Probably the only woman who didn't know about Where Women Create until just a couple of months ago, I finally found a used copy on Amazon. I love creating my own office and my craft and sewing room, but mine pales in comparison to most of these. I'm guessing most of yours do too. So let's talk about that today. I've posted recently about where I create and why I blog but I'm giving it a bit more attention today. Come listen to my ramblings............
A tiny space but it has lots of character and serves its purpose magnificently. She even has a spot for her faithful dog and to some of you that's especially important. (We have no animals at this point in our lives.) So the dog is ever present to keep her company. But more than that, it looks like this miniscule space serves this woman well. Very organized with a vintage table to hold her sewing machine, colorful curtains lusciously draped across windows into her yard and all the necessary accoutrements needed to do her "job." I love the coziness of this room. Small, cute and does the trick quite magnificently, in my opinion.
A full size ferry boat is his woman's domain! Yesssssss, a full size ferry boat and do you KNOW how big ferry boats are?!?! HUGE! How lucky for this woman and her hubby to have all that to themselves. She has oodles of space to do just about ANNNNYTHING she wants. Windows and water to look at. Bright and shiny cases to store her items and a LOT of desk space for any number of computers(!!!!) and crafting. Sigh...... Oooh, and this is one of the few that I've put 2 photos on here. I only wanted one from each woman but some just didn't show enough and had to have 2—only a few though.
This is a large space with bright golden walls that have been ragged or sponged and then stenciled on. Beautiful and almost ethereal. A vintage table for a work space makes me almost cry! I like this room a lot.
Another large room with lots of pizzazz for this woman. Lots of cases in which to store things and lots of room to create her stuff, but amazingly it doesn't really look cluttered.
I believe this is a crafter's dream—a humongous room with sections for doing different things. I believe this is a converted garage. We use our garage for our cars and Love Bunny's train room so it wouldn't work for us but I'd give just about anything to have this kind of space! Yesssssssss, I would!! Do NOT doubt me on this!!!
Not a very large work area but certainly adequate and much more than I've got. I love her counter top and that would be very easy to do in just about any space. She's very well organized for her space and that says a lot. I can't even get organized in my TWO rooms yet.
This woman was working off her bedroom in a sunroom but her hubby built her a studio in the back yard. Love Bunnyyyyyyyyy, are you listening or reading this?!?!?! But not all of us are lucky enough to have the space to do this. But it is the quintessential room we'd all love to have. Roses! It is one of my favorite rooms and I doubt it's very big either.
A very neat, tidy and very well organized small space belongs to this crafter. A window to look out and enough light makes it wonderful for a tiny office. See what can be done with very little space.
Her home is full of that marvelous northern California light. She does all her work on her dining room table—much like most of the women across this country do.
Another woman in a small apartment who does her crafting and art work on her dining room table. She and her hubby don't use their dishwasher so she uses it to store her craft supplies! How ingenious! But if the "space" (appliance) doesn't suit your purposes then make the purpose fit the space (appliance). Nuuuu, not for everyone, but it works for this woman and her hubby.
Another small office/craft area whittled out of a tiny home. BUT she has made it neat and tidy and organized with what she has—antique desk, flowers, wood blinds and a message board. Not plain at all, just lovely.
We have some serious crafting going on in this space. It is beautiful and very colorful. Flamboyant, actually. It's a large room and she uses every single inch of it.
One of my favorite rooms in the book—not too large but large enough for me actually. A large table to craft, cut sewing patterns out and just perfect for me. Large windows looking out over a yard. Lots of light, good storage. I'd love to have this room!
Oooooooooh, don't we wish, chicks?!?!?! A beautiful old barn to have alllll to ourselves to craft, sew and while away the hours. It would be hard to heat however. I'd love it but it isn't practical for me.
Another room with glorious windows looking out! This could also suit my purposes for sewing, office and crafting.
This woman has almost an entire building to do her artistic work in. Much too large for just home crafters but it works well for her. I like it but not as much as some of the others. But she is a professional artist and must have this kind of space. Looooove her little belt though! *Wink*
Since this woman works with earth elements she must have a room to put it all in away from her home. I'd love to have this much space but it would serve a different purpose than making pottery. But it's certainly large enough, has windows and a sink! I'd love to have a sink in my crafting area. Luxury for sure.
Not a humongous space but certainly adequate for several work areas. She has it decorated in a french provincial style and it is lovely. There is a rest area with chairs and a vintage settee, tables and lots of color. She's very fortunate to have it big enough to section off areas for different purposes. Lots of storage also.
This room is also one of my favorites. One reason is the cove ceiling. I love the white of it sprinkled with periwinkle color in the trash can and blotter. I love periwinkle! But her work station just seems to hug her and that's a feeling I love in my work space also. Hers looks bigger than mine though. She also has all the essentials right within arms reach for her. Plus the red flowers on her desk. Squeeeeeal! And she uses colorful file folders just like me. Mine are pink! Aaaaah, a kindred spirit. This room is doable for just about any one of us.
Can we scream and cry here? Vibrant yellow walls, windows surrounded with lights and wood shutters, colorful fabric arranged in substantial shelving, great desk area, swivel around to the crafting area and that tile floor that will be here after all of us have died! I like this room a lot. Not my favorite but this woman did a magnificent job in here. This is also 2 photos on one page. The bottom photo is more of her storage. This looks kind of like a garage to me. Maybe that's what she did—converted a garage into her studio. Beautiful.
Another one of the few where I took 2 of the photos. She has what looks like a redone bedroom and made 2 areas for herself. An office area and a sewing area. There is also a sofa or relaxing area in that room also. That could definitely be done in a mid-size bedroom.
The last one is probably the most famous one. I have seen this room in magazines I think. I don't think it's very large but she has made it stupendous with the kind of style I personally love. Roses, froufrou and pink! I use old suitcases for storage just like she does. I have so many pillows that if I fell I'd never touch a hard surface for maybe 2 years! Yep, this is one of my favorite rooms!
Now, after all of this is said and done, you are all probably lusting after at least one of these "studios", right??? Well, don't. Some of these women make a living doing their crafting. You might not so you wouldn't need a huge room. Just look at them all and get ideas of what you can do with the space you have. Now, you can't put 5 kids in a bedroom so YOU can make a room for sewing or crafting but there can be a way to carve out your own little niche in a room of your home or garage. You could use a little privacy screen to hide some things. Think out of the box.
And speaking of boxes, camouflage stacks of boxes with a throw or lace or tablecloth. I DO! And no one is the wiser unless I choose to tell them. Even your bedroom area can have a niche to make your own. You could take a stack of boxes, cover them with old lace or tablecloths or just some remnants, place an old door (maybe even one you have in the garage, I DID once) over the top of 2 stacks of boxes, put your computer on it or your craft supplies and you have "instant" office. You can even use shelving on the walls for visual eye candy. See? How easy was that now, I ask you?!
Do you have a closet that isn't being used? Then empty it out and put a desk or craft table in there. Shelving would be a snap in there. Close the doors and it's hidden or get creative, take off the doors and add a curtain to hide it. Just look at things with a different eye. Sometimes I get stuck in this journey also, but then I'll run across a blog with something I've never even thought of doing. I then make a note to myself and things just balloon from there! Oooooh, how I love getting ideas from surfing the blogs or magazines. You don't have to do the exact thing they offer, but can adept it to your own circumstances. Trust me, it can be done.
I've come to the realization after a couple of years of trying to get this office and the craft/sewing room "just right" that I'll never ever have an office worthy of mention. It doesn't even sadden me particularly. I have what I need, what I can work in, more than enough froufrou and my walls are pink. I feel sometimes as if I am living in a little pink cake box. It makes me happy each time I come into this little bedroom-cum-home office. It delights my senses. Be happy with what you DO have and not lust after what you DON'T have! And I need to take my own advice sometimes also! *Winking at ya!*
