“A room of one’s own,” author Virginia Woolf declared back in 1929, was a must if a woman was going to be a writer. However, Woolf’s wisdom goes far beyond writing. Whether they’re trying to craft a poem, a painting or a piece of pottery, artists need a private workspace. Creativity can’t flourish in a room where your spouse is on the phone, your third grader is learning to play clarinet and Juno, the rescue mongrel, is squeaking his chew toy.
Over the course of the pandemic, we’ve heard a lot about how to create a home office and a one-room schoolhouse — both certainly important — but we heard less about the need to carve out corners for creative pursuits. Yet based on the soaring sales reports from hobby and craft stores, clearly the need for craft spaces is also on the rise.
To help those still crafting atop their washing machines, I talked to two successful artists and got their suggestions for setting yourself and your home up for crafting success, whether you’re a full-time artist or weekend dabbler.
Quilter Shannon Brinkley, of Leesburg, Va., leads quilting workshops and teaches a class on setting up a craft and quilt studio. “The key,” she said, “is to remove barriers, so when you have time, you can sit right down and get to work.”
Stacy Barter, a painter living in Winter Garden, Fla., devotes not only a room, but much of the five-bedroom home she shares with her husband to her art business. She uses the master bedroom as her painting studio, another bedroom for framing, varnishing and shipping, and a third for inventory storage.
“Artists have to give themselves permission,” she said. “If you don’t take your art seriously and give it the time and space it needs, who will?”
Here are seven things to consider when setting up your home-based art, craft or sewing studio for success:
A dedicated space: A room with a door is ideal, so you can work without interruption and pick up right where you left off. “Not everyone has the luxury of an extra room,” Brinkley said. “You have to work with the space you have.” If that happens to be the dining room table, make sure you can pull all your tools and materials out quickly and easily put them away.
A big flat workspace: Most artists and crafters need a large worktable. If you stand to work, pick one that is 36 inches high or counter height. If you work sitting, say at a sewing machine, choose a desk-height table, 28-30 inches. Depending on your craft, you may need both.
Ample storage: A combination of visible and hidden storage — open shelving, for example, with cabinets below — lets you display materials you want to see and hide the ones you don’t. Brinkley stores her quilt fabrics in an old china cabinet that’s had the glass removed, so she can reach in and grab fabric, which is stacked and organized by color. Crafters who work with small materials, like stones, buttons or beads, can store them in clear jars. A peg board recruits wall space to hold rulers, embroidery hoops and scissors in plain sight. Smaller items can go in labeled bins or drawers fit with organizers.
The right light: Good, natural light is important, especially if your craft involves color or intricate hand work. “We all want that gorgeous natural northern light,” Barter said, “but you want to be able to control it with blinds and enhance it with task lighting.” Windows also help with ventilation if your craft involves glues and varnishes. If your work room is in the basement, where natural light is scarce, halogen light bulbs provide the next best light.
A comfortable chair: Whether you’re sewing, weaving, throwing pottery, or knitting, you’ll never put in the necessary hours if your chair is a pain in the derriere.
Hard flooring: Hard floors are easier to clean and make it easier to spot stray pins and loose pieces, which can get lost in carpeting. Barter puts vinyl wood floors in her studio because they are turpentine friendly and make cleaning up oil paint easy. She also appreciates the slight cushioning vinyl wood flooring offers, which helps with all-day standing.
A design wall: A place to pin inspirational images or your work as it’s unfolding is a welcome craft room feature. Barter has a “wet wall,” a rack where she puts paintings in progress. Brinkley has an 8-foot square, flannel-wrapped board she uses when conceptualizing a quilt’s layout. Other artists use vision boards made of cork or magnetic sheeting so you can step back and see what you’re making.
Now go fire up that glue gun!
