Tuesday, March 13, 2007

My Studio

Ten years ago my Pete and I built the house in which we live. At the time the plan included a two car garage. Since we were already paying for floor and roof, we opted to make this a room and extend the roof forward to make an open car-port for our cars.

This room has been through several incarnations. It was initially called the toy room. In true socialist manner I hate the notion that one child might 'own' a toy and not let the other enjoy it. In the toy room all toys were available to all children. At times large lego cities were established that couldn't be broken, but that was ok, we could just close the door.
For a while my sister, Peta, and her husband lived in this room with their bed, tv and fridge, as they waited for their new house to be built. It was quite a happy arrangement. It didn't cause us any stress because they were able to have their own space, and they cooked the dinner half the time.

The room then became a bit of a teenagers' retreat. It housed computer, tv, stereo, playstation etc. When the children had friends to visit we could again close the door. All the toys that we couldn't throw out were moved into the spare bedroom.
NOW the room is my studio. We have just pulled apart and re-arranged the room in preparation for the arrival of my new quilting machine. It should be here in the next few days.


Against this wall are some old school library shelves which my Pete made into this fabulous unit of shelves.


The opposite wall has the computers, tv,stereo, playstation and my fabric cupboard. See that drawing board in the middle of the room? I have been trying to get rid of that for years, but my Pete is quite sentimental about it. (Wish he could be sentimental about things small enough to fit into a shoe box!) Architects don't even use drawing boards any more, but he spent MANY hours late into the night while we were at university sitting there and drawing. The little table is my working table for when I am quilting.


This is my desk. It was an old bank desk which my Pete has restored for me. It weighs a tonne! Opposite my desk is all the space that my children have left in this room - a couch and a play station.

This open space is awaiting the arrival of my new quilting machine. I don't know if it will fit. My Pete has counted out tiles and he thinks it's big enough. If it isn't then the drawing board, couch and playstation will be finding new homes!!!

I spend many hours in this room with the airconditioner on and the radio blaring. Where do you spend many hours?

7 comments:

Stomper Girl said...

Good grief. I thought you were getting a new sewing machine. Clearly a quilting machine is something far larger!

It's good to have a space like that. Ideally I'd like a tap studio with mirrors and a barre and reasonable acoustics. But I guess we'd have to own our own place for that.

nutmeg said...

Yes. I don't know what I thought a quilting machine was but nothing the size of that space! Not quite like waiting for a book to arrive is it? Much larger and dare I say it, much more exciting!

Your Pete is a whizz on the restoration of furniture. I like "knowing" where someone is when they post on their blog... You've certainly made an excellent room.

I put a picture of some of the "space" that I inhabit quite frequently in a post a couple of months back. One part of it shows my little desk, snuggled into an area of the kitchen/family room. If I'm not there, I'm usually found on my chaise lounge in my bedroom; reading of course!

Aunty Evil said...

Yep, I'm with the others, a quilting machine wouldn't fit into my house, but a sewing machine might just squeeze in.

That room is great, it doesn't look like a garage either, which is a bonus.

You will have to take another photo of the machine after it arrives (if you can tear yourself away from it, that is) so the uneducated of us can learn a thing or two.

Sussanah said...

wouldn't dream of leaving without the obligatory comment as I understand that shows very very poor manners. so, well, hmmm, ummmmmm, yeah ... ...

My float said...

Usually chained to my desk in front of a Toshiba laptop working working working.

Can I just say that this room is about the size of my unit AND much tidier to boot! My desk sits in the dining/living room. This is why there will be no photos until I move into my new house (sniff...) and get my own space.

It's wonderful to see spaces in your house change over time, isn't it?

Tracey Petersen said...

stomper - see the next post for clarification. A tap studio would be great - you go for it
nutmeg - my Pete is very good at fixing stuff, but he is VERY particular so nothing is done quickly. I'd like a chaise lounge in my bedroom. What luxury!
aunty - people don't even realise this room was on the plans as a garage, it blends into the rest of the house
my float - I had to tidy it to move everything. It is a working space and usually looks like it!

LBA said...

Your studio is stunning.
I feel all inspired just looking at this space.

I always just wanted a huge empty room with a mirror, barre, and on the other side: a huge window that looked out onto paddocks and green. I dreamt about it for years - it was so vivid.

And I don't dance ( although I would like to ;)