HIS & HER ARLO MINIS – MAKING A SPACE OF THEIR OWN

Scott and Kirsten Harrison’s twin Arlo Minis look identical from the outside.

But peer inside and you’ll see two entirely unique manifestations of personality, anchored by the same views of sprawling forest and the sparkling waters of Puget Sound.

Through a lot of thought, and a little soul-searching, the Harrisons have taken the blank canvas of the Arlo Mini interior and painted their own dreams and desires on the walls.

Finding his style – Scott’s home office in his own words

Scott leads technical recruiting for a tech company, working in a world of high stakes and high stress.

“Externally it just looks really cool. And then, having kind of a blank canvas inside to just imagine the possibilities was exciting.

It's rare that you have an opportunity to just go ‘Oh, I get to design this’. And that was fun. My wife and I put a board together and pinned things, like: this would be cool; this feels like me; this feels like something I like.

It was great to take a moment to reflect on what I liked in a space. It took me a while at first to even go, ‘Yeah, what do I like?’ and then start thinking through the dark colors that I liked, the rich leathers, the overstuffed chairs while trying to maintain a sleek kind of modern look to it.

So that was a fun exercise.

I think for me having that space that I designed is really great for my mental state while working. I’m on Zoom calls all day. Oftentimes things are super hectic and you're making decisions very quickly and things pop up and you’ve got to react very, very fast. Having a space that is calming, that feels clean and put together and sleek and organized, is a nice counterbalance to everything else that is going on around me.

And then after a call or after a stressful meeting. I can walk out onto our property and I hear the birds, I can hear the waves crashing. I can see the woods. Or I can just walk over and visit my wife in her structure.

So having that buffer, that ability to walk out and have some space, even if just mental space for a minute, it’s a great recess and much better for me than being in the office all day and not having a break at all.

Working in my Arlo Mini has just been really good.

An atmosphere of safety – Kirsten’s home office in her own words

Kirsten is a Spiritual Director and founder of soulspace, where she helps guide clients on their spiritual journeys.

“I love my DROP Structure because it's just really aesthetically pleasing. It's simple and beautiful, and it matches the aesthetic of our house.

It's a place that I can't wait to come out to in the morning and spend the day. I'm so close to home that I can go in and get lunch and take care of the dogs. And, sometimes the dogs will join me out here in the morning.

But inside, my Arlo Mini is different than Scott's. Because we got two, we were each able to sort of take the space in our own direction, whatever felt best to us.

We painted our Arlo Minis a week ago, and it really changed the way it feels in here. It feels cozy. I was worried that if I painted it a dark color, it would take away some of the spaciousness of it but actually, it just feels like a haven.

It just feels really good energetically.

As a Spiritual Director, that’s incredibly important to me, because safety is a prerequisite to connection.

The atmosphere that we meet with people, the atmosphere that I meet with directees in, becomes part of the way their nervous system experiences our time together. And so the beauty, the nature that surrounds me and my nervous system being calm and grounded, that becomes the backdrop that allows their nervous system to relax.

Being in the space that I love, supports me in being grounded so that I can be present to people. I think that if my nervous system is grounded, I can hold better space. And that's really the most important thing I can do is be grounded and hold safe space for people.

I’d have to ask my directees, but I believe that the space being beautiful and comfortable, with all these natural elements, indirectly supports my directees – and that’s central to what I do.”

Supporting our clients along the journey

Working alongside the Harrisons to build their ‘perfect home office pair’ has been an honor and an amazing journey. But the road has had more than a few hurdles to clear along the way.

In fact, just placing the Arlo Minis on their foundations has taken over a year, making the Harrison’s the longest road from delivery to placement we’ve ever faced.

However, after a year of struggling to find the right crane on an island known more for its scenery than its amenities, we’ve finally been able to help the Harrisons fulfill their vision.

Read more about Scott and Kirsten’s island life struggles in the blog post: Making island life work with home office Arlo Mini(s).