#ThursdayDoors | Looking At The Doors In Ms. Bean’s Blogging Sanctum

/ Ally Bean

I hope that this is not going to be too exciting for you, my gentle readers.

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You see, today I’m joining Thursday Doors, hosted by Norm Frampton, so that I can share with you the following photos of my blogging sanctum– also known as our home study.

I admit that these door photos might not be exactly what Norm had in mind when he started this challenge, but I’m having a busy + weird week. Meaning that I’ve no time, nor the inclination, to write anything more than a few quips about a few photos.

Hence, with a hat tip to old-school blogging simplicity, I give you the following photos, two of which happen to be of doors.

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DOORS leading into the home study, as seen while standing in foyer.

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Given to me by a former boss, the sentence on this door-hanging pillow thingie has come to summarize my life’s purpose. She understood my strengths long before I did. I’ve no idea where she is now, but thank you.

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People who know me in real life will find this photo shocking. Here’s the top of my desk organized and almost clutter-free. Tidy, even. Look how everything you see has a place. Isn’t that odd lovely?

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Occasionally I have a burst of inspiration. This chair was loitering in the basement when it dawned on me that by dragging it upstairs & putting it in my blogging sanctum I could sit with my laptop in comfort. Oh happy days!

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DOORS on old bookcase filled with books plus a little more, as seen in the home study.

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Should you, my gentle readers, decide to share photos + details about your blogging sanctum on your blog, please let me [us] know. This could be a fun thing to do here in ye olde blogosphere.

84 thoughts on “#ThursdayDoors | Looking At The Doors In Ms. Bean’s Blogging Sanctum”

  1. And what a lovely paint color on the walls. Pray tell, what color is that? And did you wonderful husband agreed to apply it? Tee-hee.

    Liked by 1 person

    • Zen-Den, yes those walls are gorgeous, aren’t they? I believe the color is a marvelous shade of gray called Fleur de Sel. I hired a talented painter who know what he was doing and was able to paint the ceiling of the room to match the walls. A genius, I do believe. ❤️

      Liked by 2 people

  2. What an interesting idea, Ally … err, Mrs. Bean. Doors can be symbolic too if so many. Closed doors (so sadly symbolic), and open doors, which have become my new pet peeve as summer arrives and with it mosquitoes (which have an uncanny ability to find that open door and scoot inside). In Kazakhstan I got used to never speaking or even shaking hands across a door sill. They thought it would bring bad luck. Here it brings mosquitoes; probably the same thing.

    Liked by 2 people

    • Janet, Norm’s weekly door challenge is interesting and draws a wide variety of participants. Usually I do doors I see while on adventures, but today I felt like sharing something more personal.

      I didn’t know about the Kazakhstan way of behaving around a door sill. There’s a sense to it. Some tradition rooted in history? I don’t like mosquitoes, but ours must be better behaved than yours. They rarely fly inside the house, preferring to attack us when we’re lounging on the deck.

      Liked by 1 person

  3. Nice, bright space with lots of light. And I love how you found a new spot for your furniture. Why buy more Stuff when what you have can be moved for a better purpose?

    But yikes, would I hate to be the one cleaning all those glass panels, though I love love love the look.

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    • nance, Z-D painted this room last winter, then we replaced the old dingy honeycomb blinds with new white slated ones. This room’s transformation has been amazing. Once I realized how bright and inviting it was, I remembered the chair and thought: why not use it?

      That old bookcase has been in my life since I was born. I’ve always like it, so while cleaning the glass panels is work, for me it’s kind of fun. Good memories surround that piece of furniture.

      Liked by 1 person

    • Jill, I don’t think it’s odd at all. I imagine all of us are curious/nosy about how each other really lives! I thought about buying a new chair for the home office, but my frugal nature got the better of me… so the old chair gained a new lease on life.

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  5. Well, no doors, as it’s a loft. One giant bedroom with a kitchen and a TV set. Or one giant kitchen with a bed in the corner. Either way, in the center somewhere, a small table a chair that I can’t push far enough away from the table due to the enormous wooden beam right behind it–all with total disregard for ergonomic practices, carpal tunnels be damned. But your study/sanctum looks great. I like the double doors.
    The first thing I wrote was when I was a kid and lived in what was actually a stone lanai/barbecue pit something-or-other with a plywood wall on the front , and plywood door my step-father built. A door, a “real” door, lying flat on two sawhorses to provide a horizontal surface, and spiral notebook and a pen. Again, this was pre-OSHA, pre ergonomics, I believe Hemingway wrote standing up using a typewriter on a dresser.

    Liked by 1 person

    • Roy, your current table/chair configuration sounds challenging but perhaps inspires you to write faster! Interesting early childhood home you had there. I bet that there are stories to go with it. I didn’t know about Hemingway’s “work station,” but doctors today who push standing desks would love it!

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  6. I love the pillow-message-thingy’s message. And its a nice idea having interior doors for Norm’s challenge. I have never taken part, though there’s a vintage photo I have that might fit into it, one day…
    Your desk is wayyyyy tidier than mine even when mine has been tidied. So, no pics of my blogging area in the near future…

    Liked by 2 people

    • Val, I’ve kept that pillow thingy for years hanging it wherever I might be working. It’s a goal and a declaration all in one.

      I’d love to see your vintage photo. You’ve given me an idea– I bet that I’ve got some old photos like yours. I’ll have to check on that.

      My desk usually is piled with notebooks and books and stuff. I’m a visual person so keeping things out and about helps me be creative. However, once in a while I get her tidied up.

      Liked by 1 person

    • nancy, thanks. I like how this space as evolved over the last half a year. I feel more comfortable and inspired in here now. Gray walls, comfy chair, tidier desk– look at me, I’m a blogging machine! 😎

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  8. Comfy, cozy, sleek and bright when you want it, but welcoming I think on a chilly winter day with that chair.
    I went a little crazy last month and moved my desk corner from under the front window of my apartment into what is traditionally the dining area next to the kitchen. There was no sense of separation originally and without the ability to do some heavy construction and put up a wall, I thought…why not?
    I now have my dining table under the sunny front window (who cares if the dining room light doesn’t have a verifiable dining set under it) and have fashioned a small nook with my desk and a chair in the kitchen alcove. Overall I am pleased!

    Liked by 1 person

    • Deb, you hit the nail on the head with your assessment of that comfy chair in winter. That’s exactly when and why I got interested in moving the chair into the home study. Very inviting.

      When Zen-Den was in law school we were marrried and living in a one bedroom apartment. We did EXACTLY what you did by turning the dining nook into our “study” with all his books and files. We then put our dining room table, a card table, in the living room area to get more natural light. We found it pleasant and a much better use of space. Great minds think alike!

      Liked by 1 person

  9. The doors with the curtains cinched look so pretty and inviting. I love your glassed in bookcase. I bet you love the memories that go along with it. The color on the walls is fantastic! And I love the chair and ottoman, and especially the owls pillow. There’s just something about owls!

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    • Beth, I like those cinched curtains, too. They were white originally, but I tea-stained them to be less bright. I really, really am pleased with this shade of gray. It’s not dreary at all which is my fear with gray paint. I like the owls, too. I don’t want to collect them or anything like that– but these two are cute, so they can stay.

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    • Judy, the boxes with drawers are loose/separate, able to be removed or shifted aside as needed. This desk is from Pottery Barn and these boxes with drawers, that match the desk, were accessories for the desk. They’ve proved to be worth the extra cost. Very useful.

      Liked by 1 person

    • Margaret, why thank you! I hadn’t thought of this space as elegant, but I’ll take the compliment. Getting this home study pulled together has been a multi-year project, but now that it’s almost complete [I want a rug in here] I’m pleased.

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  13. Thanks for the peek into Ally’s world! The picture of your desk makes me want to tidy up mine. But, who am I kidding… it would take mere moments before it got back to its comfortable messiness again. I love how your room feels so calm and peaceful.

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    • Janis, I’m usually cluttered and happily messy, but just this once I got the room looking picture perfect so I snapped a few pics, under the auspices of Thursday Doors. You’re right and I hadn’t thought of it before, but this space is calm and peaceful. I’m not sure that was my design goal, but now that the vibe is here I like it.

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    • Elen, I’ve no idea what that little door-hanging pillow thingie is called, but its message has been a guiding light in my life for many years.

      If you decide to share your writing space with a photo I promise I won’t judge how untidy it is. Mine is usually a mess, piled with stuff every which way. But while it was organized I thought I’d better snap a pic. Proof of neatness, you know?

      Liked by 1 person

    • Jan, this was a fluke! That’s why I snapped some photos to prove that it could happen. I don’t plan on maintaining this much tidy going forward, but for one day… once upon a time… my blogging sanctum was picture perfect.

      Liked by 1 person

  19. I definitely want to live in your house! My studio is a huge mess right now but I love it. I’ve shown some pictures before but it may be time to do a more in depth visit. Thanks for the suggestion.

    Liked by 1 person

    • Janet, I love your studio. I’m intrigued to know what’s in all those drawers. I took these photos because for once the room is tidy and I wanted a way to commemorate this moment. Also, it seemed like a fun Thursday Doors post. We’ll see what Norm has to say about it, won’t we? 🙄

      Liked by 1 person

  20. Note to self: To keep desk/office tidy just take pictures of it regularly and post them on the internet 😀
    Seriously though this was a fun original post. Thanks for playing and for being so creative about your choice of doors.

    Liked by 1 person

    • Norm, your logic is sound. I’m sure it’s the threat of being photographed that keeps a room tidy. Uh huh. I was hoping that you’d approve this non-traditional Thursday Doors post. I have some “real” door photos that I’ll share another time, but this week has been hectic.

      Liked by 1 person

  21. I love your blogging sanctuary. I’d go as far as to say I covet your blogging sanctuary.
    … because I don’t have one 😕

    I use the dining room table and it is highly unsatisfactory. Sigh.

    Liked by 1 person

    • Joanne, thank you. This subdivision requires all homes to have a first floor home study. If it weren’t for that requirement I don’t think we’d have one. But because we do, I use it and enjoy it.

      Liked by 1 person

  22. Your writing spaces are lovely as are the doors. I too have French doors secluding me in my writing studio, but no clever pillow-hung sayings. Alas, I have allowed my desktop and floors to lapse into messiness. My excuse: Writing memoir requires concentration, not the distraction of cleaning up, for Heaven’s sake.

    Usually including one’s post links equates to spamming, but you asked for it. Right? Here’s one glimpse into my writing studio + sneaky peeks into other writers’ spaces: http://marianbeaman.com/2017/09/20/dark-light-where-do-you-write/

    It’s a delight to be a voyeur into your space and imagining those of your commenters. 🙂

    Liked by 1 person

    • Marian, thanks for the link to your post and your home writing space. I like knowing what your writing studio looks like. It’s inviting, not looking messy to me. By showing each other where we write, there’s an instant connection that comes from peeking into someone else’s home. We’re all a little bit nosy, you know? 🤔

      I hadn’t thought of it when I wrote this, but you’re so right about the need to know if you prefer light or dark when writing. I’m all about light, not too harsh, but preferably natural. My blogging sanctum gets morning light which is when I’m usually up and writing. On the rare occasions I need to write in the evening there’s a lamp that casts a soft glow in the room.

      As for the whole “tidy” issue, my philosophy has always been “a place for everything and everything near its place.” No need to get yourself in knots over stuff when creating stuff, I figure.

      Liked by 1 person

    • camparigirl, thank you! It’s been a long time coming to get this space to be inviting and practical. Once Zen-Den painted it Fleur de Sel gray last winter, the cozy vibe manifested– and I’m reading more because of it.

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  25. I loved this peek into your blogging sanctum Ally. I think we’re all curious about work/studio spaces, and yours is lovely. But I especially love that you took advantage of a tidy time – something about that just makes me smile in delight.

    Liked by 1 person

    • Deborah, I agree about wanting to know where other bloggers and authors do their thing. I’m curious and nosy. I admit it. I’ve said before here in this blog that it’s only by seeing the inside of someone’s house that I can truly understand them. No judgement mind you, just a glimpse into what they surround themselves with as they live their days. Most insightful.

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  26. The fact that you’ve owned that book case your whole life is really impressive! The book case itself is beautiful too – especially since it’s full of books 😉
    I’ve learnt in my Thursday Doors experience that there seem to be very few rules involved. It’s fascinating to see the places we all explore, but equally intriguing to see where we return to afterwards.
    Also, I think I have the same desktop background. Is yours one of the Mac defaults?

    Liked by 1 person

    • Pistachios, that bookcase is one of the first pieces of furniture that I remember in my parents’ home. I don’t think it was the books that drew me to it as much as the glass panels on which I could leave hand prints. Later I figured out about the books.

      You’re right about the lack of rules with Thursday Doors. That might be part of the reason why I like it. I don’t quite know why I suddenly decided to share the doors that I see when I return home, but this week that’s what I’ve got for the challenge. Norm seems cool with it.

      Yes, my computer screen is a Mac default one. It’s soothing to look at so I’ve never personalized the screen. Why fix something that isn’t broke?

      Liked by 1 person

      • Haha I bet your parents were glad when you moved past the handprints and got to the books!

        I used to prefer desktop backgrounds with lots of green, but I agree – that one is soothing to look at, and it just feels right.

        Looking forward to seeing more TD posts from you 🙂

        Liked by 1 person

        • No doubt my parents were thrilled when I got to the book noticing stage– and not just because of the handprints. They were readers. Big time readers.

          I had a desktop backgrounds with lots of stones and wood for a while, but the grays and browns on the screen got to a point where I found them depressing. So I went with this one for the reason you mention: soothing.

          Liked by 1 person

  27. Mrs. Bean has a sweet set up 🙂
    Very fond of your bookcase.
    I like French doors most especially when they’re not in my house, as they are beautiful and a chore to clean. (Although Mrs. Bean is unencumbered of small Beans and puppy noses and it may not be so bad for her.)
    Love the chair.
    And your desk. Is a good desk. Even if it were untidy, it has nice lines. My “desk” is a sofa table which is tidy apart from cats knocking everything off it. Three days a week, give or take.
    My “blog space” at home is the right side of a loveseat who’s seen better days, but no better behinds. It’s not nearly as charming as yours!

    Liked by 1 person

    • joey, it’s only been in the last year or so that we’ve got this home study looking good. For a long time my desk was an end table in the corner of the room, a room with awful taupe walls. Depressing. However, the space came together when we got the desk and Z-D painted the room a pleasing shade of gray and we replaced the wonky honeycomb blinds on the windows with normal slatted blinds.

      The French doors really aren’t a problem. We are two adults, not inclined to press our noses against the glass, meaning no smudges.

      Your blog space sounds good to me. As long as you’re comfortable sitting where you are sitting and you can keep the cats at bay– whatever works, works.

      Liked by 1 person

    • Deb, I’m not usually as tidy as the photos would suggest, but once I saw that I’d actually made things look neat in this room I knew I had to join Norm’s challenge. Had to, I tell ‘ya!

      Liked by 1 person

  33. I need a new home office. My office in the basement is too uninviting and the kitchen table can be too traffick-y. My fall goal is to convert one of the kid’s bedrooms into an upstairs office since my last kiddo is off to college in the fall. A room of my own will be fab!

    Liked by 1 person

  34. I love your study. I am also suffering from serious levels of envy having spent a fair bit of time working on converting my spare room into a space I could use – to see clients, to write, to read – and be away from the TV (which Himself is overly attached to). While I didn’t have to do *that* much, what with time being a limited commodity when you work full-time, it was a work-in-progress for a while, and I was very pleased with myself when it was finished. It worked well too … for a couple of months, until my boyfriend announced that his storage space needed to be emptied immediately. Turned out it was an old friend’s garage who’d forgetten his stuff was still in there until prepping for moving out day following his house sale. So, now it’s all in my room. I’ve done a serious chunk of extra de-cluttering on my stuff and moved some of his into that space, but there is still so much more (sob).

    Two months is long enough to have demonstrated patience and supportive-ness, yes? Do we stern words to be sufficient for getting action … or is there a better option?

    Liked by 1 person

    • deb, getting this home study to look like this took years. Make no mistake about it. It used to be filled with miscellaneous stuff and file cabinets and a dreadful desk that made me sad. So sad. Plus the wall color, ugly taupe, was a bad choice. It was dark and gloomy in here.

      However, in the last half a year we stopped dilly-dallying, mostly because I snapped and said: THIS HAS TO BE FINISHED NOW! I want my space. My point being that if two months is your boiling point about your current office situation, then stern words are called for. Oh yes they are. Delivered with love, of course.

      Liked by 1 person

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