New Home Office

[Peter Person]

Been busy during my 3 weeks between jobs.
Any who attended Cecil's August Minifest and/or CubFest Northeast last year heard that our corporate office decided to shut down the Hartford Branch where I served as branch manager, asking that I stay on till the end of the year to wrap things up. I have been in the commercial glazing industry for 29 years with 4 different companies, with this most recent stint being 10 years. What I will miss the most is working on a daily basis with my best friend.
On Monday January 10th I start chapter 5 of my working life as a project manager for a former competitor of my previous employer. They are located in the southern part of the state, about 65 miles from home, so I will be working from home 4 days per week. I have to be at the office on Thursday mornings for a 7:00am staff meeting, but I think I can handle that. So far everything points to this being a real positive experience and I feel especially thankful for getting a job in my specialty without any loss in compensation and benefits. My wife is relieved that we did not suffer the fate of many folks relying on unemployment checks for what seems like an eternity. We are very blessed.
So with all this, I needed a place to park my shingle. My basement workshop was 12' x 24' and is now 12' x 12'. My new home office is 12' x 12'.
Before;

After;

Before;

After;




Still have to trim out the opening to the crawl space and hang a door from my office into the shop.
I will be mounting a hinged plan table (7' wide x 42") on the wall adjacent to the door into the shop. It will swing down and out of the way when I need access to the shop from this side. I have a 4' wide bi-fold into the shop on another wall.

This was my first time doing carpet - simple glue down of a Home Depot in-stock commercial style carpet. Came out pretty well if I do say so myself. Erik helped on this and other parts. Aron, Emily, Hannah, and even Anneliese helped out in the whole process. The girls gave me a late Christmas present of a 2011 Farmall Calendar for the wall.

Once the project is finished I'll post a few "occupied" photos.

Peter

[Bob McCarty]

Peter, Glad to hear the transition went so well. Your previous employer will regret letting you go to a competitor. And when you retire in 50 years, you can always knock out that wall and have the shop space back.

Bob

[bob in CT]

Peter,
I am VERY relieved to hear that you landed on your feet. I have worked from home for many years and a dedicated office is the way to go. Best of luck!

[Rick Prentice]

Good to here you seem to have things under control. The couple times I met you, I could tell you have a good head on your shoulders, so you'll do just fine. Nice job on your office.

Rick

[beaconlight]

Well Done. The office and the job both. It is a good learning experience for the kids too. My Dad had us do stuff with him. I benefit from it today.

[Bill Hudson]

Peter,

Great job on the office. Better yet, working from home.

Bill

[Winfield Dave]

Peter...I am glad everything worked out so well for you.
After our conversations at Cecil's in October, I thought about you every time I would see a glazing project going on here.
I am sure you will excel at your new position.

[Cecil]

Nice office. When I worked from my house I felt the same way and built a small office. You need that kind of discipline to be successful working from home.

[Peter Person]

Dave,
Funny how that works - whenever traveling, I'm always looking at the glass work on buildings too.
Here's a link to Cherry Hill Glass Company, my new employer.

Bill,
Working from home will be a new experience for the whole family. The girls are pretty excited - they will learn when and when not to come into my office. Donna is hoping the adjustment for both of us will not be difficult.

Bill,
I explained to the kids that everything we did was based on what I learned from my father, so even though they never got to know him, they can have an appreciation for learning from me.

Rick, Bob, & Bob - Thanks for the comments - though if I don't retire for 50 years, I'll be 101 when I do.

Peter

[daddydip]

Peter Person nice carpentry job, looks right comfy. I'm very happy that the people in your industry saw your value and kept you in the ranks.

[Bigdog]

Peter - I'll echo everyone else's sentiments and say congratulations on the new job and I'm glad things worked out so well for you!
The office looks great!

[Don McCombs]

Peter, congratulations on both counts.

[John(videodoc)]

COngrats on landing the job so quickly, and transitioning so nicely. So many find that difficult. I cant see the pictures here from work. but i am sure they are great.

[Rudi]

Peter:

Gotta say to what the guys have said Very nice job. Glad that you landed on your feet ... this has been a very challenging economy in the last couple of years. Having the kids involved in the process is a real plus. You and Donna have been very fortunate in the time you get to spend with your children... really fortunate. I cherish the memories of my kids and I working together as well as my Dad and I. Passing down our parents work ethics/skills/attitudes are really important especially when our kids may not be blessed with the presence of a grandparent.

When I had my business I wasn't that fortunate. Had to do all the take-offs on the kitchen table A dedicated office sure would have been useful. Congrats

[John *.?-!.* cub owner]

Peter, I am glad things are working out for you, many have not had your success during the current financial problems. If you have not done so, I suggest talking to a cpa or other tax guy about how to figure your home office for taxes. It is a lot different than it was a few years ago as to what is and is not allowed.