Studio/Workshop Move

For the past 10 years, I have been working out of a small, cramped, oddly shaped workshop that was hastily set up after we moved to this house, when I was about 8.5 months pregnant with our first daughter.

It was fine, did the job, had all the essentials: a workbench, a kiln, a nice big window, shelves, a sink, a radio... an although it is quite long, it lacked a little in the width department (exactly 5ft wide, if you're wondering). It was a bit like working in a canal boat, but less romantic. When clients came to visit, a mild look of panic would cross my face if there were more than two of them. One year I took part in the Bridport Open Studios, and at several points during the weekend there were queues of people to come in - not because I was so incredibly popular and a must-see destination, but because a family of four had come.

Although we are fortunate enough to have a couple of outbuildings here, the larger one got filled up with building materials, bikes, abandoned kids' craft projects and other general crap. Somehow I was always too busy with either work or the kids to empty it out and move into it. 

But I have finally been able to clear it out, get a new workbench built and start decorating it.

There is a lot to do.

I am replacing all the window glass because it is horrible (Flemish, which sounds lovely but really isn't), filling all the holes in the walls, covering up damp patches, painting the walls, windows, door and floor as well as sorting out the slightly rotten sills on the exterior. And when I say "I", I do genuinely mean "ME". My budget does not allow for someone who actually knows what they are doing to come along and fix it up.

I'll save the hideous "before" pictures of my new space for when I have some "afters" to show you.

details of all images can be found here

I want it to be ready soon, but I'm still only about halfway there. In the meantime I have become quite addicted to pinning pictures of other artist's studios on Pinterest as a way of making me feel like I'm getting somewhere, and keeping me motivated.

Above are a few of my favourites... most of these are pie-in-the-sky, with their high ceilings, wooden floorboards and huge arched windows, but I'm hoping to steal a few ideas from them for the general aesthetic and how to arrange the space in the new workshop.

It's not a massive space, but at least I won't have to walk sideways up and down it.