Saturday, April 17, 2010

Repurposed and reorganized a.k.a THE SEWING ROOM IS DONE!

It started with this

A boring, brown, cheep, pressed laminate, bookshelf. I've already taken off the top shelf in this picture. I wanted to use it in my sewing room, but that brown monster did not fit in with the vision.

After a little high gloss white paint and some amazing fabric....voila!



Then I tried to put the shelves back in.........

This is when I realized that if you are going to paint laminate with a high gloss paint, it is in your best interest to prime first. Even if it means taking a whole other day to complete the project. Which at the time seemed unimaginable. But the paint made everything fit a little bit more snug meaning I REALLY had to convince the shelf to move back home. End result?

This
Sad, I know.
However, with a little touch up paint and sewing book for foreshadowing and interest, here is the final product.


OK, not the final product. I am waiting for these to replace the door knobs. I haven't put the doors back on in that picture yet though.

I KNOW! Aren't those knobs Amazing!

Now, I forgot to take a picture of the sewing room BEFORE we cleared it out. Bummer.

BUT I did take a picture of all of the stuff from the sewing room sitting in my office.........

(Can you believe ALL of that stuff fit into a 5'5" X 10'3" space?!?!?! I really wish I would have taken a picture of the sewing room stuffed to the rafters. Aw well)

......and of the mostly empty sewing room, before I painted.



Well, before I finished painting anyway. See that hint of blue? That's the new color for the room!

After hours and hours of sorting through every.single.thing. that came out of the sewing room originally, my mom and I (thank you SO much mom!!!!) got everything organized. Hooray!

Once more (just for drama)

Before



AND

After








I am using this space as a cutting/storage room.

Which my family will be grateful for because I will no longer commandeer the kitchen island with my crafty-cutting madness.

The actual sewing will go on in the office.
Here
(This is the same space where we put all the stuff from the sewing room so the room could be painted and the stuff organized---looks way bigger without all that stuff in there!)

That way I can keep an eye on the kids better, I won't freeze in the winter (the windows are old and need replacing. Especially in that sewing room), PLUS there's a T.V. in the office for background noise when I sew late at night.

Don't worry. I have plans for that space too. Paint, vinyl (Annie get ready for a call soon), etc.

I plan on painting the sewing furniture white and the office furniture black. Moving the "office" pictures to the office side, putting up vinyl on the wall behind the "sewing" side to define the two spaces.......

I found that awesome sewing table at D.I. for $15! It had an old sewing machine in it.....but that's for another post.

There are a few more "decorating" things to do in the sewing room. I normally do not dig lighter colored wood. But I love how that old school desk Kevin and I bought from an auction USU had for their old class room junk feels with the blue walls. Plus my cutting mat fits like a glove!!!


AND it perfectly houses all of my ribbons.


The drawer just came that way. *Sigh*

I want to add some dimension to the desk with white, cherry blossm-esque vinyl running along the sides and back. Or maybe something like this.

Also picture a few apothecary jars housing my fabric scraps, like this, sitting on the window sill right next to the ceramic plate my Grandma Gertrude painted.

Oh, and curtains. The window needs curtains.


As well as a good cleaning.

And eventually all the face plates and outlets will be white.

I am toying with the idea of a white peg board on the wall opposite the window,

to hang scissors, marking pens, and other sewing items.

But decorating is the easy part.

I keep walking in there just to see if it's really my space.

Organizing may be hard for me to achieve, but I sure know how to appreciate it once I finally get there!

14 comments:

Chrissy said...

*sigh* Dang it, Em. Now I have to go get my sewing room all cleaned and organized. Thanks a lot....

I love the re-purposed bookshelf and esp. with all your fabric displayed! I also may have drooled just a bit over the drawer knobs you are waiting on. It looks awesome! Just a thought, if you are going to make curtains, maybe you should look into making a roman blind with an insulating layer to keep the cold out in the winter.

Love your guts, even if you do make feel like a craft slob... :)

Chrissy said...

Oh yeah, and I have to admit that I am coveting your cutting table. That is perfect!

Amy said...

Em, it looks so good. All the beautiful fabric folded on that cute little shelf makes me want to have lots of fabric or even just fabric scraps for that cute jar, but I guess I would need to start sewing first! Looks perfect!

Sarah said...

ok, now I believe it ;).

It looks fabulous. the kind of space you actually want to be in instead of something you dread going into to find stuff. I give you props.

Lawson Family said...

Em! I'm so proud of you! For someone who hate the process of organizing, that is a major feat. It looks amazing and makes me itch to get decorating again. I can't wait to help with your vinyl needs to help complete the space! So Awesome!! (can you tell I get giddy of before and after projects?!)

Tobi said...

You are a.ma.zing!!!!! Totally beyond wow!

Skye O. said...

I love it! That is just the colors I picture any sewing/crafting room should be! Can I come over and sew in your creative space? Mine is full of TOYS!

So cute!

Danica said...

Looks Great Em! Good job!

April Weeks said...

I can feel you just feeling so light and happy that this is done. It looks great and now you can sew and craft to your hearts content and find stuff when you need it.

jillian said...

WOW! I wish I had a cutting table! I love it!!!

Lyndi Daly said...

Love Love Love IT!!! Even though I don't sew much, that's just what I want...to look at pretty fabric in jars. Sigh! Good Work Em!

Megs said...

Looks Amazing Em! I'm loving the blue walls, it just feels like a crafty color! Congrats again!

cwilson said...

So cute and I'm so jealous!

Strggln4Answrs said...

I was just browsing by and I had seen the pictures. Im a sucker for before and after DIY projects. It looks great. I really like the "bookcase" and the knobs. Good luck with the project. I think you just inspired me to finish a few things!