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A couple of years ago my youngest son decided to move…into our basement.   As a college student, he felt he needed his own space.  And the basement was just the place for his “man cave”.  I was fine with that!  I was quick to call dibs on his old bedroom for MY own space.  Yes, I lost my son to the basement but gained an office.

For weeks I would visit the empty room and visualize my office.  It was important to me to have plenty of workspace for all my current and future projects, so instead of a desk, I went with a wall-to-wall countertop.    Yep, just like the ones they put in kitchens.  They are beautiful and inexpensive, with many looking like granite.  You can walk right into Home Depot and choose the depth and width you need.  If you are willing and able it is an easy do-it-yourself project.  Since mine was 12 feet long I chose to get the help of a very handy neighbor, so  $124 later I had a beautiful 12-foot workspace.

Because the countertop was almost 12 ft. long, my handy neighbor mounted it to the wall at my specified height of 30 inches using large 18” x 16” brackets.  The brackets were placed under the countertop and to the studs in the wall for extra support.  My walls were a bit crooked, so the ends had to be trimmed using a circular saw to fit the wall perfectly.  Lastly, he took a bead of caulk and ran in along the back and sides at the wall to finish off the look.  Beautiful!!

Now I needed some serious storage space.  I had my heart set on a couple of credenzas to hold a slew of files.  After many weeks of looking around for a great deal, I found what I was looking for at Office Depot.  Each credenza was $79 after taking advantage of their 20% off coupon.  I tucked them under each end of the new countertop and I was ready for business.  Note: I had already shopped around and measured the credenzas so that I knew how high to place the countertop. I am happy with the height of my new “desk”, however, Carol felt like it was too high for her, so make sure you get the placement of your countertop perfect for you and your needs.

I am just getting started, my office is a work in progress and taking on a life all its own.  Please visit me next Friday for my light bulb moment and more changes.

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