Monday, March 16, 2015

And Here Is What the Guest Room/Craft Studio Looks Like Now…(Before I Turn It into My Studio)

My last post was about inspiration for my future craft studio.

Here is what it looks like now.

It's sort of cabin-y, rustic and has always been one of my favorite rooms.  I used to have a wing chair in there for sitting and reading, but we moved it to the library and slipcovered it in white denim.  I'm on the hunt for another one though, because I think a room for inspiration should have a comfy little reading spot.


I use a quilt as an inspiration board - I just pin things to it that make me smile.




The new space will be bright and colorful and those barn reds will be going away.  I'm going to miss them though.  The walls will no longer be grocery bag brown.  Well, that's what we called that color.

I love all my Scotch Plaid picnic pieces too. 


I really don't want to get rid of them.  But I don't think they'll quite fit in the new room.  Hmmm…..Baby Bee is a few years away from going to college.  Maybe I'll save them for when her room becomes the new guest room.  (It was the old guest room before she was born.  It was cute too and cabin-y.  I had two beds with white coverlets and red plaid dust ruffles and shams.  Somewhere I have pictures of it.  I'll have to find those someday.)

One of my favorite things in here are the curtains and the "rods."  


I bought those two bent willow fence pieces to use as headboards in the old guest room (before Baby Bee was born) but when that room became her nursery, I just couldn't part with them.  Sound like a familiar theme?  The chambray curtains I think I picked up at Target, but then never really used them.  Then one day, the inspiration fairy came for a visit and she made me think I could use those fence pieces as a valance and then tie the curtains onto them.  Seriously.  That is one of my favorite things and it will not be going away.

Did you notice the duck phone? When it rings it goes, "Wank, wank, wank, wank…….wank, wank, wank, wank."  Frankly, it scares the (you fill in the blank) out of folks who aren't expiating it.

 (Well you will now since I just put a picture here.)  When Worker Bee and I were first married and we lived in two bedroom apartments, the second bedroom was always an office.  This was in the early 1990s and Worker Bee decided he wanted a duck theme in there.  We even found a wing chair in hunter green (remember, it was the early 90s) with embroidered ducks on it.  In fact, it's the other wing chair in our library that's also covered with a denim slipcover.  (Don't tell anyone, but Worker Bee thinks ducks will come back in fashion one day and he'll get his duck chair back.  Ha! Ha! Ha!)

Eventually I will find a bigger china cabinet for out in the sunroom/dining room to store my dish hoard and when that happens, the old china cabinet will come live in the studio.  
I'm not sure if I'll keep the little armoire or not.  

(True story - in one of Mary Engelbreit's Home Companion issues they used this same armoire for one of the cutest cottages ever and I was obsessed with getting one.  I believe it was from Wal-Mart.  Worker Bee went to every Wal-Mart in the valley trying to find one of these for me.  Isn't he a sweetheart?  So.  Maybe I can't get rid of this piece.  Too much sentimental value.  I originally used it in the kitchen to put the microwave in and the dream machine and other kitchen supplies.  It was great! Wow!  That was a very long parenthetical passage!)

So.  Now you know the story of the guest room/craft studio.

This is going to be fun!  

Saturday, March 14, 2015

The Guest Room/Future Craft Studio

Worker Bee and I have been talking.  That's a good thing.

We have a guest room that has also been functioning as a part-time crafts studio.  I love the room, but it doesn't quite function completely as either room.  

So, Worker Bee and I have been talking.  Okay, I might have been doing most of the talking but he nodded in agreement.  

We are going to turn the guest room into a full time craft studio!  YIPPEE!
And if you can't find it in a store, you can find it in this etsy shop.

I am so glad I picked up a copy of this magazine 'cause it has provided some SERIOUS inspiration.

In particular, this little work table set up is perfect for my little room.
It will involve a road trip to Ikea.  

This studio used this set of drawers from Ikea…
a hollow core door…….
and a trestle from Ikea.

And hopefully I'll be able to pick up one of these there too….

 And I have to get one of these from Harbor Freight.

And, of course, here are a few more images of studio inspiration….



All images from my Pinterest board: For the "Studio"


The project will get underway during our Spring Break.  That is if I can talk Worker Bee into that road trip.  There might have to be some serious bribery involved.  
Serious bribery.  

Do you have any suggestions or idea for my new studio?

Thanks for buzzing in!