Drawing Room- Art Studio Makeover

The new Design Studio is finished.....until things change! I call it the Drawing Room because I mostly Draw in here.

Enter My Design Studio

After installing the yellow school lockers, I put the red bookcases on either side. I had to think of curtains. I wanted a strong color to balance the red and yellow...hmmm...blue completes the primary colors already in place. Now, this is cool...I had major yardage of this blue velvet (yes, Blue Velvet!) which my daughter had given me from an in law of hers. How perfect!

 

Red Book Cases

Here is the stack of red book cases to the left of the lockers. I love the paper bag color on the wall. My special "art pieces" look like they are in a gallery.

My "Blue Boy" is a prize possession.

This art collection consists of an unpainted plaster "Blue Boy" ($2 from a thrift store); My drawing after a sketch by Leonardo Da Vinci; Shadow box of thinking monkeys ($1.50 from thrift store); Little clay pots which I untangled from a macrame net ($1 yard sale).

Red Book Case

Here are the stacked red book cases to the right of the lockers. It is so great to have all my books in one place.

Shoe Form Assemblage

The great shoe forms finally have a place. The boxes are each $1 finds from junking days. The little chalkboard (So sweet) has the original mmm's that were there when I bought the chalkboard for $2 somewhere.  I sprayed the chalkboard with a fixative so that the mmm's will stay put.

Even though space for storage is always at a premium, I decided to give myself a treat by having these small spaces dedicated to somewhat orderly assemblages.

Small Art Studio Make Over (first installment)

Recent Drawing Room

 The "Drawing Room" is the room I draw in. I have paper and coloring materials, a light table, drafting table, layout table, layout boards, my art books, book projects, idea folders, space for drawings in use and anything else that I want for the purposes of design work.

Drawing Room 2 years ago

This room has traveled back and forth between two spaces way too many times.

Small Drawing Room Before

 So, once and for all, I had to make the decision that it needed to be bolted to the ground in one room for good!

Too Much Clutter!

 I took a good look and made my list:
#1. The first thing I needed was closed storage because everything was out in the open and it was too distracting to work in there.
#2. I decided that I was going to finally use my gallon of mis-tinted paint ($32 paint I got for $3!..yay!) in paper lunch bag color.
#3. I wanted all of my art books on the bookcases with nothing else on them.
#4.I decided all peripheral projects and materials needed to go to the "Out Room". The "Out Room" is a room in the house that has an outside door. I use it for painting furniture, refinishing, cleaning flea finds, hammering and sawing things, storage and keeping garden stuff.
#5. I needed my worktables to have nothing on them so that I could use them for current work. So, this meant more pairing down of excess stuff. This process took several rounds of serious selection.
#6. I wanted this room to be my own space, so the things that might end up hanging on the walls for decoration would be chosen only on the criteria that I loved to look at them. That is my only explanation for the final look of the room.

For #1:
I went on a foraging trip with my good friend Stefanie and found this at Don's Consignment in Owensboro Kentucky! This is a bank of three yellow school lockers! I have red bookcases! This is beyond perfect!

Yellow School Lockers for closed storage

For #2:
I had to move stuff out of the room and paint before the lockers came home.

Here are some of my art books

Scot helped me to move my books...he said...too many books....then, he helped me to paint.

Paper bag color on walls

I love the color of this paint. It is a warm neutral and a great background for primary colors. Which, as you will see, is important!....to be continued............