New Studio

I may have mentioned that I was moving my studio to an upstairs space, taking over my two daughters' bedrooms and doubling the space. I am very happy with the new room, and wanted to share the results with you. The overall measurement is about 25' x 12', and the room overlooks the lake, so there's lots of natural light, with a southeast exposure. I plotted it all out on graph paper with an Ikea catalog at hand. A couple of bedrooms and bathrooms and a hall were also involved in the reno, which took about 5 weeks.

The layout of the room was determined by the position of the plumbing in the bathroom, i.e. the placing of the sink was more economical when it backed onto the bathroom plumbing. The two Ikea counters are topped with stainless steel, so I have my paints stored there. Under the sink is room for dyeing materials and stamping "stuff", housed in blue recycling boxes. Over the sink is a shelf for glues, sprays, etc.

The ironing board is about 22" wide, and is supported by two little cabinets, allowing for storage underneath. Behind the ironing board is a design wall covered with batting.

The shelving for fabric storage and the Horn sewing table and cutting table came from my old studio. I was able to add a big Ikea bookcase and a table for a laptop, printer/scanner, music, etc.

I needed more storage because I am working with paper and collage materials as well as the fabric. I was really tripping over myself in my former space. The little nooks and crannies turned out to be important to store a portfolio, foam core boards, a travelling case for the sewing machine, rolls of batting and muslin, etc. There's lots of cork on the walls for posting inspiration and notes. I'm also pleased with the pegboard for hanging tools, like scissors, rulers, hammer, etc. There is good "daylight" fluorescent lighting, as well as task lighting, and laminate flooring.

Now that things are settling down here, I look forward to many happy hours spent in my new space. Having taken these photos, it's now time to make a mess!