Adjusting to yet another new studio space

I just watched the second episode of Project Runway. (I watch them later online because I don’t have cable.) and then I wanted more so I watched some of the designers’ casting calls and home visits (Peach has terrible taste in those as well). Some of the designers have really nice big spaces that are just for working, some have very little space for their designs, and others, like Ivy, prioritize their homes to accommodate their work.

For the last few years I’ve been struggling with space and lack of permanency. In my last two years of college I moved every 10 weeks because that’s just how they do things at Principia. As an intern last year I didn’t feel any sense of ownership over my dorm space even though I was able to stay in it throughout the whole school year.

Now I have a full-time job and am excited to be moving into a space that I know I can stay in for more than nine months. But boy is it small! It’s also oddly laid out. Despite the space issue (300 square feet!), I am hoping to get a lot of work done in my new home. So let me tell you what I’m thinking.

While it’s not ideal to have a clay studio/bedroom, there isn’t anywhere else for the pottery wheel to go. It just has to go there. Any painting will probably need to happen there too.  There just isn’t any space for an easel in the kitchen/living room/dining room/framing room/office.  Well, maybe the little tabletop easel could make guest appearances.

There’s a great table in my house. It’s actually a part of the house. Yes, it’s built right into the wall. It’s going to serve the purposes of desk, kitchen island, and work table. I might sit there for meals too. I think that the way this happens will be a fun thing to figure out.

I’m going to have to set some tidiness ground rules. You know that saying, “A place for everything and everything in its place”? Well, I can be really great at the “everything in its place” part, but I have to first get everything a home.  That is the trick. I’ll keep you updated and will post photos. Just an eye out. I'll update the Erica's Tiny House blog as often as I can with ideas for utilizing small spaces without remodeling.

My tiny space pre-move-in. The chairs and curtains came with the apartment.