This basement makeover, submitted to us by Re-Nest reader Sarah of cafe + dish, shows just how transformative a few coats of white paint can be. As she writes: "Living in Boston, space is at a premium. The studio is in a "garden-level" part of the basement, so I used lots of white paint to brighten the space. What once was a very dark and dingy corner of a basement is now one of my favorite spaces..."
"The renovation took about a week combined to complete. I had to spend a few days cleaning and prepping the space first (we have a 100-year old condo and the basement shows its age). Then my (carpenter) father traveled 900 miles and built the wall, installed the door, and installed the electrical outlets in 2 days. I spent several days after that painting, painting, and painting the space bright white to reflect the natural sunlight.
I would encourage people interested in carving out a creative space to think beyond the obvious. When space is at a premium, consider attic spaces, walk-in closets, corners of dining rooms, or dead-end hallways. Don't wait for perfection, but embrace what you have!"
• Read More: Art Studio: Before & After at cafe + dish
Thanks, Sarah!
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Great job; how nice it must be to have a carpenter father! Hard to believe from the first picture that everything was done in a week. Looks fantastic.
Wow! What a great transformation! Helps that you had those gorgeous old wood-framed windows. But yeah, huge difference.
Bravo! Wife & I are working on a garage-to-studio conversion, which is taking forever because it's big. A small space is great because you spend less time managing it and more time making art -- which is the point. Also, smaller paintings are MUCH easier to sell!
Thanks for all the nice comments! @Arkay: The small space is cozy and easier to manage, but space to spread out and work larger would be great too :)
-Sarah
@RMF325 I do feel lucky having a carpenter father! This past summer we worked together ripping out a wall and renovating my kitchen: http://cafedish.blogspot.com/search?q=kitchen It is a great way to bond and spend time together!