I feel fortunate to have recently moved into a new home that has the perfect space for me to occupy as my own home studio! Up until now it has been all about small spaces, moving carts, and tucked away cabinets rather than a space I can completely take over. I enjoy having an established area of my home that is free to create in, but home studios are not necessarily successful for everyone. It can be easy to get wrapped up in home projects, laundry, cleaning, or bills and neglect your creative time because you are surrounded by so many other things to do. With all that in mind, I tried to set up a space for myself that prevented those other projects and tasks from getting in the way of my creative space.
We were featured in the Redfin blog post titled “Experts Reveal how to create the Perfect Home Studio” and that gave me a little inspiration to share with you all the other tips I have that were not featured in the article.
Check out more of our tips and product links for successfully setting up your own home studio. By clicking on each photo below, you can go to the link where you can purchase the item shown.
1. Seating for Visitors
Set up your studio to welcome visitors to come, talk, learn, and discuss your artwork. Art can be a solitary career path. Having a set up that allows you to invite and establish a community will allow your art to grow and flourish beyond what you can conceive. Buy a seating option that is multifunctional so that it can be purposefully moved around or tucked away like an upholstered dining chair for when you have additional guests or stacking stools.
You could buy; Copley Upholstered Dining Chair or Mod Made E-Z 22 inch Stacking Stool
2. Let Your Space Be Flexible
Create a space that flexes and grows as your practice changes. Our art grows with us which means our materials and methods of creating will do the same. Items such as movable shelving, peg board storage, and a drafting table will support your artistic growth.
You could buy; Solid Wood Drafting Table or IKEA SKADIS Pegboard
3. Lighting, lighting, lighting!
Lighting is a true make or break for an artist. Natural light is the best so setting yourself up near a window will be ideal, but not every home studio has that luxury. If you can’t include natural light in your studio, get an extendable arm lamp that a can be easily adjusted and moved in your new studio.
You could buy; a Swing Arm Task light
4. Get Variety in Your Storage
Set up a mix of storage options for yourself. Some materials need to be easily accessible, while others can be tucked away, variety in storage will allow your materials to each find a special home. If you like to see all your materials, open shelving or contains will support your practice. If you prefer a more buttoned up look, fabric bins or baskets will be a go to.
You could buy; Fabric Half Bin, Wall Hanging Storage bag, or Plastic Stackable Storage Bin with Handles
5. Make it Mobile
If you don’t have a fixed space to establish a home studio, make your practice mobile. Organize your materials onto a small rolling cart that can be tucked away when your dinner parties reclaim your dining room table. We don’t need to have a large space to get creative.
You could buy; the IKEA Raskog or the IKEA IVAR Shelving Unit
6. Get Inspired
Surround yourself with inspiration. We look at our own artwork every day so establish a collection of artwork, photographs, or inspirational poems, novels, or designs that will support the journey you want to take and map out where your art will go. Art reflects the world around us; allow that space to be a positive exchange of ideas.
Society6 is a platform that allows artists to have their artwork printed on a variety of items. This is a great space to find inspiration artwork at a low cost.
You could buy; inspirational artwork from https://society6.com
If you didn't get to check out the Redfin blog post above, here it is for you to explore; https://www.redfin.com/blog/expert-tips-for-ultimate-home-art-studio/
Do you have your own home studio? What tips would you give to help others get creative at home, let’s hear them in the comments below.