Showing posts with label Studio. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Studio. Show all posts

Tuesday, May 21, 2013

STUDIO BEFORE AND AFTER



It's been a while now since I've made the changes, but I wanted to show some before-and-after shots of my Studio. 


On one wall I had a hodge-podge of storage that served its purpose but wasn't particularly attractive. It consisted of half of a bookshelf, rolling drawer thingys, filing cabinets and an old desk.  I had only half a bookcase as I broke the full bookcase when I foolishly tried to scoot it over without emptying it first. (Geez. I know better.) 

While out thrifting one day, I stumbled onto a cabinet that was 8' long, white, someone's DIY -- and a very good one at that. I bought it, called MHSNL who has a pickup and he graciously agreed to haul it home for me. I cleared out the hodge-podge and installed my new cabinet and added the half bookcase and a little cabinet and scooted the file cabinets to the end. Turns out that having only half of the book worked out just fine; the full bookcase would have been too tall. Here's the work in progress and the finished project. Pretty outstanding, I must say. All white and coordinated-looking.

On the adjoining and opposite walls, were my sewing desks. Yes, desks. Vintage desks that I was going to paint white so all of my studio furniture would coordinate. But instead I got a brainstorm -- more like a brain hurricane -- and got my DIY on. I'm soooooooo proud of my handiwork. I combined four 6-cube cabinets, two 20"x 6' tops, four 2x4s (to raise the table tops up to the correct height.  Here's the before and afters.











In the middle of the room is my worktable. It began as one of those trifold-on-metal-frame-on-rollers deals from Hancocks and I've had it for years. But I wasn't able to store much beneath it and that was a huge waste of space underneath. So I purchased three little bookcases, put casters on them and attached the table top to one of the bookcases. It works the same, hinged with two drop leafs. I have so much storage. Another KC DIY that I'm very proud of.  I have a pic from the internet for the before shot.











My next DIY? To paint the dresser that I bought at an estate sale. It's a wonderful dresser. The doors hide lots of sewing and crafting supplies. The drawers are all graduated heights. The first is perfect for cutting tools. I have my patterns in the second. The third holds lots of goodies, too. I will be painting it white, of course. Then my studio will be super coordinated. Here's the before. The after will be a while coming as I'm finishing up a coffee table I've been working on and have a hutch to refinish next. Then the studio dresser will be tackled.

"Coordinated" seems to be my Word of the Day.











Saturday, January 28, 2012

Organized Chaos

I've been spending most of January reorganizing and cleaning out here in Oak Cloister Studio. The introduction of the 8-foot cabinet and its configuration with existing furniture pieces is only a part of the process. I've been cleaning out fabrics and clothing and linen items (purchased for the fabric). I've already sent four huge bags to the thrift shop as donations; and another huge bag, filled with yarn, went to a friend who knits nonstop.

I've just about finished with all the organizing and am on my way to creating once more. I've decided to work with like items; pant and skirt tops to be made into bags being the first of many projects. I have a stack of items pinned and ready to go to the sewing machine.  The next, and sometimes hardest step, will be to choose what fabrics to use for linings and what to use as purse handles.  Since each bag is one-of-a-kind, I have many combinations to decide on. That's one of the things that makes this endeavor of mine so much fun.

Monday, January 16, 2012

Upgrade

Wow. A month since I last posted.  Bad girl. Bad girl.

I bought myself a birthday present. An 8' cabinet for my studio. It's white. I topped it with an existing bookcase, a cabinet and a cubby. All are also white. It looks like a built-in. Much better than the hodgepodge I had before.  It feels good to add grown-up furniture to my space.  Here's some before, during and after shots.



Before - Such a hodgepodge.
During - well-made, solid wood
After.