How a Christmas Desk Paved the Way for Small Space Hospitality
Adding a desk to our kids’ bedroom launched an apartment reshuffling akin to a game of musical chairs. The desk was the last player standing, so to speak, as we shed the outgrown or underused contents of our New York City apartment–all for the sake of making our home a welcoming gathering place. My eldest daughter had included a desk on her Christmas wish list . For a suburban family with ample room, this would have been a no-brainer. As a mom fitting a household of six into a two-bedroom apartment, however, her wish seemed unrealistic. I saw the value in upgrading our toddler table to a scale appropriate for my eight, ten, and twelve year olds. An extra workstation would come in handy, especially considering they often invite friends over for homework playdates. However, we needed to think outside the box to seriously entertain the idea. Two bunk beds, two dressers, and a bookshelf monopolized all four walls in the kids’ bedroom, so where could we squeeze in a desk? As an experiment, ...