The Office Where Love Bloomed

Fess up. How many of you were Judith Krantz fans back in the 80s? There was that summer before my junior year in high school when I read the Brontë Sisters by day...and Judith Krantz by night. Let me tell you- you can get quite an education from Princess Daisy and Scruples, although I don't think it was the kind of education that my parents envisioned for me. When my father expressed his dismay over my choice of literature, I told him that at least I wasn't reading Jackie Collins. Now her stuff was really trashy. Or so I've heard.

I'm guessing that Judith's romance writing days are over as I haven't heard about her in a while. But back twenty years ago, she was huge. A 1992 House & Garden article featured Krantz's California home office, or what she called her workroom. And whether you like her type of fiction or not, I think her work space will be of interest to bloggers and writers. After all, don't the words flow a little more freely in a space that is both inspiring and comforting?

First, she made sure that her workroom looked out onto a garden because it comforted her to know that the outdoors were not far from her desk. She also noted that she didn't think she could write in a high rise. I can write in my high rise condo, but I get what she's saying. You do get a little stir crazy while writing with your head in the clouds.



Krantz said that other than her computer, you'd never know that this room was her office. The walls were covered in a Provençal print, and there were needlepoint rugs on the floor. Krantz accessorized her room with her collection of framed needlework as well as ivory jars and boxes. She surrounded herself with things that would serve as "food for my fidgets." Any of you who write can relate to this; how many times do you get up to rearrange bookshelves or tableaux while you're trying to crank out a post or an article?



While the room is a bit frou for me, what I do like is that it looks nothing like an office, and that's a breath of fresh air. I don't have the luxury of space, so I don't want to devote an entire room to a utilitarian looking office. Instead, it has to do double duty as a living space. But the beauty of being a writer or blogger is that you don't need much more than books, a laptop, a sharp mind, and an attractive workroom to get the creative juices flowing. Oh, and an active imagination with which to dream up the trials and tribulations of Princess Daisy and that evil half brother of hers Ram!



(All images from House & Garden, Aug 1992)