Creative spaces

I woke up this morning feeling a great deal... blah..... A bit overwhelmed about everything, and yet, I don't quite know what 'everything' is. I think it was a morning of 'shoulds' running through my head.

We figured out the heat, finally and I think the basement will be warmer. So, that will no longer be an excuse to not go down there for any length of time.

So, I decided this morning to inspire myself and peruse photos of creative sewing spaces on Pinterest.

I found some good ideas, but not yet the 'perfect' sewing space. There are rooms that I love, they are inspiring, however, I wouldn't want to mess them up by working in them. Some spaces, looked rather boring, but I could definitely see myself wanting to go and create one thing at a time in them. Most all of them were much too small. So, my inspiration came with daydreaming about my perfect sewing space.

Here is a list of MUST HAVE'S in my perfect sewing space.

Obviously temperature and comfort are a must have..... but.....

Lighting, is essential. Not weird florescent lighting, but good, bright, natural lighting. Lighting is essential for color matching. North light is the best, as it is most consistent. Design workspace would be best placed near this natural light, like a north facing window. The whole lighting plan is dependent on the available natural light, the color palette and the work/task areas. I will come back to lighting in another post.

Storage is also important. It sounds like a dark and dismal idea. But storage can be very inspiring. It is also the most important dedication next to work space.

Workspace, what am I doing? Think of the time spent in a creative space.. most of it is doing. Working on a project to completion. Therefore workspace is a very important section of design. However, it does not necessarily require the most space. It is the quality of this element, not the quantity. I will talk about determining workspace in a future post.

Surfaces! For a space to function optimally, its surfaces are of utmost importance. The surfaces will impact not only visual aesthetics, but more importantly ease of use in the space. Will any of the furnishings be on casters? How much standing is required? Ease and comfort will impact how much time spent in the area and the mental/physical impact it will have on the quality of time spent there. Surfaces to be considered are floor, wall, ceiling and work surfaces. Many people choose surfaces on the basis of aesthetics.

Aesthetics are definitely a big part of the selection process, however, here is where product knowledge comes in. Knowing the characteristics and performance ratings of various products and matching them up for the variety of tasks is good design and minimizes the expense of a long term investment. Trust me, the last thing I want is to have my creative space torn apart and deemed unusable for any length of time. Do it right, do it once!

Which, my final must have is a color palette that I can spend the appropriate amount of time in. Perhaps  a quiet meditative place to relax, or a streamlined productive area. Or may be looking for that thrill of inspiration, completing and beginning! Maybe losing too much time in creative endeavors is a problem (of course, it is a problem for others, right?) The color choices for the appropriate surfaces will make this the perfect space to spend the perfect amount of time in! Color is more than just hue. There are value contrasts and saturation levels to consider... more on that at another time.

Oh, I almost forgot, for the next month or so, I will be featuring a link to Shelly's Design Studio to drive traffic and share my professional side (there really is one!) Thanks for checking it out and passing it along to friends or colleagues that may be interested in my products and services.