My Den – Home Office 2023
Last year I wrote a piece called My Den – Home Office 2022, since that time there have been some updates. My youngest daughter has chosen Joan of Arc and I have added another Joan icon for that. I added a St. David of Wales, because my oldest two children attend a school named after him. Last year I stated that I did not have a den or personal space for the last 11.5 years. The house we were in was smaller, 3 bedrooms and 4 of us when we moved in and 5th in under a year. For a long time I had a desk in the basement, beside my wife’s crafting desk and supplies. For the last 2 years with Covin-19 and working from home full time, I had a small desk in the living room. It placed me on the central floor of the house and when all three children were doing remote learning I could hear anything brewing on the floor above or below. Then the house we have been renting for over 11 years was put on the market. We moved to a very beautiful hose. The children each have their own rooms now. And my wife and I share a space. It is my den/home office, and her scrapbooking space. For the first 6 months I did not put anything up in the den. I had stuff that had been around my desk at home, and always had stuff up in my cubicle at work. But I wanted to plan this out. This is what it now looks like almost 18 months later.
After that initial 6 months I put up a few icons I already had. And started planning what I would like my office to look and feel like. It has taken me another 5 months but this is where my set up now. Work, Play, Pray!
Across the top above the desk:
Pope Benedict Praying the Rosary
Our Lady Immaculate Heart
Saint Josemaria Escriva
Divine Mercy (a copy of the one in our church.)
Mary (Have had this one for years from my grandmother)
Our Lady of La Salette
The Father Icon (from St Mark's School of Reading)
The three coming down from these are my children's confirmation saints.
Inside these my:
Beside these:
Saint Gemma Galgani
4 Archangels
Our Lady of Perpetual
Saint Brendan
Saint Patrick
On the outside of the corner:
Our Lady of the Snows
Saint Kyriaki
Saint George and the Dragon
Saint Nicholas
Saint David of Wales
On the bookcase behind me:
Immaculate Heart of Mary
Saint Joseph
Pope Benedict XVI
Damien of Molokai
Our Lady of La Salette
Beside bookcase:
Crucifix with soil from Jerusalem
Saint Damien of Molokai
Saint Brigid of Ireland
Saint John Paul II
On the desk:
Memento Mori Skull
Homeless Jesus - Timothy Schmalz
When I Was a Stranger - Timothy Schmalz
Statue of Mary
Pocket Cross
The new icons and artwork come from a variety of sources, for some I have linked to the sites above. Some more detailed pictures below.
Timothy Schmalz has some incredible sculptures, and they are all over the world.
These are icons from Theophilia on Deviant Art. I love that they are younger versions of the saints than often we encounter. I picked up Saint Patrick for me, Joan of Arc for my 26 year old daughter I just found out about last year. And the other three for my children here at home.
These are 3 of 6 Greek Orthodox Catholic Icons I purchased. They are smaller than I expected. But on a nice thick piece of stained wood. The Smaller icons come from Holy Art.
Finally the two painting on either side of the entrance were both painted by my youngest. She is 11 now Jack Skellington was painted a few years ago. The Fall Scene this last fall at school.
The Divine Mercy at out church was painted by a local artist for a previous pastor. I love her rendition of it.
The main sources for my religious art are:
As a side note about the confirmation saints for my children I pray for them each time the icon catches my attention. When they are older and moving out for work or school I plan on taking them down and giving them to them. I hope you enjoyed the tour of my space. And maybe it will inspire you to add an icon, sculpture or two to your own work space.
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