Thursday, February 23, 2012

New Craft Room

When I bought my house the basement was unfinished, and one of the first things I did was hire my brother-in-law, who just happens to be a very talented, hardworking and capable contractor, to finish it. The basement had previously been dug out but was still a bit low and unlevel; after getting some quotes to see what it would cost to dig it out deeper, I decided the cost, and risk due to the age of the house, wasn't worth it. The basement is now 100% finished, with one side being my craft room and the other containing a new laundry room, powder room, and furnace area - more on that side of the basement another time.

Behold - my new(ish) craft room!  I sew and do other crafts as a hobby, but I also have two Etsy shops and sell wholesale and on consignment in some Toronto stores. I needed a space that was well organized, easy to maintain, and conducive to creativity. And with having cats, it's nice to have an area that I can completely close off so I don't have to worry about getting cat hair all over the fabric.

Most of the furniture is from Ikea. The strategically placed pot lights provide plenty of light and there is ample access to electrical sockets. I did all the painting myself (walls, trim, and ceiling!).



The sewing table, which holds my Janome domestic and Janome serger, is a kitchen countertop with legs on casters so I can move it easily if needed. The chair is also from Ikea. Note the task lighting above the sewing table.

The worktable too is a made from a kitchen countertop, and a lower kitchen cabinet, with adjustable shelves. The worksurface is large enough for cutting and pinning, and the shelves hold all my notions, purse making hardware, button making supplies, photography light box, and finished inventory. In the corner I have a shelving unit holding all my tools, mailing supplies, retail packaging supplies, card making supplies, and other craft supplies. The plastic drawer unit holds my fabric stash; my rule is that I can't purchase more fabric if there isn't room in the drawers. What self restraint!

Lastly, this built-in adjustable shelving holds my sewing and craft books and magazines, patterns, reference books, and other odds and ends.

Considering the room is in the basement and there are no windows, it's a very warm, relaxing and inspiring place to sew and work on other crafts.

Wall paint: Behr's Clear Pond
Trim: Behr's Snow Fall
Carpet: Home Depot

4 comments:

amyc said...

What are the approximate dimensions? I am turning a small (9x8) bedroom into my craft room and love how clean and tidy this looks.

SpecialK said...

It's 7.5' wide and 10' feet long. The worktable is quite large, 30" deep and 59" long (it overhangs the cabinet). I needed a large surface for cutting fabric, so depending on what you're doing you might want something a bit smaller.

LARA said...

Wow Karen, this is totally amazing! Job well done! You've created a lovely studio.

Creations of a Bonus Mom said...

Absolutely awesome. My husband is turning his old bedroom at his parents house in the basement (which we are moving into) into my craft room. This looks like pretty much the size of it. Thank you for helping with ideas. Happy crafting!