Pursue your Craft in the Lap of Luxury

PURSUE YOUR CRAFT

Has it ever felt like a luxury to be able to leave your sewing or scrapbooking project out when you’re not working on it, instead of having to pack it away for next time? Then it’s probably past time for you to find a dedicated room for your hobbies where your efforts can sprawl exactly as much as you want them to and you can keep your supplies together and completely organized. Bigger is usually better, but going vertical on your storage can make any room feel more spacious. When designing your craft room it’s important to remember who will be using the space and what they’ll be using it for. Is it for you, the kids, grandkids or all three? Will it be dedicated to making jewelry, pottery or ceramics, painting murals, all of the above? Here are some of the elements to keep front of mind:

• Craft table — Nearly every craft aside from knitting or needlepoint will need a flat surface to work on, but requirements will vary widely from there. Just make sure you use high-quality furnishings you’re proud to use and are confident will withstand longterm use. Consider the room’s primary use and whether it’s likely to change in the future.

LuxuryIN THE LAP OF

• Lighting — It’s even more important to get this right in a craft room than the rest of the house. Use as much natural light as available, and layer task and ambient lighting to let users adjust it to the right strength.

And go ahead and use a statement hanging light fixture to energize the space.

• Storage — This is where the rubber meets the road in most craft rooms. Find a series of cabinets, drawers, cubbies, bookshelves, floating shelves, pegboards, file drawers, racks, buckets, tubs, tubes, cans, jars and whatever else accommodates the kind of work you’re doing and the materials that go into its creation.

• Walls — Whatever isn’t covered by your storage can feature your own artwork or those of your idols’, inspirational words or quotes, design or inspiration boards or light sconces. Electronic screens may be appropriate if they are essential to your pastime or to selling your creations to customers around the world.