Hi Antonia

My boyfriend works from home and has taken over the whole living room with his stuff. I don't dare ask him to clean up as his job is stressful and he would just shout at me. How can we make his working space separate from our living area?

Thanks

CL80

There are a few ways to deal with this:

Does your boyfriend have mainly paperwork? If so, would a filing cabinet help - or a desk with doors on? Perhaps even an extra table for him to keep his papers on.

If he has equipment or products that are taking up your lounge you may need to look at the rest of the house. Could you fit storage shelves in the hall, garage or spare bedroom?

And perhaps you might think in the long term about moving him out of the lounge altogether. You could look at converting part of another room for work space, or even the garage. If you have a garden, could you invest in a 'garden office' for him .... or a shed with some light and heating in other words?

Hope one of these solutions fits the bill: my final word is to suggest you ask your boyfriend whether he is happy with the current situation as you will need his committment to any change. He may not realise how much it bothers you - ask whether he'd prefer a better system in the lounge or whether there is somewhere else he could keep his work and see what he says.

Antonia