I've been dreaming of my own work space for the longest time and this summer I decided to put thoughts and dreams into action.
My boys and I have been sharing the kitchen and the sitting room space for all our play and creative activities - - we never had space for a playroom - and as anyone knows, children tend to take over space as they grow and their interests develop.
We've had play pens, soft toys and now Lego and arts and crafts materials strewn around the place and my inside tidy person was struggling!
I spent many years working at the kitchen table, then packing up and starting again the next day. This was clearly not sustainable so I started to plan how to use the space I already had to the best advantage for all of us.
The boys sorted their toys and donated outgrown toys and books. I scrolled through IKEA to find adaptable solutions and finally settled on a plan. I love a plan - and lists! The IKEA inspiration picture really caught my attention and the colour would suit the room which was important as I wanted the work area to be an almost invisible part of the sitting room. Best of all, the work space and storage in the picture was exactly what I needed so why reinvent the wheel!
I made a Lego storage system for the boys in their room which can be used for general storage when they're older. This cleared a lot of space in the sitting room.
The wall units used to be floor standing and had videos/DVDs in them over the years. Now they'll store extra yarn, files and materials and they match well with the other Billy storage in the room. I was lucky to have help putting them up - they were so heavy!
I need to get some extra lighting as it can be a dark room but I'm just delighted with the finished studio area. I can work and go, at any stage of the evening or weekend and know that everything will be just as I left it when I return.
I'm still working on the other side of the room - it's a long term project but I plan to have a gallery wall and a few framed pieces of weaving there too.
Click here to see the renovation!