Finished Project: Kotatsu!

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My friends, my friends, I have achieved a pandemic dream! I've always loved the idea of a kotatsu. I saw them in Ouran HighSchool Host Club and was charmed by the cozy atmosphere they inspired, even in such a high energy show. 

When I was in the midst of hybrid teaching hell, I did my best to plug any small comforts into my day without distracting me too much from my job. This made reading (unless my students were testing without my support) out of the question. I can't make any progress in reading unless I am consumed by it, and that could not coincide with work. Instead, I used google image search, and the occasional youtube video of tea being poured on mute. I would search for something to stare at and then just scroll. I would look at teapots, food, plants, other places around the world, and of course, kotatsu. I might sound like a sad coping mechanism, but it was very soothing.

Scrolling the images of the kotatsu was especially comforting in the winter months. I went from being comforted by the images to wanting to experience one in real life. A trip to Japan though, is a bit of a pipe dream. M and I have talked about it, and it is on the list of places we would like to visit, but that is a long list of trips I can't imagine us affording anytime soon. Even knowing this, I could not stop imagining us sitting under one. I knew that it was a long shot, but I tried to see how much it would be to order one. I was not shocked. I understood the cost, but it was still not manageable for us, especially while I was working at that school (I actually cried when I got my first paycheck with my current job). I looked for ways to make one, and discovered this article. 

It looked promising, but still a bit pricey for us at the time. I thought about buying all of the pieces in slow installments, and came up with a plan, but by the time I could have started, my energy was depleted. I did not have the wherewithal to follow through. Even if I had, I would not have gotten very far once M's health got worse. 

I shelved the dream for a while, but I never totally let it go. Then, all of the life changes I could have asked for happened. I got a better job, M started to stabilize, and I got caregiver status. I had the time, money and energy to consider this project. After discussing it with M, we broke  it down. They tried to see if they could find a kotatsu for less than all of the pieces I was looking at, and came up empty. So they were fully on board with my desire to make one. Starting at the very beginning of winter, they ordered the pieces in stages. I was hoping we could get them all before the holidays, so we would have plenty of time to enjoy it, but the heater looked like it would not get here until after New Years.

I did not make any compromises on the elements that could impact safety. Even the blanket I chose is all cotton. In the case of the heater, this meant that I was only going to get the exact same one suggested by the article. So it would be coming from Japan. And that needed a longer delivery time. A bit sad, but it was fine. It would be worth the wait.

The heater was indeed the last piece to arrive, but it got here early! After getting all of the parts, putting it together was not too bad. The Ikea table itself took two minutes! But screwing the heater underneath was a bit more challenging. Since there were no pre-made holes, I had to make my own. They helped, but they were not enough to hold the screws perfectly in place while I worked. It took a lot of retries, but I managed. And there it was: my kotatsu. My perfect cozy dream, with 5 different quick ways to turn it off in an emergency, and a blanket that could be used to put any fires out. I was confident in my work, but I wasn't going to be made a fool if I turned out to be wrong. 

We moved our usual coffee table over to the side of the couch, and put the kotatsu in front of the couch. When not in use, I make sure to carefully tuck the blanket under the table so it does not create an extra trip hazard for M. Even though the power outage happened right after I finished it, I managed to enjoy some holiday films sitting under it, and a get-together with some friends. M has sat under it with me a few times. They liked it well enough, but with how hard it is for them to get up from sitting on the floor, they tend to prefer sitting on the couch and sticking their feet under it. Goober thought it was his own personal fort until he got bored of it. Lady Grey tired of it even quicker. Takeshi did not discover it for weeks, and now he adores it.

I love it too. I still take my morning tea either at the kitchen table or my spot on the couch. But when I have finished my work, and chores, and it's time for leisure, you will find me under there. It is my favorite place to relax and read, write, watch shows, or work on small creative projects. Even now, I'm typing this on my Alphasmart with my legs under the heated table. My comfort show is on, and I am considering chasing my wine with a strong cup of sleepy tea. The kotatsu comes with a unique sense of winter comfort and tranquility. Maybe someday we will go to Japan and truly experience it, but for now I will enjoy this little one I put together myself.