Small House Struggle

Finding peace and privacy to work in a small space can be challenging. I’ve always secretly yearned for a home studio/office. The kind that are all over Pinterest. Where everything has a place, an order, a label and is hidden effortlessly behind a woven basket. 

I think one day an entire room dedicated to my stuff might be in my future but until then I have a nook. I work from my favorite room in the house. 

I love my nook. It is small but it is precise. I can’t collect clutter because there isn't enough real estate. There is no door so I have to clean up after each task is completed. Everything needs a home to ensure a quick transition into daily life.

This nook has been designed to fit my workflow. While it is small, I have found ways to maximize the space. More space for me, doesn’t necessarily equate to more work getting done. It is more about how I use the space and how it is designed to fit my personality and life that determines if it's successful or not.      

Privacy in time slots rather than in space

Waking up early has become a ritual not only for productivity but also because it is the time of day when I have the most space. When I am working, I like to sprawl out. Whether it's packing prints or working on portraits, my things are everywhere. 

I like to cover all available surfaces and migrate. I do not have an unlimited amount of room to shuffle around but I do have a solid two hour block where I am the only one awake in my house. This means the kitchen, dining, laundry room AND my office nook get to be my work areas. 

I spread out, work and clean up before my hungry family wakes up. At the end I feel accomplished and I haven’t had to yell at anyone not to touch anything.

Adjustable layout

As you might have noticed, I tend to move things around in my house (@treestreethome). I change spaces with my moods and I always have. 

My ever changing spaces also allow me some space to overflow. This overflow usually coincides with my busy season. I have one room in the house that gets lined with folding tables (October-December) when I have an influx of work and portraits to complete. 

I can't increase the square footage when I need it, but I don't need more space all year round. Instead I’ve invested in folding furniture to make the most of the space I already have.

Multi-purpose furniture    

We cram storage everywhere we can get it. Why? Because my family and I are not good putter-awayers. When we ensure there is a home for everything, we know things can be put  in their place rather than stuffed in a closet or under a bed. The less ambiguity there is in where a group of objects belong the more time can be spent in putting those things away when they are not in use. 

Our dining room nook has a bench that serves as seating but also storage for art supplies. The dining table has a roll of kraft paper underneath to roll out and cover the table top for when the  art supplies come out.

Instead of fighting the fact the dining table sees more art projects then it does meals we designed the space around how we use it. There is also ample storage for tidying up after if we do decide to use the dining table as it was originally intended.  

Working in a small space can be difficult but it's not all bad. It forces your mind to declutter and edit your belongings. When you pare down you can start to redesign your space around your life. Rather than just being a place for your things, your home becomes a place where things are created, memories, art, messes, you decide.