Work Space

Moving right along on our slightly derailed tour brings me to one of my favorite rooms--my official studio.  The smallest bedroom, it was previously home to a little girl and the decor was something that was left over from two older brothers that was "spruced up" for the new baby.  As she aged, things were added to the room that kids tend to accumulate--books, toys, tv's, etc.

These are not the greatest "Before" shots, I admit (I will blame LAM for that), but you kind of get the idea.  The room suffered from the same affliction as the others, weird stucco/stipple plaster ceiling, chair rail and wallpaper that had been painted over.  In our previous house, we installed wainscoting in one of the bedrooms and I loved the look (it's also a great way to cheat if someone has painted wallpaper and you can't get it off).  I lost the color war with LAM in the other house and it was painted green, which I hated.  I wanted white and since this was to be my space, it was GONNA be white.

Voila--new doors, hardware, trim, wainscoting, refinished floors and fresh paint!  Due to the fabric intensive nature of my Etsy store, keeping this room neat and tidy is a constant struggle.  Usually, I go in cycles with frenzies of activity (I'm in one of those phases right now trying to ramp up for the holidays) and then a re-group where I go through inventory and neaten everything up and take stock.  These photos show things in mid swing--it hasn't reached critical mass, but we're getting there...

The lamp placement is...odd...I know.  I am one of those people who can NEVER have enough light--especially when I'm working.  The obvious solution would be some sort of overhead light, which is a project for the future.

This table has an interesting story.  When I was little, my parents bought an old farmhouse and in one of the bedrooms, the wife had a sewing studio (much like mine).  This table occupied one whole wall.  My father, who was a wedding photographer, eventually turned that room into his office/album assembly room and cut this table down to a size that worked for him.  When he retired, I inherited the table so it's back in the game! It is command central for my fabric storage just like it was for Mrs. LaRosa all those years ago.  The carpeted top keeps things from moving around and provides a soft surface for laying things out.  The bolts on the left are new fabric getting ready to go into the queue and the stack on the right are pre-cut bag holders that are ready to sew.  When I have my act together, I can just grab a pre-cut setup to replenish the store when something sells.  Different Etsy sellers have different methods, and while it's really time consuming, I prefer to make the items, photograph them and put them in the store because 1. I hate surprises myself and want my customers to be able to see the actual item they are purchasing, and 2. Because receiving an order for something that isn't finished and ready to ship stresses me out.

The table with the small ironing board on it was a circa 1920 left behind in our old house.  The large table in the middle was a well-battered kitchen reject from a friend that LAM refinished.  The top is now buttery smooth and the perfect place to roll out bolts of fabric.  The photo to the right of my sewing machine is my grandmother.

She hovers over me like a muse while I work.

Speaking of hovering while I work...Nick, like all Border Collies, is positive that if he didn't supervise, nothing would ever get done.  Don't worry Nick, Santa's Elf is on it.

The rug is from Target's Shabby Chic line.  I love the soft colors and the way it plays with the natural wood on the floor and the white woodwork.

~ESM