Years ago, I went to bed on an average night and had the most incredible dream.
I dreamed I was working in the perfect studio space. It was well lit, had big windows that overlooked the city, a perfect little dress form in the corner, and a huge custom table in the middle of the room. I could cut huge pieces of fabric, lay out my biggest patterns, and this table even had a huge shelf underneath where I could easily store rolls and rolls of fabric. In this dream, it was snowing outside and next to the table was a beautiful fireplace that set the perfect ambiance for the space. I woke up from the dream and realized the room for my studio was the basement in the house my husband grew up in.
We had considered moving in when his parents talked about selling the house and after we checked into the schools, took inventory of what needed to be done, we quickly moved in the following month. We don’t believe in procrastination.
The basement has been many things over the years and still isn’t quite like my dream just yet, but is just so close I had to share it with you guys. Right now, this is our messy space. It’s the space we do countless craft projects, work, dance, and do yoga. My incredible husband pulled an all-nighter one night to surprise me by painting the fireplace white and made my dream cutting table with the kids for our anniversary last month.
I sometimes need to pinch myself because my basement windows really do overlook the city and I can see downtown in the winter when the trees are bare. The house is built on a mountainside and the windows are exactly ground level. So, even though it’s a “basement” I have plenty of natural light. To make it easier to work after dark, we also installed LED can lighting last year.
When we moved in, raccoons lived in both fireplaces and cleaning up their mess was pretty nauseating. Vines had also overtaken the house and you could not see out many of the windows to fully appreciate the view. It’s a gorgeous place in an incredible location and we have loved slowly making it our own.
One of my favorite aspects of the room is a wall of closets that cover the entire east wall. It’s where I store packaging supplies, the kids toys, board games, etc. Having so much storage has really been amazing.
Eventually, we will move the TV to the upstairs living room and completely eliminate the need for couches downstairs. I want this to be a busy, open space where the kids can be creative, do messy art projects, and just be together. I think it’s important for my kids to be able to explore, be loud, make messes, and get creative on a regular basis. Whenever I get frustrated, I tell them to “act their age” which really is just to remind me that especially when they are chaotic, they are being healthy kids.
I also really, really love the ability this space gives me to work while still being present in their lives. My kids can draw while I draft a new design or all play with their toys while I am packaging orders. I love the togetherness an open concept creates.
In the meantime, stay creative, stay flexible, and keep chasing your goals.
