Home Writing Nooks – Nooks & Cranberries

I’m sitting at the desk in the room that is slowly being transformed into my office and writing studio. Until a week ago, boxes and papers were scattered around, looking like a tornado had swept through. But that’s how organization works sometimes, isn’t it? In order to see what you have to organize, you have to unearth the paperwork and items that have been boxed up or put in piles only to be forgotten about.

My husband and I moved into our new house a year ago this month, and things are feeling more and more settled all the time. In a perfect world we would have had everything in order right away, but that was impossible given that I was pregnant and my husband is working and in graduate school.

Two of the biggest house projects that have been looming over the months have been my pantry and office. Both were a disaster for a long time but are finally coming together. I can walk into my pantry now without having to step over boxes filled with unknown items–very important for a home cook and food blogger! I can find what I’m looking for on the pantry shelves with relative ease. And there’s even a spot for a few shelves worth of cookbooks. As for my office, I will soon have a revised filing system in place so that stacks of paper no longer have to accumulate, and the closet–where most things have been stuffed so that my son can safely play on the floor while I write–will soon be free of random boxes and will have a sense of order.

I can’t tell you how good this progress makes me feel. It’s as though I’ve accomplished a major task and am free of a big burden that’s been weighing on me. Once things are settled, I’ll be able to be much more efficient. Time management is difficult when things aren’t set up properly.

In the early days of Nooks & Cranberries, I featured some other writers’ offices as I was in the process of working on my office at my former home. Now I’m starting afresh, and it’s fun to be able to look back at some of my former inspirations as well as to find new ones. I’m looking forward to seeing how it unfolds and to share the results with you soon! And if you have any ideas or tips that have worked for you, leave a comment–I’d love to hear from you!

Here at Nooks & Cranberries, we’re all about finding inspiration in the world around us, whether we’re at one of Seattle’s many wonderful cafes, bakeries, or bars, an inviting hotel lobby, or even out in the great outdoors. One of the secrets to writing is being able to find inspiration wherever you are. And that includes at home.

Last week we took at look at the home office of Emily, the blogger behind Cupcakes and Cashmere. Her focus on white and pale hues, with pops of color and contrast from fresh flowers and a chalkboard, surround her in beauty, style, and simplicity.

Today’s featured Home Writing Nook is Ernest Hemingway’s Key West writing studio.

Notice the typewriter, trophy mounts, and book collection, not to mention the spacious interior. It’s considerably more masculine than our previous featured Home Writing Nook, but just as inspiring and personal.

Separated from the main house, Hemingway’s writing studio occupied the second floor of a former carriage house. A cat walk ran from the house’s veranda to the studio, allowing Hemingway to get out of bed in the mornings and walk directly to the studio, according to the Hemingway Home & Museum’s website.

Hemingway spent more than ten years at this house in Old Town Key West, and wrote For Whom the Bell Tolls, To Have and Have Not, Death in the Afternoon, Green Hills of Africa, and many short stories here (source).