Just because you live small and work from home, doesn’t mean you don’t have a place to get business done. I have been working at home for over 20 years. My work at home space has come full circle from the beginning.
When I first started working from home, we lived in a little 800 square foot rental home with two bedrooms and one bath. I squeezed a desk into the corner of our bedroom. One day my husband came home after work and went to put on a clean t-shirt but they were not there. His shirts had been replaced by paper and office supplies.
We moved and lived in several houses over the years. The bulk of my years working from home, I had an actual dedicated room that was my office. I loved this, because I could shut the door and leave work. Aside from the giant jet bathtub of my big house, having a dedicated office space is probably what I miss the most.
However, having an entire room to work does not out way all of the benefits I love about living small. I continue to work at home doing a couple of different businesses and I have carved out five different places to work in my little house.
Please note, I have been given a free Tablemate in exchange for a review. My opinion of this product are all true and my opinion.
1. A Hallway
My laundry room is basically a finished back porch and the hallway to the backdoor. The room is only five feet wide. I removed the giant laundry sink and in its place put two filing cabinets and a top. My version happens to be repurposed from my old home office and part of the Pottery Barn Bedford collection. But, you could use any two filing cabinets with a simple board or narrow door on top.
2. The Kitchen Table
The kitchen table is an obvious choice when working from home. Even though I have a little desk in my back hallway, I sometimes will work from the kitchen table. Working from the table gives me a larger space to spread out piles when organizing or painting projects for my Etsy shop. I also find myself working here during the different seasons if my desk area is too hot or too cold.
3. The Living Room
Sometimes, I just really need to get a change of atmosphere and my behind needs something softer to sit on. I love the new cheery feel in my living room and it is just the change of pace I need to stay productive. The one thing that has made this so easy is my new Tablemate in the mocha color.
I was recently sent a Tablemate to see how I liked it. I honestly have to say, it is super handy. I can adjust the height if I want to rest my wrists low doing laptop work, or I can raise it up higher to work at a traditional height.
My husband has come to love it too, and now we fight over it. When the grandkids are over, I lower it and it transforms into an art and snack table for them. Because the Tablemate folds up, it is convenient to hide it under the couch or in the closet when not in use. It really has become one of the small house items that we use daily. This is the Tablemate I use but there are lots of other options to check out here.
4. The Washer & Dryer
I can’t tell you how stinking handy the top of the washer and dryer are for getting work done at home. I use them as a stand-up desk, take product photos for my Etsy shop on top of them, and use this surface as my packaging station. Using the washer and dryer as a workplace also keeps me on top of putting my laundry away! A double win.
5. The Kitchen Island
The other stand up area I use often is my little kitchen island which I write about here. It’s just so nice to stand up and work sometimes. My island is great for sorting paperwork, assembling products and packaging and sorting. It is also handy because it’s right in the hub of the home so I can easily multi-task while working from the kitchen island.
If you look hard enough around your home, no matter what the size, you will be able to find a place to work. Pinterest is a great place to look for inspiration. In fact, I have a board dedicated to small workplaces. You can follow me on Pinterest and check out my Workspaces board.
I would love to hear what creative places you have found to work from home.
