Last spring, I was asked to help with a project to bring order to a client’s multi-use workroom. An avid weaver, baker, collector and reader, she needed to fit all of her passions in one small room. This room also had to work as a home office and accommodate multiple computers and printers. It was no small task, so we met to layout out the initial objectives, which were to:

– Increase the functionality of the space as a home office
– Make the space feel spacious, open, bright, and airy
– Brighten and modernize the room without changing any lighting or fixtures
– Retain all of the collections of antique toys, teapots, and highlight favorites
– Showcase her original textiles as artwork

I designed a new layout, the dominant feature of which were new long desks to serve as a multi-function workspace for “work work” and “play work” like sewing. A new rug covered an older wood floor in this log-cabin style home (her husband’s family built the house in the 1930s and it’s been in the family ever since) and tied the room together.

Existing antiques and collectibles were all lovingly returned to shelves and after heavy pruning of books, we calculated the linear feet of shelving required and added new, high capacity wooden bookcases that were painted to match the walls. The existing curio shelf at the ceiling stayed in place, and the neutral linen curtains stayed, too.

Her original textiles were given places to shine as the works of art they are. A fresh coat of paint helped lighten the space, as did the new lighter surfaces. Her own style shines through in this very practical, loved, and usable solution.

DSC_0064