White Lights in the Office: Goldilocks Tackles Ambiance

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Last week, I strung white lights in my office. I'd been looking for a set since mid-January when I decided that they'd create both the quality and quantity of lighting I was looking for on gloomy days. I'm happy to report that after all that searching, the idea turned out to be every bit as good in reality as it was in my imagination.

My husband, Mr. Functionality, just shakes his head. He doesn't understand why I want Christmas lights in my office. It doesn't seem strange to him that we've hung exactly the same lights outside on the gazebo structure that provides shelter over our patio, just as it didn't seem strange to me that I finally found these lights when Target began putting out its patio furniture. Really, all I'm doing is bringing the same idea that works for me outside into the house. And, if I keep in mind that my office used to be a patio before we enclosed it and made it part of the house, there's a certain symmetry to the whole thing.

This all started because the existing lighting in my office was a sort of Goldilocks and the porridge scenario: the ceiling fixture cast too much light, and the desk lamp didn't cast quite enough. The desk lamp is intense and wonderful for spotlighting specific tasks, but by itself, it didn't create enough overall lighting in the room. I needed more, but just a little bit more. Something that would create a warm, inviting atmosphere, luring me to my desk when I wasn't 100% convinced that I wanted to be sitting there.

A few weeks prior to purchasing the lights, I did a long overdue desk overhaul. While there's still clutter to be busted in my office, the room is taking shape as a sort of haven -- the kind of place I want to work in.

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So what does any of this have to do with organization? Form and function. I need to remove the clutter in order to function, but as I do so, in addition to creating systems that work, I need to create a space that works as well. A room I love -- one that fits my styles and preferences -- stands a much better chance of staying organized than a place that's anything less. By wedding form (beauty, atmosphere and aesthetics) and function (organizers that work for my styles and work together a system), I'm creating a stress-free space where my creativity can flow -- a room I want to spend time in.

Now if you'll excuse me, I've decided my desk needs a candle.