Interior Destress

Upon finishing a run the other night, I did my usual walk through the back alley. As I navigated the slush-ridden road I was met by a desk. It wasn’t the sort of romance you see in movies when the guy is sweaty and happens to run into his crush. No, it was better.

I’ve been working from home for two months now. I finally got a “desk job,” only without the desk. The nightstand beside my bed became a vehicle to lower back pain and abnormal posture. It was too low to the ground and only big enough to fit my laptop and an occasional candle.

As I gazed at the abandoned desk in the alley, my mind filled with excitement. The ease of it being right next door, assembled, clean and desk-like! It seemed like the perfect match. I headed up to my apartment and deciphered how I’d get it up three flights of stairs. My roommate was working. I’ve got to find a way, I thought.

I went downstairs and braced myself for the possibility that another like-minded, nightstand worker would’ve gotten it by now. I turned the corner, and that same excitement I’d felt previously appeared once again. I began thinking of the neighbors looking down from their apartments at my lackluster attempt to get the desk. After all, I’d never done this sort of thing before. I’ve seen all kinds of things in the alley, couches, chairs, TVs, you name it, it’s in my alley. It’s the outdoor west elm.

I gripped the desk and shuffled my way back home. It was undoubtedly a sad sight, even resulting in falling on my ass. My roommate took a break from the world of finance and assisted my efforts.

Once in my room, it looked as though it’d be here before. I had to readjust my room three times before eventually putting it exactly where my nightstand had been. I put a lamp on it, my laptop and miscellaneous work papers. There’s even a bookshelf on the side of it. I didn’t, and still don’t wonder who the previous owner of this desk is, or who designed it. All I know is that I like this desk. It fits the white interior of my room perfectly.

I admired it from a distance of about three feet, as that’s all the space my room would allow. Maybe something's missing, I thought. A mid-century modern lamp, perhaps? No, maybe a few portraits on the walls of those I admire? I thought I needed to repaint the walls. This array of interior design aspirations came over me like a storm.

I took to google, coming across multiple lamps of all shades and sizes. I went on Apartamento magazine’s website to find inspiration. I settled on the fact that my current room has reached its final form. In a month I’ll be packing up and heading off to the next location. One that I can imagine will be a petri dish of good taste, full of color and impeccable design. Sometimes a stray desk in an alley can do these things to a person.