Favourite Creative Spaces...

You might remember a few weeks back that I wrote about the frustrations of outgrowing my creative workspace and that the time had maybe come to think about doing something about it. Well this is one issue I didn't procrastinate over for too long and earlier this week I took a deep breathe and hired a contractor to do the work for me. All being well it will start on April 15th and I'll be in by May 1st.

This is a very rough plan ( not very techy and a bit off scale) I did when I was getting my head around the idea but it's changed a little now, mainly because I tried very hard to focus on the practical aspects and this will lead to a slightly smaller studio design (now in the hands of the builder) which allows for my ridiculously small, dog leg shaped kitchen to be squared off and enlarged a little.

I will lose the area at the back indicated by the freezer but although the studio will be a little smaller I won't have to have appliances in there so that's a bonus and, I have to think of the resale value of the house since it's unlikely that any future buyer will be a bead freak who'll prefer studio space over kitchen space...unless I sold it through here of course!

For me the most exciting thing is the simple prospect of a sink with running water, a workbench long enough to have several activities on the go at once and a design desk with natural light from a big window. And then of course there is the fun of fitting it all out. As it links to the kitchen and both areas need to be functional, the plan is to refit both spaces to match so needless to say I have been pouring over designer kitchen websites looking at cabinets work tops, sinks (I so want a butlers/Belfast sink), flooring etc. The layout will pretty much be determined by the space itself but the style could be anything and I have no idea which way to go yet.

It's inevitable then that I've also been surfing the web for other studio ideas and there are some fantastic spaces out there, all-be-it that many of them are totally beyond anything I could do. It seems some of my AJE team mates are also avid collectors of 'studio porn' ( I hope that doesn't have connotations I'm unaware off...) so I thought for today's post we'd take a leisurely stroll through some favourite creative spaces and ideas...just click on the photos to find out more.

Linda has a Pinterest board dedicate to this subject with some pretty aspirational finds - who wouldn't want to work in surroundings like this and how cool is that light shade...?

This is one of my favourite finds and I just love the utilitarian, urban feel it has with a pinch of shabby chic thrown in for good measure. Great colours too.

Jo's favourites included some great ideas for small spaces. This muffin tin idea is such an ingenious and practical way of storing all those bits and bobs you need close at hand but (in my case) can never find when you need them.

 And how about this for maximising space in a small area...?

Another one from Linda here that's much closer to what most of us are probably used to and the little things that catch my eye here are the fabric swatches wrapped around the table legs and that huge rack for pliers...I NEED one of those!

This next one is from Jenny and I love it for two reasons. I really like storage that keeps your work surface clear of clutter but has everything close at hand and I want to make use of the wall above my new workbench in this way. But also, this really reminds me of my Grandfathers shed where he took pride in keeping all his cabinet making tools in pristine condition and with a place for everything and everything in it's place.

Here's another one for those who are very short on space - a omplete creative nook in a closet!

Some more great utilitarian storage here from Linda's collection...This appeals to me for storing small items because I hate having to move things around to get to the item I want...just far too disruptive to the creative flow!

My final selection comes from Jenny and is my favourite because this is where I see myself in my daydreams - in a proper jewellers workshop surrounded by amazing tools for every conceivable need that are worn and polished from years of dedicated creativity...good lord just look at those bench blocks! Ah well, what would life be without dreams...

Will my new studio have any of these concepts in them? I don't know yet but I will be posting a daily blog throughout the development over at the 'The Gossiping Goddess' and I'll be sure to keep you updated here to.

In the meantime - happy creating.

Lesley