Thursday, March 19, 2009

Creative Spaces


Hi, Stephanie Newton here. I loved Marty’s post about writing on the road because I’ve been thinking about writing spaces this week, too. I’ve long wished for a space all my own. Even before I lived a writing life, I scrapbooked and longed for a place to leave my stuff out. Two houses ago, I had an office, but I shared it with my kids as a school room. In the last house, I wrote in the sunroom, which coincidentally, was also the school room. (Are you sensing a theme here?)

When we started looking for a new house last summer, high on my list of priorities was a house with enough rooms to make one into an office. Preferably with a door. So in short order, I fell in love with a house which had zero space for an office, but absolutely glorious windows. And the office suddenly wasn’t quite so high on my priority list. My husband was saying things like, “What about hurricanes?” (We live on the coast in Florida) and “What about the electric bill?” (The A/C runs about 9 months out of the year) and in desperation, “Privacy, hon?” And I was thinking, “But the light!”

So, I still write in the chair in the family room, but I write by a huge window with a gorgeous view of the backyard and the pond behind our house. If both of my children are home and one kid’s music is competing with the other’s video games and I feel like my brain is going to explode (it could happen with teenagers in the house, I’m pretty sure), then I move to my bedroom—where there is a door.

I would still love to have an office and when the Pottery Barn catalog arrives, I drool over the work space section. Don’t tell my kids, but I’ve got big plans for when they move out!

So, what do your creative spaces look like? Are you like me and dream of the perfect room for all your creative endeavors? If you have a craft room or an office for me to covet, share!













(My writing chair :)

6 comments:

Margaret Daley said...

I love that chaise lounge! It looks really comfortable.
Margaret

Cheryl Wyatt said...

I love the chair!!! And that writing space...gorgeous!

Love the window behind it. Very inspiring I'll bet with the natural light coming in.

Cheryl

Stephanie Newton said...

It is super comfortable and definitely inspiring...except for when my attention gets dragged away by the frogs and squirrels and birds, like the mama blue jay I just saw! :)

Sierra Donovan said...

I have a writing room in my home, but I have a bad, bad habit of throwing clutter in it, especially when company's coming. Shameful, when so many writers don't have a room to call their own!

But I like your sunny room and cozy chair. Sometimes, even when my office is in ship shape, I'll move out to the couch with my laptop. It can be really refreshing to write someplace that isn't a desk!

Stephanie Newton said...

Sierra, I'm pretty sure that mine would be cluttered if I had one. I'd love a couple of big white boards. One with squares to plot chapters and scenes and one just to jot down ideas on. Hmm. No, I really don't think that would go with the family room decor. ;o)

Pamela Tracy said...

The house we live in has a mother-in-law room. It's what sold the house for me. I can hardly wait for my husband to remodel, though, because it has 1970's dark paneling and tiny windows.