New home office ready for the Houzz touch.
Amoeba-meba
5 years ago
last modified: 5 years ago
Featured Answer
Comments (1.1K)
Amoeba-meba
5 years agoRelated Discussions
Excellent Home Office and Household Paper Management Advice, Link
Comments (10)Interesting thoughts -- we could all improve on paperwork storage in our homes. Two things I think I'm doing well that differ from the above mentioned Script, and someone else might find some ideas in my methods: Taxes. Yes, like Script, I am scrupulous about maintaining records for my taxes. About a dozen years ago I went to the office supply and bought two big boxes of BRIGHT GREEN folders (green like money). I labeled them Taxes 2000 ... Taxes 2001 ... Taxes 2002 ... Taxes 2003 ... and so on. Given my family's typical lifespan, I made enough green folders to take me to age 110 -- probably more than I'll need, but I'm ready! They're all stored in my file cabinet, taking up very little space. Now when I receive anything tax-related -- a charitable receipt, an end-of-the-year bank statement, whatever -- I have a place to file it. In April, I have a place to file a copy of my taxes, and I can go back and see previous tax years. For the rest of my life, this system is in place. Death folder. Ours is a notebook. Two identical notebooks, actually, since we have two children. Our girls are young adults now, but they've never dealt with an estate -- even if they don't open it 'til they're old, it'll be useful to them. It contains a lot of stuff: - A personal letter to the two of them - A list of our wishes about funeral and items we'd like donated to various family members or charities - A list of things they must do immediately; it starts with going to our house and taking possession of the dog, but it also includes small details like canceling our voting registration and destroying any medicines in the house. At every turn this list includes addresses and phone numbers, including the lawyer we suggest for probate, the funeral home our family's always used, and family members who should be contacted. - A copy our will; they know what's in it -- everything split between the two of them - A list of our financial assets -- bank accounts, investments, insurance, deeds/maps of real estate ... when our youngest became a legal adult, we made the two girls co-beneficiaries of every account; note that this was done before either was married, so our two kids -- not future son-in-laws -- will own these items. - A list of the bills we pay each month -- electricity, phone, even the guy who cuts our grass. - Official copies of our birth certificates, our marriage certificates, and the girls' birth certificates -- they might not be needed, but the girls won't have to scramble to find them - A flashdrive with all of the above in digital format plus photographs that might be useful in putting together the funeral Our rule: We keep two years of tax returns in the notebooks ... the reason being that someday an accountant will file our final estate tax return, and he or she will want our last two years of returns -- so every April we pull out the notebook, discard one old return and insert the newest ... so our rule is that every April we look over the notebook and update anything that's changed. For example, last year we changed bank accounts, and someday we hope to add items concerning grandchildren to the book. Our girls know that the notebooks are stored in the safe, and they know where the key to the safe is hidden, and they know it's labeled with a misleading name so that a thief wouldn't look at it twice. Last thought on this notebook: Though this project took us the better part of a year --- we kept remembering one more thing, one more thing that really should be included -- we didn't find it difficult emotionally. I suspect that if we were older and/or one of us were in poor health, it might've been different....See MoreWhat do you not want guests touching in your home?
Comments (120)I have always had many, many guests: professional friends who may stay across a weekend, university students who come for a meal, or, in times past, lived at my house. I have pretty things, and I have taught dozens of young women how to take care of porcelain, crystal and silver (no, don't scrub it with a scrubbing pad...). Almost all people are respectful of other people's things and if I see something I don't like going on, I feel very comfortable telling them to cease and desist. If someone's children decide to bounce on the sofa, I just scoop them up and put them somewhere else. The biggest problem for those of us with old furniture that doesn't have bulletproof finishes is water marks. I have to patrol a little bit at a party to make sure people are using coasters and not leaving wet marks on the tables. Same goes for house guests: " make sure you don't put your wet towels on the back of wooden chairs--use this rack instead." I found the comment about books being somewhat private to be the oddest of the odd....I'm of the other persuasion. People with big book cabinets filled with a cookbook or two and a lot of "filler" are weird to me--with the obvious implication that the owners are among of the college-educated persons who, upon graduation, never read another book. What's the percentage? I forgot, but something very high, like 75%....See MoreJust got new office furniture looking to add finishing touches
Comments (6)Definitely need some color in your office. The colorful rugs that Theresa suggested are great but I might go for something with even more color and pop. Your accessories are muted. So, I would replace some of them with bright and colorful ones - photo frames, pottery, etc. I would also include colorful artwork. The window coverings look heavy. I might consider replacing them with lighter blinds or perhaps even drapes. Good luck!...See MoreNew house office location
Comments (33)Oh, yippee! The you-should-get-an-architect discussion again. I suggest you try to really pin down all the reasons why you prefer your bedroom to your current office. It may be a “feeling” rather than a “logical” reason. I was going to bring up this very point. Do you gravitate to the bedroom because it's the bedroom ... or because it is a more comfortable spot, or because the lighting is better, or because you have convenient electrical outlets, or some other reason? Always dig deep and analyze why-why-why you like a certain thing. I've never understood all the plans that have the office at the front door. I work full time from home and the interruptions with deliveries and family members thinking it is okay to pop in and say hello seems incessant. I like my office tucked away in an undisturbed corner somewhere. I think offices end up in the front for two reasons: - We tend to want our most-used public spaces towards the back of the house. Those spaces are more private, and those spaces often have back-yard access, which is attractive to most of us. So with our kitchens, etc. to the back, the office gets pushed to the front. - Front doors aren't used that often. Deliveries and guests don't arrive often, so the front door is probably more quiet than the back of the house. A lot of architects seem to envision a home office as just a place where you have a desk and pay a few bills or surf on the computer. A pocket office IS ideal for many people, especially as computers reduce the need for file cabinets, bookshelves, and more. I mean, fewer and fewer people even have printers these days. I've been teaching from home from a 5' desk, and it's plenty for me. But it's important that you list all the tasks that YOU need your office to do /all the items you need to store in it....See MoreAmoeba-meba
5 years agoAmoeba-meba
5 years agolast modified: 5 years agoAmoeba-meba
5 years agoAmoeba-meba
5 years agoAmoeba-meba
5 years agoAmoeba-meba
5 years agoAmoeba-meba
5 years agoAmoeba-meba
5 years agoAmoeba-meba
5 years agolast modified: 5 years agoAmoeba-meba
5 years agoAmoeba-meba
4 years agoAmoeba-meba
4 years agoAmoeba-meba
2 years ago
Related Stories
HOME OFFICESThe Cure for Houzz Envy: Home Office Touches Anyone Can Do
Borrow these modest design moves to make your workspace more inviting, organized and personal
Full StoryHOUZZ TOURSMy Houzz: Sleekness and Soft Touches in a Midcentury Home
Flowers and art make classic furnishings all the lovelier in a San Francisco couple’s overhauled gem
Full StoryTHE HARDWORKING HOMEHouzz Call: Show Us Your Hardworking Home Office
We’re looking to showcase workspaces that are well organized, tech savvy and comfortable. Share your pictures!
Full StoryGREEN BUILDINGHouzz Tour: A High-Performance Craftsman Home With Modern Touches
The palette of blue, green, coral and wood makes this energy-efficient Pacific Northwest house feel natural and warm
Full StoryDECORATING GUIDES20 of the Coziest Home Offices on Houzz
See if these work for you: home offices that are far from austere and close to constructive
Full StoryHOUZZ TOURSMy Houzz: Andalusian-Inspired Touches in a Modern Home in the Hills
A Northern California couple adds global influences to the design of their contemporary family home
Full StoryMODERN HOMESHouzz Tour: A Touch of Scandi Style in a Hamburg Home
Interiors blogger Stefanie Luxat’s family home features bright rooms set off by rich colors, warm wood and whimsical designs
Full StoryVACATION HOMESHouzz Tour: Vacation Home in Italy Stays in Touch With Its Roots
Modern details blend into the historic structure of this 19th-century Apulian farmhouse
Full StoryCONTEMPORARY HOMESHouzz Tour: Spec Home in Austin Gets a Personal Touch
Custom finishes and local art bring a breath of fresh air to this contemporary Texas home
Full StoryHOMES AROUND THE WORLDHouzz Tour: A Touch of London for a Grand Parisian Home
This classic townhouse gets updated with contemporary decor, glass walls and inspiration from across the English Channel
Full Story
Flo Mangan