Call it a She-Shed, Zen Den or Studio—I Love Having a Room of My Own

Come tour my new studio where all things are possible—like privacy, creativity, rest, indulgence and play. I think every woman of a certain age deserves a place to just be (and express) herself.

“It is much more important to be oneself than anything else. Do not dream of influencing other people…Think of things in themselves.”
― Virginia Woolf, A Room of One’s Own

This summer we moved to a new condo in Chicago’s Old Town neighborhood. The larger layout (and no kids to plan around) gave me the opportunity to create a room just for me, which I dubbed my “studio”. My talented interior designer and friend, Gerri Wiley, helped me create a functional, feminine retreat I just adore. Liam has his office and we have a designated guest room. In a pinch, my studio chaise pulls out to a trundle bed for overflow guests, but I’m not intending to share it much.

I wanted the new room to be pretty, comfortable and open. I needed a cozy place to lounge and read, a practical writing desk with lots of display space, and an attractive backdrop for zoom meetings or video chats. Here are some pics of my studio with resources down below. I’m really happy with how it turned out and the wallpaper is so cool!

Details about the room:

• Schumacher Feather Bloom Sisal Wallpaper
• Herman Miller Desk Chair
• Visual Comfort Pendant Light 
• Bulletin boards, Amazon
• Desk Lamp and Etegere: Crate & Barrel (old)
• Desk: Perigold (old)
• Chaise lounge/trundle bed, custom fabric, Merchandise Mart
• Jonathan Adler mirror
• Painting by artist Jane Hudson (my mom!)

It turns out the textured peachy color palette Gerri and I selected over the summer is very trendy now. Check out Pantone’s color of the year for 2024…Peach Fuzz! Pantone describes the shade like this: “Subtly sensual, PANTONE 13-1023 Peach Fuzz is a heartfelt peach hue bringing a feeling of tenderness and communicating a message of caring and sharing, community and collaboration.” Aw, I’m happy to have those good vibes.

I plan to spend lots of time in my studio writing and planning for Fully Fabulous, but I’m also going to use it to relax and explore. There are countless things to do in a room of your own—nap, journal, yoga, read, stretch, meditate, dance, snack, sip, color, write, puzzle, craft, watch silly movies, make videos, dream, primp, play the ukulele.

With the kids mostly grown, we can rethink how we live in our homes and use the space to support our dreams, goals, ambitions and whims. A rarely used guest room, adult kid’s room, or even a formal dining or living room is ripe with possibility. And it doesn’t have to be big. Drew Barrymore created her meditation room out of a closet.

This year, why not claim your space and embrace the joy of having a room that’s all yours? Here’s to 2024!