Studio project - construction is complete!

 Although the pandemic affected many suppliers for our project, I'm happy to report that the remodeling part of the studio project is complete!

First, we got the carpet installed. We're using carpet squares that are just taped to the floor - just in case there are some crafty accidents!

Then, the countertop went in. This is a laminate top with a grey stone look.

Finally, the trim went in around the room to give a finishing touch. We also added the iconic IKEA pegboard since we wanted to take advantage of the walls for storing things.

A floating shelf is currently on the floor under the TV - I will be using that as a resting place for some common supplies I would like handy.

Now that the major construction is done, I will start organizing some of my supplies and building my desk. We decided on a butcher block for my desk; it will arrive next week.

Studio progress - cabinets are installed

Seriously, this project has taken longer than our kitchen remodel last year, so I am starting to get antsy to get back into my real space!  The pandemic is affecting receiving some of our materials, and everyone is remodeling their houses at the same time, so lots of services are backed up for weeks. That being said, there is a lot of progress to show.

First, the upper cabinets were installed.

Then, the base cabinets and doors were installed.

Then, we got lights! This shows the can lights and the under-cabinet lights on.  I was also able to start putting a few things in the room - mostly to clean up the rest of the house!

A different view showing the patio door, and I added my bookpress in it's real place.

Finally, we installed the TV mount and got the TV on the wall.  My desk will face this TV, and I can use it to project my laptop or watch videos. I think the next Club Scrap unboxing will be extra nice on this TV!

Next up is flooring, countertops, and trim. Fingers crossed that that won't take too long.  We have the carpet installers scheduled, and the rest of the stuff should be ready to install.  We're also re-doing our laundry room (next door) at the same time, so it's a lot of chaos in the house, but will be well worth it when it's completed.

Remodeling progress and a temporary studio

 Construction has started, and although it's going more slowly than I expected, it is progressing.

We've had the rough-in for the electrical completed - there will be lots of outlets and plugs and cable chases for internet wires and a TV. The closet has been removed here so the space already looks bigger.

Here you can see the new patio door which leads out to our deck.

Temporarily, I've been relocated to a spare bedroom. I'm quite cozy next to the bed, which is also covered with crafting and other stuff that has been temporarily relocated! My die cutting machine and most of my stamps are downstairs and this room is upstairs, so I'm getting a bit of exercise! It's also directly above the work, so I get to hear some colorful language when things aren't going well.

It was interesting to pare down my supplies to the essentials.  I think this will help me when I move back in to organize things so my favorite things are up front and center.

Back in the studio, there has been lots of mudding and taping to fix all the holes.

And, finally a start to the paint.  We are going with greys on the wall and wood tones for the cabinets. The big pieces will be neutral and we'll bring in color with the curtains and wall decorations.

As the first cabinets started to go in, we had our first "problem" - they went in too low due to a miscommunication. It was easily fixed, except for the holes they had made for the electrical outlets that will be in those cabinets - so more patching is in our future.

Here you can see the darker grey we are using around the patio door.

Lots of work still to be done.  I'd forgotten how stressful remodeling is - I think we might be done for a while with big indoor projects after this is done!

Getting ready for the studio remodel

Over the last few months, I have been purging supplies, and creating space in different areas to store my scrapbooks. 

Here you can see the scrapbooks are gone and the large wooden cabinet.  I replaced the cabinet with a utility shelf from the basement since I wasn't ready to move the supplies yet.  I was amazed at how much bigger the room felt with this small change.

This is a bit further along and close to when I moved.  The supplies on the utility shelf have moved downstairs, and the bookshelf is ready for a friend to take.

The filing cabinet in the closet has been moved to the porch, and the pizza boxes on the shelf have been relabeled. It's hard to tell because I had them tucked in so many places, but I was able to reduce those by about 10-12 since I got rid of some kits and I had used so many.

A view of the desk.

And, this is the empty room ready for the crew to start! The blue tape indicates where the cabinets are planned to be and where we want to place some items to help the electricians out.

The view of my desk area - without a desk!

The adventure starts tomorrow!

Behind the scenes at Lift Bridge Cards and Crafts

In our home, we've had two years in a row with major home renovations, and we're about to make it three in a row.  Two years ago, we landscaped our yard. This made us see how dated our kitchen was, so last year we had the kitchen done. We had plans to fit my book press in a kitchen cabinet. When that didn't fit, we decided to renovate the office (aka, my studio!) and our laundry room.

So, over the next few months, I will share with you where we started, how the project is going, and where we end up. Along the way, I will share some organizational tips.

As you walk into the studio, you will see a bookshelf, desk, cabinet with stamps, and a wall cabinet with ink pads.

On the opposite side, I have a large cabinet on the left. My husband had that made for my 30th birthday, and the drawers on the right are perfectly sized for 12x12 paper. There are shelves above that hold supplies and my scrapbooks.  My desk is right next to the window. It is a large drafting table, and has items stored below, on top, and on the side.

Here is a better view of my desk.  I have paper trays at the back that have trays to hold inks and other supplies. My letter trays and desktop station are from Likeit.

Opposite the window is a closet.  We have a lateral filing cabinet in here and have filled the closet with adjustable shelves. Behind my door, I have a punch pal which is filled with paper punches.

I love that this room has the best light all day since it's south facing and it now looks out over our new deck from our landscaping project. 

What I don't love about this room is how we've just cobbled things together over the year.  Each piece of furniture was bought at a different time to solve a current need. The closet is also full of space, but because of how it's framed in, we lose about 2 feet of vertical storage there. The whole room is also too full of stuff.

Our idea for moving forward is to replace all of the individual cabinet pieces with built in cabinets and remove the closet. In the picture below, the bookshelf is going to be in the same place as the current bookshelf. The short piece of the "L" will fit in the former closet location.

In the coming weeks, I will show you the progress I've made and the construction as it goes along!