Greetings Terratoffians!
I have good news! My studio is (mostly) complete and ready to be worked in! Would you like a tour? Well then come along and see the splendor of my studio! But first…. THE BEFORE!
This is where we started. We moved in with a rush and I was literally living with boxes towering over me. The room was old and musty as well. It was not a fun space to create in, nor was it organized. It DESPERATELY needed a makeover!
The inspiration for this room was definitely this enchanting rug from Ruggable. I’ve never bought a rug from them before so I was hesitant, but I could not find a medieval pattern like this anywhere else so I took the plunge! The main selling point for these is that they are machine washable. I doubt we will do that since there is a LOT of heavy furniture on them, but I actually really like the lowest pile version we got because it will be easier to vacuum and clean as it is. The one downside to these rugs is that they come in two pieces, which can make them difficult to install without a friend. My rug was 8×10 and it took 3 of us to get it all aligned just right. But regardless, I adore this rug and it definitely pulls the whole room together.
As you can see, the color scheme for the room follows that of the rug. Cooler tones with pops of bright color here and there. I am adding lots of plants to keep the room fresh and inspiring. I chose varieties that are totally cat safe and easy to maintain, since South likes to eat EVERYTHING and when I have a flare up I can fall behind on watering. (Originally I had maidenhair ferns but they did not survive my neglect)
I kept the paint color on the lighter side to help the room stay bright while working on my art. While I love moody wall colors, the space was too small to tolerate it. Also, I’ve painted in dark rooms before and I feel it distorted my sense of color while working. I love this desaturated seafoam-y green we chose! It fits my personality and sense of style without overpowering the space. We also did a bit of “color drenching” with the wall paint, which means painting the entire room from top to bottom the same color to help make the space feel bigger. We decided not to drench the ceilings, but we did paint all the trim and the doors the same color and I think it really helps make the space appear bigger than it is. By not breaking up the space with white lines, the overall size feels grander to me.
This is my new art cart! It’s compact yet full of storage space for all the art supplies I am using at the current time. I mostly use this as a moving table for my paints. Bonus! There is a hidden shelf to extend the tabletop, which really utilizes the space well. I got this beauty from Dick Blick.
Another favorite upgrade of mine was this kitchen island! I needed a standing space for preparing packages and the like, but my previous table was too big. This one is on wheels AND has collapsible extenders for the table top. I do wish it was a little bit taller, but otherwise it’s a perfect work station for standing tasks!
When it came to decorating the walls I really wanted to embrace the fantasy whimsical aesthetic and decided to make gallery walls! My first attempts fell flat, but after some help from my artist friends I came up with a layout I really liked.
There may be lots of empty frames for now, but I will fill those in later with more art as I collect it. The important thing to me was to get the layout of frames on the wall to set the stage so to speak.
One thing I didn’t want to forget was the little details! Hardware can make or break a space, and so I spent some time hunting down some new handles for my furniture. Lovely animals to go with the theme of the rug! I did mix warm and cool tones, with the wall plaques being nickel. But I think since the rug has both tones it works.
It feels good to have my art and computer desks set up! And my new bookshelves! I started out with just the art desk, and scoured Facebook marketplace for used pieces. Charlotte is a GOLD MINE for used all wood furniture. I got my computer desk, the pair of bookshelves, the console under the window, and the skinny shelf by the closet all second hand. And they all coordinated with the color scheme.
Rest in peace baby girl <3
Of course we had to add some kitty spots! The kittens love sun bathing beneath the grow light by this gigantic window. Pepper certainly approves!
I ended up putting my writing desk back in. I preferred having more space, but my plan to use my art desk as a writing desk as well didn’t work out. Eventually my FIL will sand this baby for me so we can get it to match everything else.
With some final finishing touches, the sanctuary of creativity is complete! One room done, the rest of the house to go!… Oh dear …