Want to see into my art room? I tidied it last Saturday and it’s stayed in pretty good shape for a whole week! I am certainly organizationally challenged and always have been. In high school, my best friend always bought me some containers and went through and decluttered and cleaned up my bedroom for my birthday. Now I live with a different best friend and he generally has a big hand in helping me keep my space under control (like throwing a quilt-in-progress over my drafting table to cover the mess).
But this time I did it all by myself! This is huge!
This is the view from the front room of our house. Our creative space is what would normally be a formal dining room, but I need to be able to work on making things right in the heart of our home throughout the day, so this is the perfect place to have my craft space.
I’ve got a big Expedit shelf from Ikea with a desk attached. There’s plenty of room for bins of fabric, boxes of precious metal clay stuff, printmaking supplies, knitting stuff, other crafty odds and ends, our little Tivoli stereo, and some pretty things too.
I’ve got some other Ikea cup things to hold pencils, markers, scissors, pliers– you know, all that stuff that needs to be right there for the taking.
In the big window is my drafting table. It was a dumpster find of Barry’s when we were in college and I seriously could not imagine life without it. It is easily one of my very favorite pieces of furniture in our house. My gecko lives in the corner over my Gocco and block printing stuff. Underneath my drafting table are rolls of paper, interfacing, contact paper, and baskets of mending, batting and foam. Oh, and a couple of quilts destined for Humanitarian Services.
Look up, and there are the birds!
Opposite the window wall is the kids’ drawing table. One of these weekends we’ll make a big magnet board so that Ian won’t need to tape his paintings to the wall.
Here are a few more pictures for good measure.
I love the old Singer from Barry’s aunt. It needs rewiring to work, but it’s really fun to look at anyway.
A shelf of pretty stuff. I spun thread and then needle punched the fabric for that little bear years ago. I still really like him.
I love these under-shelf wire baskets I found at the Container Store.
And here’s a sneak peek to another room I’ve been rearranging and hanging new artwork in. I think I’ll be ready to show it to you next week.
how fab to have a dedicated creative space in the heart of the home.
Can you get magnetic paint where you are? We can only get it in black here so it’s best painted in blocks (more reachable for Ian anyway). It also doubles up as a chalkboard surface. You’d need to look out for extra strong magnets though to stick on through the paper.
So you are nesting. Looks great and it is a perfect place for the birdies!!
What is that wooden, accordian type thing attached to the upper shelf on the left? I don’t remember that. Love you!! xoxoxox
What an absolutely beautiful space! I love how bright it is (and I might be just a little jealous of your drafting table!)
Will you tell about your sewing machine? I have my first quilt top finished and my husband has mentioned that I might be able to buy a new machine to replace my old Kenmore so that I can quilt it on my own. I have just started to research and would love some more info or tips.
Your Mom and I had the same thought “you’re nesting”!!! By August your whole house will be in perfect order! It is beautiful as well as organized.
planning a studio space « Desert Homespun
lovely! how did you attach the vases to your shelf? i’m definitely in need of several vases to house markers, scissors, etc. and don’t want to attach them to a wall.