Eclectic Style Art Studio in Devon

 

The first blog of the year is about yet another studio makeover. It is not a new one as I have done this last year, but I just didn't have the time to update my blog. 

I never thought I could pull off such a colourful decor without being over-the-top or kitsch. Not sure I managed to avoid these, but I really like how all the colours come together. This is how I actually imagined my studio from the very beginning but I just wouldn't dare to put all these colours together - blue, green, pink, yellow, and everything in between. 

Greetings from My Studio

I know that artists have a reputation for being messy and untidy and while I am both, I also like to have an organized studio (as paradoxically as it may sound). Partly, because I like to get into a tidy studio when I start a project (it is like starting a painting with a blank canvas), partly because my working room is still a guest room as well. 

Turning Green into Blue

I loved this chest of drawers in sea green but after moving into a new studio, I thought that a blue one would suit better the new decor, plus I wanted a change from that green that I had before (which I loved BTW!). When I posted a photo of it on Instagram and asked if blue would look better, a few people said yes. This was an easy project again, not just because the paint was perfect, but because the furniture was painted before so I didn't need to sand it and/or prime it. I could have even gotten away with just a coat, but I decided to apply the second one, especially as the chest of drawers wasn't painted everywhere. For this project, I have only used paint, brushes and clear wax and I got the perfect piece that stands out beautifully against the brick wall. Next project: grouting the brick - I really hope I can do it; any tips, anyone? 

New Home, New Studio

There is a reason why I have been so quiet in the last couple of months: we purchased our first house and besides enjoyment and planning the decoration, there were other not-so-enjoyable things to sort out. We got the keys on Friday and we started decorating straight away. There will be a few posts showing room by room photos as we complete decorating them, but I will start with my studio which was (nearly) completed in three days.

Studio Tidy-up 2017

Every year or so I have a studio tidy-up which implies cleaning, tidying and moving furniture around. It is still used as my working room and guest room and throughout the years, I had a sofa bed, a futon, nothing at all (we set up a mattress when we had guests) and back to a sofa bed again, this time a smaller one. The room is very small indeed and I have to fit everything in there: hand painted furniture, shelves, storage boxes and my tools and materials, not to mention that I want it to look pretty too. Here are, once again, the tidying up photos.

When decorative meets functional creating a stylish artist studio

This is the third makeover of my working room/studio/spare room and as the address didn't change, nor the use of the room, the décor however went through a complete makeover yet again in order to create a stylish and functional room that I enjoy working and spending time in. As it is a small room, maximising the space is/was a great challenge as well as keeping it tidy without losing its purpose.

Designing My Art Studio

I am not denying that I may be a little influenced by The Great Interior Design Challenge programme on BBC 2, but January is that time of the year when I am reorganising my studio. I want it to be a nice place to work and as tidy as an artist studio can be. Since I still use my little spare room as my working room, apart from this functionality, it has to be ready for guests at all times. And as being an artist doesn't really go hand in hand with being tidy, I needed a solution to make this little space work as both working room and guest room.

How to Solve the “Small Studio” Problem

My working room is smaller than a campervan, my walls are cream, magnolia to be more precise, and my easel occupies nearly half the space when I put a canvas on it. Yes, I am an (aspiring) artist and no, I haven't made it onto the property ladder yet. What is the relevance of the latest you may ask? I am currently renting the house I live in which means that I can’t stain the walls and the carpet as I wish.  Between trying out new carpet cleaning techniques and covering the stains on my walls with the brush of a paint sample pot, my art is suffering. Don’t get me wrong, I am not one of those misunderstood artists suffering quietly, but due to all of the above inconveniences, I can’t do what I want with my art.