I've always dreamed of having a creative studio. In my head, my workspace features a big collaboration table smack dab in the middle of the room surrounded by storage and organization for all my vintage decor. In the past, we've never had the right space to create a work studio. However now that we've found our new home, my workspace dreams are going to become a reality!
Family-friendly, cozy design in Los Angeles.
It started with transformative travel in 2017. Which, in so many words, includes travel motivated by a shift in perspective, self-reflection and development, and a deeper communion with nature and culture. But those seeking spiritual refuge need a...
I’m in the market for a another work space. Our makeshift dinning room office is not only driving Abe crazy, it just isn’t sustainable anymore. And now that Coco is just half a year away…
A tour of my work space + a new virtual private space for us to converse and connect
Setting up a workspace or home office that will keep you inspired, productive and creative is just as important as any of the work you’ll do in there. Your environment and surroundings have a huge impact on your mood and productivity - this is why it can often be confusing or conflicting to do tasks that we associate with work while we are in our nice cozy homes. This guide is going to show you exactly how to maximise your productivity and inspire creativity in your home office - by setting it up the right way, using biophilic design.
A tour of my work space + a new virtual private space for us to converse and connect
I’m in the market for a another work space. Our makeshift dinning room office is not only driving Abe crazy, it just isn’t sustainable anymore. And now that Coco is just half a year away…
Find inspiration for your home office ideas to set up a new or reinvent an existing working space to boost your productivity and make remote work a treat.
Do you work from home full time? Part time? Maybe you just need a corner where you can play and relax with your creativity every now and then. What ever your situation is, having a meaningful organized space in which to focus is vital.
Image 10 of 12 from gallery of Hayball Sydney Studio / Hayball + Bettina Steffens. Courtesy of Hayball
Find inspiration for your home office ideas to set up a new or reinvent an existing working space to boost your productivity and make remote work a treat.
Fortytwelve HQ is a minimal space located in Kuwait City, Kuwait, designed by fortytwelve
Decus Interiors’ founder Alexandra Donohoe Church lets us into her firm’s new Sydney studio, where she believes serendipitous moments spark creative ideas
Find out more about Cinquanta3: italian furniture and modern interior design solutions for home, office, shop and hotel. Wardrobes, beds, bookcases and more!
Image 5 of 25 from gallery of Rosa Apartment / CoDA Arquitetura. Photograph by Júlia Tótoli
After living on the road for numerous years, a young artist uncovers an inspiring studio in Rhode Island.
Prepare to be inspired.
Jason Leonard invited us to Archipelago Gallery, his Northeast Portland building. The primary business run out of the space is the Affiche Studio which specializes in vintage poster restoration. He has been perfecting his craft since 2003 and has accomplished some truly special restoration project
Image 2 of 21 from gallery of Ivan Navarro and Courtney Smith Art Studio / Scalar Architecture. Photograph by Imagen Subliminal
Image 10 of 14 from gallery of Bezos Center for Innovation / Olson Kundig Architects. Photograph by Lara Swimmer
My first studio space after college was the corner of the living room in my Atlanta apartment on Collier Road. My designated space had beige walls we weren’t allowed to paint, carpeted floors, and measured approximately 5 ft by 5 ft. Since then I’ve rented studio space in two different Atlanta locations, and four in North Carolina before moving into the space I have now. There was the Goat Farm, where I rented a third of a plywood-walled room with no windows (shared with a photographer friend and a playwright who I rarely saw), a lovely place in Roswell where I occupied the front sixth (approximately) of an open concept co-working space, the light-soaked sunroom in my first NC rental home, the studio on King Street where I met my friend Emma, and the next couple studios on the second story of a historic downtown Brevard building with no heat or AC, where Emma and I continued to be studio neighbors before both moving our studios to our own homes. While each space came with its own quirks, charms, perks, decor choices, and frustrations, after inhabiting all eight (!) studios, I’ve zeroed in on a few simple things that make ANY studio, regardless of size or quirk level, feel inviting, functional and conducive to creativity. And if you’re new to the habit of getting creative, I have something to help you with that, too. Now, on to setting up your studio… View fullsize View fullsize View fullsize View fullsize View fullsize View fullsize View fullsize View fullsize 1) The first thing I recommend setting up is some kind of tiered cart. This can be as tall or tiny as you need it to be, but a place to store your paints, brushes, and any other medium you use is essential. Having the cart on wheels is especially helpful if you are working in a space that doubles as a living area or guest room, and your studio needs to be consolidated or tucked away regularly. If you need help choosing the paints, tools, and materials to stock your cart, check out my Materials Guide. 2) The second element of a functioning studio is a table. I use a stainless steel table which has plenty of room for my palette, most frequently used paints, a few brushes, and whatever small painting I’m working on at the time. If you’re carving out a space at home, try setting up a card table you won’t worry about getting messy, or if you don’t have the space, spread a canvas or vinyl drop cloth over your kitchen/dining table and roll your paint cart right up next to you when it’s time to get to work. 3) Third, you need a chair or stool. I use a stool when I’m painting larger canvases since I’m roughly the same height sitting on a stool as I am standing, and can easily transition between the two depending on how much physical movement is required for the actual painting process. This might sound ridiculously obvious, but I’ve had studios without an actual chair in it, and there’s something that’s an inherent bummer about getting tired and having to sit directly on a concrete floor (that may or may not have wet paint on it) instead of on a chair. These next two are optional depending on the scale of your paintings. If you only paint small and on paper, you might not want an easel, and likewise if you are limited on space, there’s no need to set up a shelving system. 4) If you paint on canvas or panel and have the space, I recommend using an easel. Easels can be small, one foot tall tabletop easels, or they can be eight foot tall pieces of furniture requiring a space of their own. The key benefit is that they elevate paintings to eye level so you’re not constantly straining your neck. In that first apartment corner, my “easel” was two level nails in the wall I hung canvases on to paint. One fateful day I stumbled into the Blick store on 7th and Peachtree and in the back of the dimly-lit sale section was the nicer version of the easel I wanted but was too expensive at the time, heavily discounted and ready for immediate sale. I’ve been using that easel ever since. 5) Lastly, if you have a space carved out for your creative practice that is relatively stable (not something you have to break down and put away after each painting session), shelving is a simple element of a studio that will immediately make you ten times more organized. I have a set of wire utility shelves from Target that store all my packing envelopes, pads of paper, small canvases, extra paints, power tools, canvas scraps, you name it. These are the things that accumulate as you develop a more regular painting practice, but can make your space feel cluttered and distracting. Just a set of utility shelves (small or tall) to store it all works wonders in keeping your studio organized. These are the five things I have in my studio that make all the difference. The key to a functional studio space is having a place for everything, and if it’s at all possible leave your space set up!!! Half the battle is getting out your materials and setting up your space, so if there’s anywhere you can leave your paint cart, have a few shelves, and keep a canvas at arms reach, by all means carve out that space and make it your own! If your studio currently looks a lot like my first studio (a corner of a shared space), start by focusing on those first three simple elements: a paint cart, a table, and a chair. You likely have at least two out of three already, and it’s all easy enough to break down and re-assemble if you’re unable to leave your creative space in tact from day to day. Do you have a studio space you’re working from? Even if it’s just a spot at the kitchen table? Let me know! Click HERE for a downloadable PDF with the 5 Elements to make your studio space functional & inviting. ADDITIONAL RESOURCES FOR SOMEONE CREATIVE LIKE YOU: - Six Steps to Kickstart Your Own Creative Practice -- My Top 5 Essential Studio Tools -- 15 Sketchbook Prompts -
BWArchitects designed an artist space that is a light-filled artist studio is conceived as a simple rectangular box which rests lightly on a 1.5 acre East Hampton site. Lifted off the ground by concrete piers, the building allows the natural contours of the land to continue below it. In some places, the siteʼs natural slope reveals the studioʼs cast-in-place concrete walls.
Sabah Studio is more than just a shoe shop: It's a place to kick back, have a drink, and stay for awhile. Their new Soho spot feel more like a best friends' apartment than it does a retail space. Just step inside and see for yourself.
Adapting existing spaces for the 'new normal'
The place where you do your best work must be the place where you feel more inspired. Check out these 50 Artistic Home Studio Designs that will help you become more work-ethic and motivated
La mini maison vitrée en Argentine de l'artiste Catalina Ruiz, est son atelier, et l'endroit parfait pour créer entourée par la nature
The client's only requirement was to have a contemporary and rustic workplace look that should be eye catchy & should not look boring.
It is always a good thing to change the look of your office space to make it easy to access various utilities or to give it a splendid new look. As you consider office space renovations, you have to think about the primary reason why you have to do it.
This photo gallery features backyard sheds transformed into art studios where the lavish look of Baroque design high-fives the gritty realism of industrial
I’m in the market for a another work space. Our makeshift dinning room office is not only driving Abe crazy, it just isn’t sustainable anymore. And now that Coco is just half a year away…
