Retro Mod Craft Room

One of the projects on my DIY list is do something with my craft room/guest room/furniture graveyard room. I want the room to function better as my sewing and craft room and be inviting or at least not horrendous for my guests who sleep there. I have friends coming to visit from Germany and would like to have the room done before they come.

My current design process for this room isn't working. I walk into the craft room, look at the jumble, think about rearranging the current furniture and take measurements. Then I get upset because everything can't move where I think I want it. Finally I run out of the room screaming and stuff my face with chocolate.

Rinse, and repeat several days a week.

My problem is I'm to married to the furniture that is in the room and most of it isn't working. I decided to take a different approach to decide how I want this room to function and look like. I did a virtual shopping spree for the entire room. What would I choose for my craft room if I didn't have to worry about budget or size or hefting furniture up a flight of stairs?

Since I use this room mostly for crafting and sewing, I focused on that function for my mood board. I'll make a guest room mood board later. Then I'll see if there are elements I can marry from the two boards to come up with a workable plan.

 

Click the photo if you want to see it larger.

This is my creative space. Retro and whimsy inspire me. Here's what I came up with starting the the top left corner:  

• Boss's Dog Bed (Go Home $350) Someday there will be a new Office Manager around here and the pup will need a place to keep an eye on me to make sure I'm working.  

• VP1 White Flowerpot Pendant Lamp (& Tradition $370) for the overhead lighting.

• Campaign Armoire (DucDuc $2,840) and Campaign Armoire with Shelving Units (DucDuc $3,060) My vision is a wall of armoires because my biggest problem is not enough storage for fabric and items I'm collecting for repurposing projects. I realize armoires are a little passe design wise, but I'm not a big fan of open storage. Not that I would just shove things into closed storage and run away or anything like that...  

•  BC Chicago, Hong Kong, Manhattan, Vodka, Camps Elysee signs (Spicher and Company $99 each) Three places I've been and one I still need to visit (France.) Vodka is in there to see if visitors are paying attention.

• Group Portrait (Artspace Edition $1000) Antique toys make me smile. I also like big art.and I cannot lie.  

•  Modular Mail Bins (Europe2You $142 each) I see these bins on the open shelves holding craft paint.  

•  Jack Antique Brass Sculpture (Arteriors $238) It reminds me of the giant jack my grandparents had on their coffee table when I was little.  

•  Cain Gray Limed Oak Desk (Arteriors $2,878) I want two of these desks. One for my sewing machine and sergers and one for crafting. 

• 111 Navy Chair (Emeco $260) Two desks need two desk chairs. I like the industrial lines.

•  Lance Polished Nickel Adustable Desk Lamp (Arteriors $756) I need to see what I'm doing so I'll need two of these lamps too.

•  British Flag Rug  (Jonathan Adler $650) I'm an Anglophile. I adore Jonathan Adler's designs. It's a match made in a wool rug.

This virtual shopping exercise helps me jog my brain in the right direction. There are several elements I can DIY like the signs and some I have or can get expensively like the mail boxes. Virtual room shopping is also less expensive than the $21, 271 price tag this room will cost!

Man I have good taste.

I wish it wasn't bigger than my wallet!


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