I spend an enormous time behind my computer, and for a very long time I used to work with my laptop on my lap from a sofa, a chair or (don’t shout) my bed, if I was working late at night… These are bad habits for Poppy. So at the beginning of the year I made a big change to my working life and gave myself a present of a dedicated working space. I’m not a fan of the word ‘office’, as it conjures up images of grey files, corporateness and Ricky Gervais (whom I actually think is brilliant – have you seen him sing on Sesame Street?) I also don’t like the word ‘study’ as it reminds me of being rubbish at revising for my GSCE’s and the panic of not knowing which king married which queen and who’s head got chopped off when.
My work environment needs to be clutter-free and simple, with plenty of storage and lots of light. And have very easy access to tea. And biscuits. And cake. It has taken me a while to get it right, as by nature I am quite a messy person. It drives me mad. I get it from my dad. (It drives him mad too. What’s wrong with us? Why can’t we put things AWAY?) But when I do blitz the flat and tidy up and put everything in its place so that the surfaces are clear and the odds and ends have been banished, I breathe better, I sleep better and I work better… so I know it’s the key to my happiness. I just forget where I put it occasionally. (The key. Not my happiness.) So this has been a project in the making and after many hours perusing the Houseology website, it finally all started to come together…