HomeTutorialsHand PaintedTablescapes

Monday, July 16, 2012

Where I create

Okay, I don't know if I know any of you well enough to show you my creative space, but I'll go out on a limb and hope you don't think any less of me for this space.

This room is my "office."  I keep my fax machine and two printers up here, a phone line and a laptop computer.  No desk top for me.  Way too confining.  Usually when I bring people up here (only those in my inner circle) my first words are "please don't judge me by this room."  The fact of the matter is this is who I am, and for me this is totally organized and functional. 

This following photo is of my beautiful leather topped desk with the ball and claw feet.  Do you love it?  Yeah, right.  I covered it with a plastic tablecloth and what else?  Oh yeah, a drop cloth.  That's appropriate since I keep my paints here.  I have snippets of projects and books that were waste basket bound that I rescued and notice all my Springer Spaniel art?  I love all things Springer because I love my beautiful dog Cindy.
 I found this armoire at a garage sale for $100.  I decided the reason my floor was always cluttered was because I didn't have shelving.  So I promptly filled up the armoire (even the top) and the floor just collected more junk junque.  It's cleaned up for these pictures.  What?  You can't tell it's cleaned up?  How do you think I have a place to stand to take these photos?
 Here is my fax machine and all my old shoe boxes and magazine holders and boxes.  Like the fancy labels?  Yeah, they are seriously cute.  I designed them myself with blue painter's tape and a permanent marker.  They are not hard to duplicate.  I'm sure you could let your creative self recreate some just like these.
 This is only half of my decorating, art, and inspiration type books.  Yeah, I have an addiction.  Speaking of addictions, I am thinking of starting a 12 step program for magazine-a-holics.  Hi, I'm Maggie, and I am seriously addicted to subscribing and hoarding collecting decorating magazines (like back to the beginning of time).  I just got rid of six boxes of magazines.  I only kept Romantic Homes, Victoria and Country Living.  Everything else had to go and subscriptions will not be renewed.  This is the first and second step in my program by the way.  Oh, let me ask you your opinion.  Does Pottery Barn catalog count as a magazine?  Because I did keep those, but only the last year's mailing and I put them in their own little bin.  Of course, that's because I'm so organized.
 Here's my new sewing machine.  Don't you just love it?  I bought it 3 months ago.  Good thing I got the extended warranty.  The box is still sealed.  I will use it soon.  I promise.  It was on sale and that's why I just had to get it when I did.  It was the last day of the sale.
 This is my little work horse.  This is my OLD color copier/printer by HP.  I use it to copy onto fabric and spray-adhesived tissue paper to make my homemade tissue paper and sometimes I even copy paper on it.
 Here is my wonderful computer.  Look, the table got emptied for the party so now I have a place to sit and write.  Of course, my plastic tablecloth is nearby so I can paint something new this week.
Now look at these very petite pieces of furniture.  These belonged to my husband's grandmother and he actually remembers her running her hotel from these very pieces when he was a child.  Yeah, you guessed it.  He's considerably OLDER than I am.  I'm sure it was a very small hotel, and he was just a smart Alec young boy then.  His memory may be a little faded with time.  Nonetheless, these pieces stay because they are his family heirlooms and I'm a sentimental romantic at heart.  That's why I'm addicted to Romantic Homes magazine and that's why I am letting him keep them!

This room is as large as a three-car garage.  That's why it's full of my junk junque.   Doesn't that sound so much better?  It's classy junque after all.

This little dream sign is probably the prettiest thing in the room.  I didn't make it, but it reminds me to take a deep breath and let my creative juices flow and my imagination run wild.  Thanks for enduring this tour.  I hope you didn't trip over any of my treasures.  Have a wonderful day!

8 comments:

NanaDiana said...

Maggie- I actually love your space and wish I had one that was half that size. I am relegated to a small "area" in the basement...that is not very inviting so I would trade with you anyday. GREAT armoire for $100! xo Diana

Nothing But Blue Skies... said...

Wow! That was a great tour! Thanks for making me feel better about my own magazine addictions! I hear ya on keeping the PB catalogs too. Oh, and Ballard Designs.

I try to sell my previous year's stash of most subscriptions in my garage sales. I do tend to keep the fall and winter additions of Country Living, Martha Stewart Living, BHG, Real Simple,etc., for go-to holiday decor ideas each year.

You are pretty organized for a collector/artisan! ;-)
I'm impressed!!!

xo-Lisa

miss flibbertigibbet said...

Boy you're brave! I think it looks like a REAL working room....mine is just as bad in a good way of course! If you do start a 12 step program for the magaholics...count me in. Mine are mostly tucked away because MY shelves are overflowing with FABRIC!
Your work is beautiful...just goes to show that talent wins out over clutter any day!

Anne said...

Maggie,
You have a real working room.Look just like mine but yours is neater :-).
I used to have a magazine addiction.I am much better now.I keep some for awhile.And then I recycle the ones I no longer want.I used to have boxes and boxes of them.But I was not reading them.So off they went.
(((Hugs)))
Anne

Lynda Bergman Decorative Artisan said...

Thank you for easing my shame! Now I know I'm not the only one in the world with an overflowing studio work space. I'm determined to work on it, though. I barely have room to work in there anymore! :)

Debbie-Dabble Blog and A Debbie-Dabble Christmas said...

Maggie,
What a great space you have and i wish mine was as large!
Love the armoire and love that sewing machine! i bet you will too when you use it! LOL!

Hugs,
Debbie

Laurel@ChippingwithCharm said...

LOVE your space...I think it's perfect for creating up a storm!! Much better than my dining room table...I dream of a space to create...someday :) Thanks for the tour, Laurel

joetterer said...

Loved seeing your creative space. I'm usually a skimmer, but your writing is very entertaining!
www.minnesotajunker.blogspot.com