Today we are chatting with Kristen Stevens and taking a look inside her beautiful work from home studio space. She lives with her husband, Grant, and kitty, Luka, in a charming 2 bedroom condo in Knoxville, Tennessee. They live 45 minutes from the Great Smoky Mountains! How cool is that?! She loves photography and homemaking to create a cozy space where she can feel inspired and happy.
Tell us about your home
We currently are living in a 2 bedroom and 2 bathroom condo, and I love the simplicity of it. There’s so many things I love about it, but there’s also so many things that I can’t wait to have in a different home some day! What I really like about our condo is that I can have my own space to work! This particular room is really well lit with 2 windows and I’m all about lots of natural light! This room fits my office furniture perfectly and it’s definitely one of my favorite places to be at home. When I was thinking of a plan for the space, I knew I wanted more organizational units, so I went with some IKEA pieces that are the best for organizing all of my things really nicely. When I was in the process of organizing, I made sure to kind of categorize each drawer to have specific things in them. For me, that really helps my brain be able to function best! I do the same thing with my kitchen items and in other areas of our home- everything is for for the most part in categories. Even the refrigerator! Because we are young and just getting started in life, I’ve had to find ways to be able to decorate and organize our home without breaking the bank.
Where do you find most of your decor pieces?
I’ve always been a huge lover of the 3 sister stores- Home Goods, TJmaxx and Marshall’s. I’ve found so many goodies in those stores for really good prices. If I see something I really like at Target, I will usually check those 3 stores first to see if I can get the same or similar item for much cheaper! Thrift stores are also always a great option.
How would you describe your style?
I would describe my decor style as neutral with a tiny bit of mid century modern style. I really love neutral tones, textures, and a little bit of color too! I’ve always had a vision for my office space, and I knew somewhat of what I wanted. I had to make sure I took some time to really think it through because I have a tendency to buy decor that I really love, but sometimes I end up not having the space for it, or it doesn’t match like it should. So with my office, the goal was to having everything, or most things anyway, match and flow together.
What was your process for designing your studio space?
I used Pinterest a lot of inspiration, and that’s where I found the genius idea of doing a custom IKEA desk. It was so simple- I bought two organizational units and one 98” countertop. I spaced out the units and placed the counter on top which created my dream work space! I wanted lots of space to work from and this was a really affordable way of doing it. Shelving was also a big mush for this space for 2 reasons- one because you can always do something cute with shelves and two because I wanted to fill the wall space with something “permanent” that I could always re-decorate if I wanted to! The large blue rug in my office is from Target! It actually originally went in our living room, but I knew it’s real home was in my office, and I love it. There’s still so many little things about this space that I’m envisioning, but I love where it’s at right now and I’m so thankful to have this space to come to just to work or even just have my quiet time and listen to the rain with the windows open. When we move one day, it will definitely have a special place in my heart. I’ve grown and learned so much in this space and I’ve loved seeing it grow and change as time as gone on. When moving in to this condo, I always knew I would do great things in this room with my business.
How do you stay organized working from home?
When I’m at home working, the best way I stay organized is by having everything I need in one space where I can easily find it and I also try to make a to-do list or action plan of tasks that I need to get done for the day. It helps me to work better that way! Having a special work space in my home has been amazing because it’s a place that really inspires me and makes me happy and has allowed me to feel more inspired in all sorts of ways! But I also believe that anyone can work from home and be creative anywhere! Even on the couchThere are days where I’d rather sip my coffee and work from my comfy couch instead. And I love it. Whatever your work space, make it fun for yourself!
What is inspiring you right now?
There’s so much awesome personal development resources out there right now, and I’ve been loving listening to Podcasts mostly. I’m not much of a reader and that’s one thing I wish was different about me- I have to reallllyyyy get sucked into a book or enjoy the topic to read it. I’ve been listening to Eric Worre and Jordan Lee Dooley most- both podcasts have been really helpful and inspiring and I’ve really enjoyed listening in the car or just at home in the morning as I make my coffee. I always feel most inspired in the spring and summer months because I love the weather and just all the fun that comes with it. You could say I’m inspired by the weather as silly as that sounds!
Connect with Kristen
Kristen's instagram is @seekandflourish so you will definitely want to check that out for even more dreamy photos!