New Studio Tour

Ahhh, the evolution of a studio. I am convinced that most artists go through this process several times in their creative life. We might be sick of how things are arranged - want to become more efficient - or learn better ways to be organized. Or, in this case, water damage forced a redo. If you'd like to see what the room looked like before, you can do so in this link. From that link, you can see my previous studio as well, although I am almost embarrassed of it. See, we really do change and grow.

The former bright and colorful room has given way to soft neutrals..... orange walls are now brown. Mini blinds have been replaced with proper curtains. Not as much "stuff" came back into the room.

Refinished wood floors begged for a rug. This caused the 2013 rug war between Jon and I. We've been to every big box store in 2 cities, and even a local carpet store. The rug you see here was taken from our dining room. It is a remnant rug from one of the big box stores, bought 10 years ago when we moved into the house. Why he has such an attachment to it I do not know. It's nonstandard size of 6 x 9 coincidentally fits both the dining room and the studio perfectly, making it harder to replace. A the war continues, I am trying to understand why a man cares so much about a rug and home decor in general.

I used to have 2 wooden trays with hooks hung on one of the walls with a lot of my necklaces hung them. As you can see, wall space is at a premium in this room so I wanted to find a different solution. Our metal birdcage, with the glass removed, was a fun option. The stand fits my Dad's toolbox under it perfectly and is flanked by 2 wire peacocks (often used as business card holders at shows).

Of course, a peacock lives in the birdcage, flaunting the most recent creations!

The jewelry chest that I've had since I was a little girl lives in one of the front corners. Upon it is a burlap runner and vintage topiary from my friend Jennie's lovely wedding.

And a peacock! Take note of the mercury glass curtain rods and tiebacks, as that was the third element in putting this room together. Brown, cream, and mercury glass accents. You'll see a mercury glass peacock candle holder in a bit, and sitting on my desk is a mercury glass jar candle from Anthropologie (Aspen Candles "Volcano" which is what they burn in their stores - now my studio smells like Anthropologie!).

My 2 mannequins stand proud, sporting some of my favorite bold looks. We got that table for $2 at a garage sale many years ago, and it has been one of the greatest pieces throughout the house.

Albino feathers to fit the scheme.

I know in a previous post I talked about all the boring drywall, woodwork and floor refinishing. So I don't want to repeat too much, but I did want to show off how the ceiling turned out. We have this scalloped look in a few other rooms in the house, and wanted to try it in here. It took us a day to complete. Jon would roll on the drywall mud, while I would make the designs with a wallpaper brush. It was fun and I am proud that it actually turned out!

I replaced those trays I spoke of earlier with 2 old clipboards - purchased for 25 cents each! They hold 2 pieces that have been published.

The only corner of the room I wasn't quite satisfied with was this one. It's just not quite right for me. But luckily, I have a new piece coming my way tomorrow, and I plan to do another post around it and storage in general (as I have had to become creative in order to keep the room looking good).

When Jon first talked to me about making this room more "neutral" and seller friendly for the future, I have to admit I was disappointed. I mean, it's my space. I am a creative person who should get to do what I want, right? What was I going to do with all of my colorful peacock wares? But now that it is all done I must say that I LOVE it! It looks much more sophisticated, light and airy. I've just the simplicity of looking at it since it's been done, but I better get back to work soon!