Last year I undertook a reorganization, rethink and rebuild of my studio space in the house. Up until now I shared nearly half of my studio with my children's art supplies, projects and messes. On one hand it is wonderful to share a creative space with them, and on the other it was frustrating to face a mess every time I went to get started or continue to work on a project.
So the solution was to take out the cabinet and countertop that divided the studio and turn it into an island that is on casters. I can now move the island to line up with any of the other counter areas in the studio to make a larger work space and several different configurations. Also one of the cabinets below the island is filled with the children's art supplies that they can access at any time, but their new rule is that projects and supplies get put away when they are finished. This way anytime I walk into the studio it is ready to work.
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| Top: Before Bottom: After |
The next redesign involved lots of supplies moving, cabinets shifting and new countertops for the new counter along the far wall. The counter runs completely along the wall with a section on the right for my computer and a floating counter area on the left. My craft table that is on casters can be turned to slide beneath the counter if I need more floor space, or the two stools can be set up for projects for myself or the children to work on that counter. Then I added two cork boards below the wool boards on the wall that was cleared from the old counter area for pinning projects that are in different stages.
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| New wall counter with computer work area, beading area and space for both the cat and the fish! |
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| Additional wall work space was available once the mid-room cabinets and counter were removed. |
The last area to be addressed was the sink wall. I found that I didn't have enough counter space when felting if I was rinsing pieces, especially if I already had polymer clay pieces firing or cooling on the limited counter space. So cabinets were moved from their "L" shape and shifted to run the length of the wall to the door with a new counter installed along the whole length. The upper cabinet was also moved to the right which made more room for adjustable shelves and easier access for supplies.
The Ikea bookshelf was shifted between the river windows with custom made shelves taking up the extra space to the ceiling for more storage and space to organize supplies and books.
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| Top: Before Bottom: After |
At this point I love the flexibility of the space, having a storage spot for everything and finding that I have room for multiple projects to be worked on at once. I have two artworks in progress now, four more at the sketch and color design phase and one series that is in the beginning stages as well. Hopefully I'll keep finding time to work and create this year.
