6 Great Tips to Plan a Home Art Studio or Craft Room
Are you planning to create a new art studio in your home or do you have an existing home art studio or craft room, but feel it could be better organised? In this blog post, I have set out 6 great tips that will help you plan your space and optimise it for creativity.
Many of us struggle to find a suitable, creative, art space to work from in our homes. We end up using our dining room tables, a bedroom desk, or a table in the corner of the living room. It can get tiresome to pack away each evening or find extra space for a drying rack or new materials and equipment.
With a bit of creativity, it may be that you already have a space at home that you can use to create your home art studio or craft room, whether it be a spare room, an attic or loft space, basement or garage. Perhaps you have had the opportunity to rent an art studio away from your home. In my case, I recently cleared out a spare bedroom and I was able to turn this into my home art studio. Whatever space you have, you can follow my tips to help make the most of your creative area.
Table of Contents
1. Zones: Divide your Home Art Studio into ‘Creative’ and ‘Clean’ Zones
When I am in a creative flow state I can be very messy. I find it really hard to stay clean and tidy. But once my artwork is complete and dry, the last thing I want to do is inadvertently spoil it with a messy fingerprint. Therefore in my home art studio I set up two zones, one creative, one clean:
Creative zone: On one side of the room I have a messy area;
Larger desk
Materials and equipment to hand
Inspiring images on the wall
Clean zone: Opposite, I have a smaller, clean desk;
Drawers with finished prints
Guillotine for cutting finished prints to the correct size
Envelopes and packing materials
The desk is always kept clean and tidy to avoid any accidents once artwork is finished.
If you don’t have the room to have two separate desks, consider storage that can keep your finished work neat and away from your work-in-progress.
2. Storage: Add Clever Storage for Materials and Equipment into your Home Art Studio
It is so important to have all your art materials and equipment to hand so that you don’t waste time searching for something when you’re in a creative flow state.
Ikea has some great, affordable, storage solutions that are perfect for a home studio.
Peg boards enable you to see your equipment at a glance.
Plan chests are great for storing paper or finished prints.
Shelving units can store sketchbooks and inspiring books.
Rolling carts are flexible enough to be moved around the studio as you require.
Plastic containers. Use clear containers to see the contents at a glance. If you prefer not to have any clutter on show, you can get coloured plastic containers and label or colour code them so all your equipment is easy to find.
If the Ikea plan chests are too small for your requirements or you are looking for something more traditional, there are often large plan chests available on eBay, along with more traditional or rustic studio furniture.
3. Lighting: Lighting options for your Home Art Studio
It is worth considering the lighting in your studio early on in the planning stages.
Natural light: Place your desk near the window, to get as much natural light as possible.
Lampshades: I was careful to buy lampshades that didn’t obscure the lightbulb.
Desk lamp: I have an Anglepoise desk lamp, which brightens up my desk area on dark days
Studio lighting: I have a ring light for making videos/reels of my work.
It’s possible to buy lighting, such as LED lamps, that are specifically made for use when creating artwork. I haven’t invested in these as yet, but it is something that I’m keeping in mind for the future.
It’s also worth considering the lighting you will use when photographing your work. It can be notoriously difficult to photograph framed artwork due to glare on the glass, so if this is something you will need to do, taking this into consideration from the start will help avoid problems when all your studio furniture is in place.
4. Staging: Staging Area/s for Photographing Artwork
As well as lighting, it is worth giving thought to other aspects of photographing your work. There are some options to consider:
Work-in-progress: If you post on Social Media, consider how and where you will photograph or film your work-in-progress. Keep the space free from clutter for the camera.
Gallery wall: You may want a gallery wall, where you can hang your work together and regularly change prints around.
Staging area: I have added an area of my studio with a different wall colour and a shelf, purely to photograph my work. I have some props, such as a plant and candles to further stage the artwork.
5. Inspiration: Have an Inspiration Board
Pin boards are a flexible addition to your studio that allow you to add inspirational images or notes. With a pin board it is easy to move photos or postcards etc and change items around to suit your current mood. Keep it within sight of your workspace, so that you can see your inspirations at a glance.
6. Comfort: Consider investing in Ergonomic Furniture
My final suggestion is to consider ergonomic furniture.
Ergonomic desk chair: If you spend a lot of time at your desk, it is worth investing in an ergonomic chair.
Height-adjustable desk: Some people I know like desks with an adjustable height. This is particularly important if you suffer from a bad back.
Depending on your needs and budget, it is worth thinking about your requirements to avoid having to buy new items further down the line.
I hope you have found these tips helpful. If you have any thoughts on anything you think I should add, I would love to hear them, please email me at [email protected].
