Studio space feedback
Friday, June 10, 2011 at 3:02PM Thank you everyone for your feedback on the studio space. I’m feeling exceptionally lazy today having only slept a few hours last night and I’m taking the slacker way out of responding to everyone at once! :)
You all brought up many of the same points that are already driving me crazy. I really don’t want to be away from home. And my studio space, wherever it ends up, isn’t primarily for business… it’s for me, Jim and our combined sanity! When we bought this house, we only planned on staying in it for two to three years. Circumstances change, and it’s very likely we’re here forever.
I don’t currently have a “studio”. I’ve commandeered both upstairs bedrooms for sewing spaces. This is a problem because it vastly eats into our usable storage space, and leaves us without a guest bedroom. I am also beginning to struggle with the stairs, thanks to an old skating accident. I have my longarm in our attached garage, also a problem because that leaves one car without garage space, and I share it with all the excess storage items and our pantry.
;)
The house cannot be added onto, nor can an outside entrance be added to the garage. As you can see, it’s a pocket style garage, with the drive in front, and too far up from the ground in front.
We’ve wracked our brains trying to find a way to add on, but it’s not happening. The rooflines are too crazy. Hence the separate studio building. But truly, I don’t want to go back and forth to the house either, when its raining or nasty out. If I locate the studio out in the woods, it’ll be even more of a problem.
I’m also afraid that if we do end up selling at some point, the studio will make the property unsellable. Jim’s shop is 2000 square feet, and our house is only 1800 square feet… see a problem here? LOL
Insurance… I’m already stuck paying insurance, I can’t have clients come to the house without it, and we couldn’t get a rider on our homeowners, so I’m already paying a hefty annual insurance bill. The existing policy would cover me in a storefront or warehouse space.
I have considered gutting the RV and turning it into a small studio! Ha!
I waffle on stuff like this forever. Used to be I could make up my mind in a flash and the deal would be done two shakes later! Now, decisions come as slow as molasses. I wonder if I drink some Head and Shoulders I’ll become less flakey?
Reader Comments (10)
Love the Head & Shoulders comment! I might need to borrow that.
Some decisions are just hard, this one is a biggie and is worth some waffling - lol.
Is the "real" problem having a space for customers to meet and consult about their quilting project? They don't "need" to see your actual workspace after all. If so, is there a way to create such a space near the front entrance for that purpose only, containing a couple of chairs, table space for the quilt, laptop etc.? If so, then you wouldn't need to move your actual work spaces from where they are currently located. Since they would be coming by appointment, use movable room dividers or screens, photographers stand for the quilt...or even build out from the entry creating a larger foyer?
The idea came from a very nice solution created by my great-aunt. While having a very nice home, they rarely used the front entrance.
Her daughter was a marimba player and they used french doors to enclose their foyer to create a practice room to minimize noise and it was also an easily accessed place for her to give lessons. When not using as a music room, you hardly noticed the marimba against the wall and there was still enough (barely) room to answer the door.
CJ, what about a carport for the 2nd car? Then you're not really adding on if you change your mind later.
Is it possible to add on to Jim's shop or just wall off a section of it to use as your shop? I would not want to walk outside and to my studio either very much but better than getting a place in town. I sure see your problem.
I love your Head and Shoulders comment. I plan to use that one in the future!!
I chuckled at the Head & Shoulders comment. So, Jim has that huge shop building...let the cars live there...or put up a carport as someone already suggested. Move all the sewing stuff to the garage with the longarm so everything will be together. Use one bedroom for storage...get rid of anything that won't fit. Use the other for a guest room. If your knees get too bad put in a chair lift on the stairs. Make the place work for you & don't worry too much about resale value. Use the 5th wheel as a guest suite. Shake things up a little. :) :) Just my opinions, blah, blah, blah. Good luck.
couldn't you have a door put in on the side of the garage where the window is and have steps down from there? Sorry I know I'm not being helpful - to me you have a lot of space compared to my little room but I know we do different kind of sewing and I don't have people dropping quilts off for me to work on. Also what about having the garage just as your studio and move everything else out - could some of it go to the shop and some in upstairs bedrooms that you know use for sewing - especially if you put all of your sewing things in the garage studio?
I hope you can get it figured out so you can be happy about it - good luck to you.
Karen
http://karensquilting.com/blog/
Oh and I just thought of something else :) if you were going to spend money possibly on building a studio but if you decide to stick to your garage instead couldn't you have a builder remove the garage doors - re-do that outside wall and build a door there instead to have a separate entrance to your studio?
Karen
How about adding on another garage stall for your studio....from the picture it looks like there would be room possibly making it deeper and connecting it with that deck on the back and it wouldn't mess with the roof line much......if you were to sell, it would be considered a triple garage.....around here triple garages are the norm on new houses.
As far as not being able to make decisions. I can definitely relate. I think that is one reason I went back into the classroom after being a principal for 3-4 years. Too many decisions to be made.
It's good to take your time and think it through though.
CJ, most long arm quilters in our area do not have clients in their studio. Customers never see their long arm machines---They have an office or entry way sitting area where they have a few samples of work in binders, or on hangers. They sit and write down information that the customers may have to include with the quilt. Some do mail order quilting, and never see clients at all. Some meet at local quilt shops to pick up and deliver quilts there----The reason for clients not "seeing the long arm" (I asked)--- is because conversations start up about equipment, now it operates, how much it costs, etc, etc. and that eats into your time quilting. I belong to a long arm group. There are 7 of us, 5 are pros and in business and they don't encourage customers inside their studios.
Another idea: One of our group has built an entire new "garage" for the vehicles, and the present garage door has been removed and a beautiful door and windows installed across where the garage door used to be. She has those plantation shutters clear across all the windows and flower boxes out front under the windows. It's really very nice and looks like it's just part of the house. She also has a small seating area with a folding screen, two chairsand small table for meeting with clients. One of those cute outdoor patio glass top sets with bistro chairs. You can see a long table from that entry inside the studio space where she does some measuring, but again, you don't see the long arm. Something you might consider.