my studio through the years…

I dreamt up this space when instagram was the newest thing and pinterest was all the rage – burlap everything & chalkboard diy’s were on everybody’s to-do list. I remember being in line at Chipotle with my husband when I got the email from Better Homes & Gardens asking if they could feature my craft room in the magazine … I showed him my phone and said “do you think this is one of those scam emails?” They showed up a few months later with lighting equipment in the front yard and a huge white tarp that covered the windows on the front of our house – a few neighbors came over and rang the bell asking if everything was ok. Then later going to Wegmans to actually see it on the store shelf, we bought a few copies and took some flip phone pictures … it was 2013.

When I started my blog my girls were little, now they both can vote! My oldest has flown the nest and the youngest is getting ready for college this fall. We just blinked – and here we are.

My husband retired after 23 years in law enforcement and now works in the civilian world, which has been such a foreign thing for all of us. He is as busy as ever but we have dreams about ‘real’ retirement someday … somewhere warm.

I forget about this picture that never came to pass, until I stumble onto it every once in a while and reminisce … I was due to be on this cute magazine cover and right before going to print, the publishing company decided to cancel the production of the magazine all together – I was so sad! But still have it printed & framed in my studio because it’s a great memory and was such a fun experience ♥

This is the OG craft room that was officially finished in 2012 – over the years things changed a little at a time, but the one original remaining piece is the table! It measures 8 feet by 4 feet and was built by my husband & father – the wooden chairs were from the Christmas tree shops at the time.

The shelves against the back wall were basic white units from Target, that we lined up side by side, framed in with molding and trim then painted gray. The brown paper covered boxes that housed all my different scrapbook papers, were just covered cereal boxes 🙂

The side wall with a sewing table and shelves above it, was also made by my husband and took on many different functions over time …

The photos reflect changes in trends of course, the rugs changed, the wooden chairs got bright coats of paint and the light fixtures came & went … but as I look at the pictures all in one sitting, I realize they reflect the changes that were occuring in my family as well – my girls were growing up and I was changing with time – craving simplicity, less stuff, bright space and functionality.

In the first picture at the top of this post, the yellow dresser was purchased at a garage sale and I painted it yellow and added knobs from hobby lobby – it was only made of pressboard and eventually stared to fall apart… I stumbled upon that amazing wooden workbench (pictured just above) at a rummage sale – complete with the yellow melamine top, wooden drawers and it even had outlets on the side! It was definitely a hand crafted piece built in someone’s home workshop, but I loved it and got many years of good use from it.

The shelving on the back wall got a fresh coat of white paint and that unique wooden rolling cart was eventually replaced with a small white bookshelf. In the pictures below, you’ll see that the whole side wall got reimagined as my little online shop was growing and changing with time as well.

The rainbow pegboard was one of my most favorite projects, and was a focal point in the room for a long time…

White stools replaced the wooden chairs and rainbow polka dots pushed out garlands & shutters, but they came down a year later when we had the whole house repainted … most of our house is painted in ‘bakery box white’ by Behr.

Photos on the right show the progress during painting … everything was removed on the side wall (built-in table & shelves) and was moved up into my older daughter’s room in the left photo. It was at that time that she started crocheting little stuffies and garlands for the kids Etsy shop we had – she had her own business cards & shipping supplies all organized in that workspace ♥

In came my beloved white Husky work bench from Home Depot. I was envisioning the space as a packing/shipping order station, where i could gather, pack and weigh all my shop orders in one spot without having to run all over the room to grab this and that …

White painted pegboard and inventory bins took the place of my sewing area after more than a decade, and gingham wallpaper replaced a large green chalkboard (that I got from a sale at a local school that was closing down) on the other side of the room.

White rope baskets were moved in under the table when the original brown baskets started to wear out … I also decided to put a flush ceiling light fixture in the room for more lighting and less distraction from the new metal shelving units on the back wall that eventually replaced the framed in unit.

This is where it stands 14 years or so later 🙂 I will never regret taking this room ‘out of it’s box’ and turning it into something that allowed my home to thrive, my family & friends to gather & me to use the creativity God put in my soul to bring joy to others who I’ve been so blessed to encounter – which in turn gives me the greatest joy of all. Thankyou for following along with me for all of these years – it has been true joy to live a quiet life and work with my hands, all the while sharing it bit by bit with you as friends ♥