Friday, September 30, 2011

Progress: Craft room edition


I started out calling this my craft room, but now it seems that Office might be a better title. My new laptop is on its way. I'm going to spend some time this week setting up an Ikea bookshelf that my Philadelphian sister-in-law was kind enough to deliver. So as to spare me from a $350 shipping fee.

The office started out beige and lime green, with bamboo-painted window trim.


It was the first room we applied a roller to, the day after closing. Can you see the glee in my face? Oh my goodness, what a rush that was.

 
We painted the walls Behr Velvet Evening-- three coats! I love it more every day. I'm so glad I took a risk with the color and went for something bold.

The carpet went away. I studiously applied caulk. I'm getting nostalgic here. I remember singing along to Ani Difranco (at the top of my freaking lungs) while I did this. It was December. The work was still fresh and exciting.


Primer and two coats of Behr Downy, and voila.



So fresh and so clean.

Then, came the junk.


It can be so hard to make craft supplies look attractive. I am admiring (and slightly envious) of crafters who store their fabric in vintage suitcases. I've started collecting a couple, slowly, when I find them. I've started scouting out appropriate baskets and canisters for supplies, so I can upgrade from the shoeboxes and repurposed grocery store deli containers I currently use. Upgrades are good.

Hopefully by the end of the week this view will contain a sleek, white, six-foot-tall Expedit shelving unit in place of that motley clutter. I see a lot of dinky IKEA Allen wrench action in my future...


The other exciting craft room/office development: my desk finally came to live with me. Dear old Dad (the extremely talented and generous cabinet maker I am so freaking lucky to be related to) built this for me when I was nine. Did he know? Did he have any idea his daughter would someday be headed towards a future as a freelance writer? It is cherry. It is gorgeous. I have missed it. 


I spent SO MANY hours sitting at this thing, doing homework, art projects, scrapbook pages, writing letters, writing poems, creating. Sitting at it again is a little like sitting in a favorite, familiar cockpit. Everything is there-- pens, paper, tools. Files. It feels great. 

In between, I made a little bit of art for the wall. Gotta have art, right? I got this idea from Design*Sponge-- saw it and immediately fell in love. It sat on the back burner for a time-- a long time-- while I worked at assembling the necessary materials. Frames found on clearance, paper, notions, cardboard for the back... a box cutter to cut the cardboard for the back... little clippy things to hold the cardboard in place, little toothy metal guys to hang them on the wall. Finally, they are done. 


I need to take a better picture sometime when there's more light. That's the thing about a Velvet Evening-colored room, I suppose. As you can see, there's plenty of room to add ribbons and buttons to these, as my collection grows.


Lots of changes, and hopefully lots more to show off in a couple of weeks...



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3 comments:

Unknown said...

Love those white floors!

Kristina Strain said...

Thanks! I think anything but something really bright and cheerful would've been too much with the dark walls.

Becky said...

I love that room! I know whatcha mean about storage. I use clear plastic lidded shoeboxes. Very non-glam but ever so practical!

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