I have huge plans for the office in our house. We have been here for almost two years now, and I have done nothing to the room except add clutter. But I have plans. Big plans.

The office will be an 18th century study or cigar room. One wall will be bookcases, and one of the bookcases will swing out to reveal another small storage area. The windows and french doors will have elegant coverings of deep red drapes. The walls above the wainscoat will be covered in period paper or fabric. The floor will be hardwood or bamboo. Near the windows there will be two antique-looking sitting chairs and a small table with a chess board on it. I will probably place a bowl of pipe tobacco on one of the shelves for fragrance. The computer will be hidden from view when not in use, and the desk will be full of hidden compartments.

But that has been the plan for almost two years, and the books and papers just continue to stack up. So in an effort to at least organize the mess until I can accomplish these plans, I purchased three of those cheap pressboard bookcases. And you know, they have made a huge difference. They do not look too bad, either. And we are no longer embarrassed that visitors may see the office study.