I love:
The white and wood aesthetic amongst all the colour of the fabrics! Here's some more specifics.
- IKEA Billy bookcases to store my near solids i.e tonals, blenders, low volume etc. They make a great photo backdrop too
- IKEA Bror metal shelving to store my vintage sewing machines, project boxes etc.
- IKEA height adjustable cutting table legs with wood tabletop top from Bunnings (Aussie equivalent of Home Depot or Lowe's)
- Two desks with wood tops one for sewing machines and one for my computer
- I recovered my ironing bench in a cute light aqua fabric print which also works as a great photo background as well.
- No blinds or curtains (to maximize light coming in - the room is on the south west corner of the house so no direct sunlight actually comes in)
- Overflow items in the spare room right next door (medium portable design walls when not being used at the moment, my library cart that is home to my print fabric yardage for quilt backs) There's also space in that room to lay quilts out on the floor to photograph completed quilt tops! So this overflow space is truly valuable now that I have a small studio!
- Two irons (one cordless and one with cord) each have their benefits!
- Medium portable design wall (a thrifted one metre square, wall art canvas I covered. I loved it so much I made a second one!
- Bread boxes to store notions etc labelled with a chalk marker
- Scrapbooking style project boxes for UFOs (be sure they are good quality and sturdy because quality can be variable)
- IKEA lamps for extra lighting
I love this one that clips onto my Billy bookcases and can be easily moved as needed!
What didn't work:
- Folding design wall (Cheryl Ann's brand it was too big for constant use in my space and the fabric is not clingy enough. They are expensive if you decide it doesn't suit!) I've used these at quilt retreats and I think that's about all they are good for, so mine will probably barely ever get used.
- Murphy Richards cordless iron - not a fan, I'll try another brand next time. I use the cheap thrift store corded one mostly.
- Originally my author book display shelf above the cutting table was a bit messy looking so I recently needed to cover the books in cellophane so the covers sit flat because they were curling up. It's fine now.
- I had to get rid of my kneeling chair (which I used if my back and hips were sore whilst at computer) as the space isn't big enough for extra chairs.
- Too many UFOs/project boxes. This doesn't work in a small space! Prioritise finishes! Declutter old projects. I did a lot of prep work in the years leading up to this international move which helped but I'm still working on completing UFOs and optimising storage so I have less old projects and planned projects to store!
Overall I think I did well! This is my fourth sewing room so I guess I've had enough experience to know what I truly need, use and like. This space is easily half the size of my old studio but it's getting towards my end goal which is... super organised!
Stay tuned I'll do a series of sewing room organisation posts in the coming weeks to share some tips and ideas!