Condo Blues: Retro Mod Craft Room

Wednesday, February 13, 2013

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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3 comments :

kelli said...

Visitint you from Katherine's Corner blog hop.

Katherines Corner said...

thank you for adding your wonderful blog to the Thursday Favorite Things hop. xo

Vasa said...

Thanks for sharing this! I’m delighted with this information, where such important moments are captured. All the best!

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