A New Sewing Room

A New Sewing Room

GOAL: Create a sewing room from an underutilized attic room

TIME: 4 Hours  COST: Labor

BEFORE
The sewing space had been on a small table in a guest room.
When it was time to redo the guest room,
the homeowner decided to turn the attic room into a sewing room.

This attic room has one dormer window and one overhead light.

 

It was underutilized.  Bits and pieces lay about the room.

The room had no designated function.

Quite a few things were moved either into storage or other areas where they could be used.

 AFTER

Using what we had on hand, we created a working space for sewing

and a space for relaxing. A folding table was brought out of storage 

because two sewing machines are used. Lamps were also brought out of storage.

The small TV and DVD set were placed on the end of the larger table until 

another solution can be found. Its placement is suitable for sewing, 

sitting in the rocker, or relaxing on the day bed.

The art and accessories we discovered in the attic room set the color tone.

Later, the homeowner plans to paint the room a beige color.

With the Americana Country accents on hand, 

I discovered complementary fabrics in the homeowner's collection.

The fabric on the day bed isn't trimmed yet,but it covers the old covers for now.

The old white valance was removed and a new valance was made to match the new color scheme.

Below, art was centered over the daybed.  The trunk was moved to create a side table and fill a space under the low ceiling.  Small lamps were added.  The left side table was what the small TV

 sat on before the room redo. For now, a single pillow was found to match the color scheme.

When I agreed to take on the sewing room project, I didn't realize 

the day bed had to be included at the time.

Because a guest room makeover meant a new, larger bed, 

the day bed was moved out and found a home in this new space.  

The day bed became the linchpin because of its size and it established 

a mood that would include rest and work.

As a result, the bed was the first thing to find a place in this room.

Several pieces need to stay.  The large shelf unit would prove useful for sewing supplies.

Over-sized rolls of fabric find a space between the shelves and a storage room door.

The rocker and side table became part of the rest and relax goal.

THE DETAILS

The small sewing table was used for the older sewing machine.

A hoop was hung to fill an empty spot on the wall.

The sewing table has a fold down edge which just fits against the slanted ceiling.

 

A basket beside the day bed holds fabric which compliments the color choice for the daybed cover.

It will be used later to create throw pillows and a dust ruffle.

 

Five quilt pictures set the Americana Country scheme.

The sewing table has mason jars recycled to hold sewing tools.

A basket holds booklets and patterns.

 

Tucked into a nook, under an eave, this basket holds guides and rulers. 

A small table top ironing board is tucked into a back corner.

 

The old blanket chest makes a great side table in a tight corner.

WHY DIDN'T YOU PAINT FIRST?

Sometimes you want to get a project started but keep coming across obstacles.  Add painting to the list and you may never get started.  Besides, for this project, painting wasn't on the check list to begin with.  It wasn't until I saw what we had to work with, that I developed a color scheme on the spot.  Originally, the idea was to create a sewing room because the homeowner was redoing a guest room and needed to move the sewing stuff somewhere else.  She had an unused attic room and decided to "just do it".  Sometimes this impromptu spontaneity is just what it takes to get a project rolling.  So, as far as painting goes, she can paint later...after she begins using the space...after she sews the day bed cover... after she makes pillows....then, when she's ready, she'll paint, because by then, she'll have made this room her own and 

created some great things in it and for it.

RECOMMENDATIONS:

This is the TO DO LIST for the home owner now that the room has been set up with a working lay out.

1.  It's time to paint the walls.  The home owner didn't like the color and we settled on a beige / tan with gold undertones.

2. Now that there's a nice space to sit, it's time to take stock of the sewing supplies.  Loosely grouped in containers and baskets, take inventory.  Tag every box with a label on the end to make it easier to identify contents.

3. After painting, secure the power cords to the back of the tables to clear the visual clutter.

4. The rug needs spot cleaning.

5. The day bed has a temporary coverlet.  We found some great fabric she already owned.  The largest piece serves as a temporary cover and needs to be trimmed out.  To the left of the day bed is a basket of scrap fabric with complimentary patterns and colors.  These smaller pieces can be used to make throw pillows.

As for buy recommendations, live in this room a while, and see what you really need.  Then, IF you can't make do with something already laying around the house, buy only what you really need.

Pretty and functional

With 25 LB of bread flour to store, canning jars and recycled spaghetti jars come in handy.

An underutilized shelf serves for storage. With the lace trimmed shelves it makes for a pretty little picture.

Master Closet Reorganization

MASTER CLOSET REORGANIZATION

COST: 6 hours labor, broken up into two days PLUS 0.00 for supplies 

Sometimes an attempt to organize ends up with too many organizational tools for the space- a shelf unit, a valet chair, and a plastic drawer set.  For this master closet, floor space had been lost and surfaces were created which resulted in dumping clothes, rather than putting up clothes.  In addition the shelf, valet chair, and plastic drawers had resulted in adding more clutter.  What began with the best of intentions ended up creating more problems.

If an organization project does not include an attempt to change or modify behavior, as well as accounting for patterns of behavior, then it will not be completely successful.

This master closet measures 5'4" wide by 12' long, over 60 square feet total.  The walls are over 9 feet high. The door opens against a wall with only 4 inches behind it.

 

A wall of wire shelving lines the right wall.

On the back wall is a deep shelf unit covered in purses, scarves and canes.  The shelves are too deep and too tall.  Lining the top are shoe boxes containing more scarves, billfolds and other things. The left wall is covered with hats, jewelry, purses, and shoes, double stacked.

In the foreground draped by a black and white floral scarf is a 2 drawer shelf unit which has become a dumping ground for anything and everything.

A black basket filled with paperwork, etc, belongs in the home office. Behind it, nestled next to the deep shelves, is a CPU and travel bags.

  

The closet door opens in.  There is a mirror on the door.  Behind the door there is just enough space for  a tie rack.

Purses are double hung. Jewelry is tacked to the wall and hung on a valet chair.  The two drawer set, covered by the black and white fabric, holds "long term" storage. It's easier to toss clothes on these surfaces than put them away.

Shoes are doubled up or stuffed under hanging clothes, out of sight.  Purses and scarves are in a jumble. The shelves beyond hold seasonal clothes or seldom worn clothes. It's time to weed out some things and organize the rest.

CLEANING GOALS:
Make room to walk.
Make purses accessible.
Get the shoes in one spot, in view.  Give each pair a space.
Toss some clothes.
Make a place for jewelry, hats and scarves.
Get junk out of the closet that doesn't belong there.
Accommodate the travel bags.

SYSTEM /BEHAVIOR GOALS
Create a seasonal swap out system.
Work around the "work clothes" toss.  Create a spot where around-the-house clothes can be placed.
Make a space for everything so that it's easy to put everything where it belongs.
Save money. Reuse and repurpose. Use what's on hand.

THE TASK
In order to make room to walk, the deep shelf unit, the valet chair, and the two drawer set were removed.
It was decided that the wire shelves on the right wall would remain in place. If it works, don't fix it.

Vacuum, vacuum, vacuum- the corners, the baseboards, the cobwebbed heights, the carpet, everything. And then vacuum again. The vacuum cylinder was cleaned out twice.  It's unbelievable how much dust, fibers, hair, etc. accumulates in closets.

Starting simply, the space behind the door was tackled.  Limited in depth, the tie rack would remain but would be moved lower.  An old cork board was brought out of storage and used to organize jewelry. Cup hooks would have worked nicely, but were unavailable. Picture nails were on hand. Staring with the largest and longest pieces, things were added to the board.  The advantage of a board is no more tangled necklaces.  It's also easy to see what you own. Nicer jewelry was stored in a jewelry box elsewhere.

 

A few pictures and postcards fill in the unused space.

Scarves were weeded through. 

The remining scarves were hung in row beside the jewelry board.

Because the shoes had taken up so much of the floor space, their placement was tackled next.  Using shelves and brackets on hand, the far corner opposite the door was chosen. Over thirty pairs of shoes were kept.  It was the shelf size that determined how the layout would work. 

These shelves are the basis for a permanent setup later when expenses allow some changes; but the layout will remain the same. 

When organizing shoes, first separate each person's shoes. Beginning with the largest, such as hiking boots or work boots, determine where the first layer will sit.  The height of the shelf above will be based on the tallest pair. Flat, low sandals were placed together on one shelf to save wall space. Similar styles and colors were placed together. High heels together. Tennis shoes together, etc. It's okay to keep shoes in boxes if you know what's inside.

Next, the collection of three dozen purses was tackled.  It was decided that everything would be kept.  The other big collection were the hats.  In the end, it just seemed easier to keep the hats and hat racks where they were.  So the purses were worked in under the hats.

When tackling the purses, it became apparent that there were mostly black and brown purses, then numerous assorted  colors. These were grouped first into black purses and brown purses. The largest were placed first at the lower parts and gradually smaller purses above. Of the colored purses, cloth bags were grouped and stiff ones together. To help purses keep their shapes, stuff with newspaper or cut-to-shape cardboard. Keep them zipped.  

For this homeowner, using different purses regularly meant creating a way to make it easier. An empty letter tray is used to store purse contents.  When returning home, the purse is emptied into the tray and then hung up.  This makes it easier to deal with receipts, replace used items such as tissue and meds, and gather loose change.  When choosing an outfit the next time, a purse is selected and filled.

 

So many purses!

 

No more double stacked purses.  Easy to get to. Easy to see. Each purse has its own hook.

MONEY SAVING TIP

Three inch screws are cheaper than 36 purse hooks. The screws are long enough to seat easily into a wall and adjustable according to the strap width.  After screwing it in, slip a pencil grip over the exposed screw area where the purse handle will hang. Cheap and easy to cut to size, pencil grips protect the handle and are a great money saver. 

The next step was the wall of wire shelves. The shelves remained in place. 

 

The shelves closest to the door are in season and most commonly worn.

They will be rotated out with what's on the long high shelf above, which holds out-of-season clothes.

A housecoat hangs on a convenient hook.

Wire shelves are great for forcing yourself to limit what goes in the closet.  If you use the separate spaces between wires, you can limit yourself to one hanger per space, leading to less clutter.  It means you'll have to bump what you store on the shelf back an inch or two, but it's worth the trouble for some people.

For the husband in this home, it's different. Taking behavior into account and using what is on hand, the far bottom rack of clothes is on a single closet rod.  These clothes are what the husband uses now, this season.  He hates the separate slot arrangement because he likes to flip through the shirts quickly, pushing clothes out of his way.  Above it are out-of-season clothes separated into the slots.  Seasons change and the clothes will be switched out.  

REMEMBER: When changing clothes out seasonally, take time to vacuum these hard to reach spots.

Originally it was thought that the space without a low hanging rack would be extended.  As clothes were tossed out, it was determined that there was enough hanging space. Several long dresses had to be accommodated and more importantly, those troublesome "house clothes" had to have a space.  Before reorganization, the house clothes were tossed on any surface.  So without a hanger as an option -old dogs, new tricks...-something else had to be devised.

Using what was on hand, three milk crates and a basket hold work-around-the-house clothes and house slippers.

Up top, the high shelves were put to better use.

Travels bags were stored inside a larger bag.  Extra hangers were hung. Boxes were stored at the 9 foot level. As for all those clothes on the deep shelf unit, some were tossed, some incorporated into current use areas, some were put up for seasonal storage on the second highest shelf.

At last! Room to walk.  A place for everything and everything in its place.

FINISHED

CLEANING GOALS:
Make room to walk. -YES
Make purses accessible.- YES
Get the shoes in one spot, in view.  Give each pair a space. -YES
Toss some clothes. -YES
Make a place for jewelry, hats and scarves. - YES
Get junk out of the closet that doesn't belong there. -YES
Accommodate the travel bags. -YES

SYSTEM /BEHAVIOR GOALS
Create a seasonal swap out system. - DONE
Work around the "work clothes" toss.  Create a spot where around-the-house clothes can be placed. -DONE and happy to report it works!
Make a space for everything so that it's easy to put everything where it belongs. -DONE
Save money. Reuse and repurpose. Use what's on hand.- SUCCESS

FINAL THOUGHTS
No money was spent because we repurposed some things: milk crates, old shelving and brackets, a basket, a cork board, screws, pencil, grips...
The shoe shelves are laid out but incomplete, awaiting either money or inspiration on how to repurpose something else.  Sometimes temporary solutions are best for a large project.  If you wait until there's enough money for that fancy organization system, you may never start.  If the mood strikes, do it in part or in whole. Be willing to change your mind as you go.  After clearing out and cleaning up, you may not need everything you thought you would.
This project took two days.   Reaching overhead, stooping, lifting, and climbing up and down will take its toll.  Plan accordingly.

UPDATE:
The shoe rack was completed after the reorganization. Built to fit into the space we had created, it was inexpensive but very functional: $8 in lumber plus use of existing shelves.

Laundry Room and Entry

Moving into a new house gives you a chance to design and organize from scratch.

This laundry area and back door entry is a wide hallway divided by a hot water heater closet.  Overly bright with white walls, the owners decided to minimize the glare and opted for a darker paint color. Curtains that filter the light were added.  A matchstick curtain is easily adjusted for the season.

The color palate was based on rugs and fabric from Pier One.  The homeowners love their childhood 70s color scheme, so the paint is an avocado green from that era.  Colorful cloth napkins were used to create curtains. Two place mats were used along with a matchstick curtain, also from Pier One.  Aside from a new hanging ironing board organizer, everything else came from existing furniture and accessories.  Scrap wood had been used to create a shelf over the W/D and it was painted over.

COST : LABOR + Less than $200 for paint (1 gallon), fabric, rugs, coat hooks, place mats, and an ironing board organizer


A long hallway, the laundry is at far right (above) with a hot water heater closet extending into the space. The hallway to the left became a space to hang coats, hats, gloves, toys and more.

Because the space is limited, functionality became a priority.  A system for doing the laundry was created using the space and existing materials such as laundry baskets and an extra shower curtain rod.

The washer and dryer rest in an alcove between a wall and the hot water heater closet. An extendable tension shower rod provides great space for clothes that air dry or need ironing. Hung from hangers or draped across the rod, it works great for the limited space.
The picture (a gift from the MIL) was found at a garage sale for $2. Visually a mix between Grant Wood and her mother-in-law, it makes a great reminder to do the laundry.  The mother-in-law could visit at any time!

At the extreme left is a wall mounted ironing board unit with a shelf above for misc. The ironing board covers the unsightly electrical box for the home.

The shelf over the w/d can be pulled out when the machines need to be serviced. The yellow basket at the far right is home to sock orphans. The basket has dryer sheets and lingerie bags.  The containers have scissors, buttons, threaded sewing needles, and a catch all for loose change found in the wash. Detergents are stored in smaller containers.  Economy size boxes are above for refilling. A cloth napkin divided makes a nice shelf cover.

The cabinets have detergent and spare linens.  The bottom shelf towels are old towels recycled for washing cars.  Attached to the door interiors are laminated stain removal guides, washer and dryer manuals with warranty info, and misc laundry odds-and-ends like fabric clips.

A stack of laundry baskets rests on the dryer.  Putting away laundry is less of a chore if folded clothes go immediately into personal baskets. Each person has their own laundry basket which is carried to their room, laundry is put away, and the empty basket is left on the dryer empty.

For this family, hampers are in each bathroom.  Laundry day means taking hampers to the laundry room.  Clothes are sorted into the washing machine and the laundry room hamper holds the other clothes. Empty hampers are returned to the bathrooms. The laundry room hamper is also a great place to toss clothes being treated for stains between washes. When in use there's just enough room to sort, load and unload in the walk space.  When not in use, the hamper and basket stay on top of the machines.

Though narrow, the hampers line the space in front of door going towards the window for sorting.  Quickly emptied, they move back to the bathrooms where they are used daily.

The window is topped with fabric napkins.  We used cafe clips and hardware already owned. A small trash can sits in a corner. On the window sill a row of succulents enjoy the sunshine.  These low water plants are great for warm spots.

On the other end of the hallway, the odd shaped corner became a coat rack and an old shelf was used for hats, mittens, recycling and much more.  A smaller cabinet hides sewing supplies, flashlights and emergency weather gear. In the odd corner between the shelves seldom used archery gear awaits the children.

The lower hooks were added for book bags. This didn't work well with the kids, so an old ottoman was put in the corner.  Inside are flip flops and sandals.

The laundry wall meets the wall of the library, so for now, there is an unpainted wall. The baskets were reused from the former home's laundry and they store everything a back door area needs. The bottom shelves have crates to hold recycling. Old chess pieces sit between the baskets. The wooden bowl is a catch-all for keys and change. All the accessories are things already owned.  Nothing new was bought for this corner.

To the right of the mirror is a clever little addition.  Why buy a key rack when you can make one easily? Looking for things to top the cabinet, we found this little wooden box that once held Exacto knives. The wood is so thin that the cup hooks that hold the keys screw through the back and into the wall behind.