed The Fiction Zone. Now I am on the landing, which is on the level up from the ground floor. It happens to be a lovely space with a high ceiling and large windows. We built this house over 25 years ago so how come is has taken me this long to take over this space? The reason is, that it used to be green-house-plants central. Quite an unruly jungle. This past spring, I decided the plants had outstayed their welcome and I did a radical curating of the plants e.g., they went outside, and those that have come in are in various places around the house. So voilà, a new space for me.
I moved my desk/table, a quite small old pine Canadian table (with square nail heads and one mismatched leg.) I am now installed in front of the window with a grand view looking down to the avenue, the sidewalks and a cycle path – a busy strip.
This repositioning is most energizing, quite a reset. I have bought a natty little LED desk lamp. To one side I have my grandfather’s military chest of draws, one of the top draws is perfect for my art supplies. On the other side, a built-in bookcase provides space for my exercise books and journals. My large Oxford Dictionary sits on top of the military chest. And the window sills are perfect for pens etc.
The author/illustrator Austin Kleon in his book ‘Steal like an Artist has much to say about workspaces and habits. For example, he has two work desk areas – one digital and one analogue (talking pens and paper I am guessing). He creates at the analog and edits at the digital.
I am so lucky to have the space in my house to do this move. I guess I could do Austin’s idea using the Fiction Zone as a second venue, but it seems I do enough bobbing up and down stairs and room to room already. I will just push the laptop to one side when I want to go old school.