Studio Makeover

It doesn't seem that long ago that I shuffled things in the studio, but after working with it for a while, I decided I needed to make some more room somehow.  Since Ornery won't let me take out any walls (yet) I figured the best plan would be to rearrange the furniture. I used this cool website to do a scale drawing of the room and furniture, rearranged it several times on the screen (much easier on my back!) and then started moving things.

I began the project at 7:30 on Wednesday morning. First I emptied out a lot of the stuff into the hall, then emptied the armoire onto the table. (I heard it groan!!)  I tried to take pictures, but the camera didn't work. :(  Of course as I moved back in, I spent some time organizing things. It took me all morning, but by the time Ornery brought some Chinese food home for lunch, I had it done except for a few things that need new homes.

I took a couple pictures with my phone, so while they aren't very good, they will at least give an idea of what I did. First the "before" pictures.  Of course this was right after I set things up earlier, and before I had "lived" in it for a while.  I had trashed it pretty well... o_0

This side of the room is slightly smaller due to the doorway being slightly recessed into the room. Here was the "new and improved" version I put together shortly after Mickie started coming over to play on Wednesdays. It was hard to get in and out around her chair, and she didn't have much space to put her stuff.

 The armoire at an angle in the corner took up more of the room than I thought it did. By the time I started rearranging today, the top of it was piled high with plastic boxes, and the carts were blocking entrance to my table (along with a big pile of other "stuff" that had migrated into that little area... I was feeling a tad claustrophobic!

This is the old "office" arrangement. It worked okay, but I always had to move the chair to open the closet door.

 The "new" office arrangement puts the table and file cabinet perfectly between the window and the bathroom door frame.  Once we close off this door and the wall is smooth, I will move the whole operation down a few inches, but meanwhile, it is workable. I would prefer to have the two pieces switched, but the instructions said not to put the printer in direct sunlight, which might cause a problem next to that south-facing window...

My new crafting area. The two carts are in the corner between the bookcase and the armoire, and there is a space of almost four feet between the table and the closet wall for Mickie's chair--and some of her stuff.  :)  Huge improvements took place in and on the armoire as well as in the book case.

I still have some organizing/sorting to finish, but I am happy with the arrangement, and I found homes for all the piles of stuff that had accumulated here and there. The only thing I am parting with is some stamp mounting and identification materials and watermark supplies. There are a few new books on the shelves in the library, and I have a box of old books I intend to recycle into projects one of these days that needs a home, but I am thinking a bookcase on the other side of the table might be just the ticket! I'll have to be on the hunt.