apartment therapy changing the world, one room at a time

Welcome to my world!

First off, here's the FANTASY solution:
http://www.scrapboxusa.com/

(I can't afford it but I'd love to have it!)

OK. You need to decide if this is to remain a bedroom (I'm assuming for guests, since foisting your craft stuff off on a family member seems unlikely.) If so, what kind of sleeping are you going to provide: the bed, a futon? How often do you have guests? What is the priority?

(My guest room has to hold a double bed for infrequent but demanding guests. So I use the space for craft storage and sewing, but actually work in the dining room.)

You have a good start on the storage furniture, depending on how you use it, and there is that big closet, too -- is that craft space or something else? My guest closet is all craft stuff -- guests usually are only there a night or two and live out of their suitcases... Hey, it's a free hotel! (I'm thinking of wall hooks or something for them...) I use a lot of plastic tubs and drawers to make everything contained and accessible.

A comfortable chair would improve the space work working there, and if you knit, think of getting something where the arms don't interfere. Some knitters I know like having a footstool, too -- or maybe a storage ottoman. (And if it remains a guest room, guests like chairs to throw their clothes on, too.)

Drawing might be done on the desk unit, or you might want to just have a drawing board to hold on your lap on the chair.

I always like to have my work separated from sleep, so if you make a mess you can just leave it without feeling like your sleeping in it.

I would turn that great desk system around and face the back towards your bed to divide the room in some way, put some wallpaper on that back and make a small separate room to sleep then make a fun craft room on the other side.

Turn the bed around and put it on the wall horizontally, take off the head board, and use as a day bed with pillows aganist the wall.

If you want to spend under a $100 buy a daybed style bedspread and pillows to make into a real daybed look.


http://www.overstock.com/Home-Garden/Trellis-Scarlet-5-piece-Day-Bed-Set/3496355/product.html?sec_iid=33972

What do you want the room to feel like. It reads as a childs room in the pictures. Are the toys and knick nacks staying?

Dewis idea of a daybed and a place for you to relax while knitting is a good one. Get new bedding and a pick color from it and get some curtains to match it will refresh the room alot. You need more lighting for your knitting, there seems to be only the overhead light. Wall paper over the closet doors in a linen or a seagrass texture to give it some depth.

Which do you do more? Paint or knit. That's what would determine which gets more important placement in the room. If I knit every day or every week I'm going to want those items to be more accessible.

Whats in the closet? Are you using all of it. If not you can install a closet system (elfa sytem or California closet) in half of it with additional shelving to store your knitting- they cant blame you for that. You can get storage boxes or woven baskets for the yarns, and embroidery skeins. They'll be stored nicely and you can label the outside and you'll be able to see what you have.

Where do you paint? Not flat on the desk. You need a drafting table or something that you can raise so the paints don't pool. You can get a small easel and place by the window where there's good natural light and just keep one of the shelving units, maybe the closed one so you can put paint supplies in it with brushes and paper. And leave enough room for your absolutely cant give away books.