-This was first posted on Tumblr on 2/15/23.
This is an in-progress picture of my art/crafts area. My previous apartment was only 564 square feet, which I shared with my wife and cat, and required two desk set ups because we worked from home. We did not have room for anything.
That meant to do any sort of sewing, painting, cricuting, etc. I had to pull everything out from under the bed, the couch, in the closet, etc, and set it up, and then put it all back away.
If I painted, then my easel was literally in the middle of a walking space, so I never felt comfortable leaving anything out.
In our new home, the “living room” area is now the creation area. I have room to grow. For the first time in my life, I have all my paints out so I can see what I have. Before, it was all in a toolbag that lived in a closet, and I had to dig for everything I wanted.
The baskets on the top shelf are all filled with my fabric stash, and sewing projects. The white box with stickers is literally cat stuff.
The table pulls out for an additional 2 feet. I can lay out full patterns on it! No more floor patterns, where my dislocating shoulder becomes an agonizing disaster, and I race against time to get it done due to pain.
I hung a lamp right where I needed it for maximum lighting!
I have two drawers that are empty, and one that is only half full of patterns. I have so much room to grow!
Even better, my wife now feels like she can do things here too. I am so happy we made the “living room” out of one bedroom so that we could have this space.
This will surely be tweaked and adapted as I go on, but I just can’t describe how good it was for my soul to have a space for creative hands-on work.
I have the sewing machine set up in the closet room right now, but it will come out to the table. I will put a serger in there when I get one, eventually. I want to paint the shelf boards so they don’t look weird, and replace the dollar store blue baskets with better fitting versions, maybe little drawers in the shelves.
This really makes this house feel like a home.
Garden Rat 