Tuesday, June 08, 2010

Look who has a new studio!

I probably mentioned in passing that we are househunting with a view to me getting a nice large studio space - or two if I separate out wet and dry activities. Well, of course these things do not happen all at once but a consequence of me not working from home anymore is that I do not need a full blown home study the way I used to. So, on Saturday at about 3pm I took a sudden notion........
This is how our third bedroom looked at 3pm, as I was half way through the 'half hour project' of moving a few things here and there. (Mostly law books into the boot of my car which I have long considered an extra room of the house.)
Still office related equipment as you can see, including a barristers gown on the door and Dennis' CD collection. At 3.01pm Operation New Studio began. That involved:
1. Taking every last thing out of the study and placing it in the second bedroom ( which already housed my stash and quilting book collection).
2. Taking half the things from the sewing space in my dining room downstairs up to the second bedroom ready to go in the study.
3. Starting to move all the CD's down as on the return trip the remainder from downstairs is brought up.
4. Leaving Dennis to rearrange CD's in the cabinets which once housed sewing items whilst I tackle the studio transformation.


This method results in a clean slate to work with and a frightening mess in the second bedroom spilling over into the first:

By 11pm it was still not finished but I gave up. Sunday I awoke and reaslied that this process is extremely good excercise for your gluteus maximus, especially, I suspect, the use of stepladders to replace books and boxes onto the very top shelves. We honoured our usual Sunday morning date at Cedar Farm but sitting on the sofa was hampered by the bottom ache! But the trip did mean I could buy some containers at the Potting Shed a small and up market gardening shop there and some plantpots at a large and downmarket garden centre on the route back. A little more work that afternoon and - voila!
 New studio!
 
The wicker baskets from Ikea mostly have threads in them

I have only shown you oblique glimpses of the cork board on the left as you enter as it has on it some Twelve by Twelve work for the latest purple and yellow challenge which is yet to be revealed. I also need to put up the second board (donated: thanks Mum!) and get up the courage to move the internet router downstairs and hope I do not mess up our connectivity. ( I think I should wait until Dennis finishes marking exams on line!) There is still a little stuff to sort out in the 'stash room' but as they are next to each other I guess I can now say I have a creative suite! Still smaller than I would like - the ironing  board  for example has to go up next door, for example but there is room on what was the desk for a ironing pad, and there is not much space to spread out,  but at least, pending sale, we can now eat at the dining room table without dismantling all my sewing arrangements. And I am hoping that with art stuff out to hand I do more sketchbook/ design work.

Now. Any creative ideas for what to do with a £400 stuff barrister's gown I no longer need?

10 comments:

Gerrie said...

I love a newly organized and neat studio! You must have a lot of thread!! How long will it stay like this?

Featheronawire Sally Bramald said...

It looks wonderful, will you still need to move?vingi

Erica Spinks said...

Fabulous! A great reorganisation.

Kristin L said...

Great job! I love all your baskets and jars -- just like the places in CPS Studios Magazine. ;-) I suspect that a studio that functions like a studio and a dining room that functions like a dining room will definitely help with the sale of the house.

Margeeth said...

Very nice!
I love your windows. This is the house you are trying to sell? I think those windows are a great detail.

Working Mum said...

Wow! You won't want to move now.

(Tell me you were inspired by your visit to my house, go on, admit it!)

Working Mum said...

Me again, re the gown - ebay?

Garnered Stitches said...

Did I miss a blog? You had a wonderful holiday, had a cold, stopped working from home, changed the study to a studio and now you're selling your gown - have you stopped being a Barrister and become a full time artist?
Or am I being too nosey?

Anonymous said...

Fabulously well ordered studio you've got there! I'm very envious :)

Anne B said...

Well done with your studio. Be proud - I know it's not easy.