To Reveal or Not to Reveal

Remember last week?  I left you off sorting your pens and pencils and all those little bits of paper that we have no clue what to do with.  Did you think I had abandoned you there, just barely getting started?  I didn’t mean to.  The dead mouse (Sept. 15, 2010) should have been my first clue that death was in the air.  But this time it was much more serious.  This time I couldn’t run down to my local computer store and “borrow” a computer with the promise that I would return it the next day.  This time, it was the real deal.  My computer was dead.  My old trusty crusty computer finally bit the last of the dust and I was left with all my organizational skills stuck in a small rectangular box.   I now know the real meaning of chaos.  I had a new computer with nothing in it and an old computer with everything stuck in it and the merging of the two took some time.  I miss the days when all we had to do was sharpen our pencils.   Let’s get back to work in the organization of our studios.

If we have our studios in our homes and have a need for a multi-functional space, we also want our spaces not only to be functional but attractive as well.  So if you remember that form follows function, it will help you arrange your space the way that suits the way you work. 

Let’s talk about shelving today because now that you have sorted all your desk top stuff you need a place to put it.  Now is the time to make the major decision of your individual preference.   How and what to reveal!  If you decided that you are a show all type of artist and like showing your prized possessions of pretty pencils, colored inks, beautiful beads, and textured paper, pick a shelving system that lets you do that. Open storage is great for showing off all your cool stuff and to have easy access, whereas, closed storage is a better solution for keeping supplies out of sight and having a nice clutter free zone.  A word of caution here – be careful with “out of sight” that you don’t end up with over-stuffed cabinets and junk drawers.  Don’t let it become the “I’ll put it away” someday place (Sept. 27, 10).

Think of space planning.  Shelving plays an important role because your space may determine what type, how big, and how deep your shelving can go.   Once you have determined the where, give some thought to the “how.”   Will it be built in, or modular units that give you flexibility?  Will it be part of the overall style of the rest of the home or is strictly a working space?






built in adjustable shelving for a sloped ceiling

Liz' tip:  Keep your shelving items categorized. 

Quote:    

                               "You miss 100 percent of the shots you don't take."
                                                                   -Wayne Gretzky-
                                                                           

                                                                                  

Meet me here Thursday.