Y’all, my studio is just about FINISHED!! I simply have a number of paint touchups to do, a door to color, a flooring to wash, and two new door knobs to put in, and that’s it!! THAT’S IT!!
I’m hoping to get the ultimate photos of it at present, however to be trustworthy, that in all probability gained’t occur as a result of I’m solution to distracted by the concrete being poured proper outdoors the studio window. There’s a lot occurring round right here, and it’s so laborious to remain targeted on one single factor. I’m as excited as a child in a sweet retailer proper now. 😀 So whereas I do hope I can get remaining photos at present, I feel it’ll in all probability be tomorrow earlier than I can try this, particularly with it getting darkish so early today.
Anyway, earlier than I present the ultimate earlier than and after of my studio, I wished to take a minute and look again to the very starting of this room and remind y’all of simply how far it has come. It did take some time to get it completed (years!), however of all of the rooms in our house, this room had the longest journey to get from its starting to the place it’s now. And I’m simply going to hit the highlights on this submit.
Right here’s what this room regarded like after we purchased the home in August 2013. It was a storage, and the ground of the storage sat about 16 to 18 inches beneath the ground of the breakfast room. This image is trying from the entrance storage doorways in direction of the again of the home. The white door you see on the left is now the doorway to the breakfast room.
The trusses have been all uncovered, and the darkish wooden made it seem like an actual mess, and it made every little thing look darkish and small.
There have been two storage doorways on the entrance, though they have been so slim that I might barely get my automotive into the storage with out scraping the perimeters, and my truck that I used to have (a small Ford F-150) wouldn’t match in any respect.
Early on, my father-in-law helped me put up some drywall within the storage. My intention originally was to show the storage into my workshop.
So with that purpose in thoughts, once I pulled the unique cupboards out of the kitchen once I reworked the kitchen, I put these previous kitchen cupboards in right here, pondering that I might use them to create an extended worktop with a lot of storage. That concept by no means materialized as a result of the storage turned extra of a storage room.
On the time, the again a part of the storage housed the furnace, however that factor was so scary that we removed it earlier than our second winter on this home.
So after that, it was only a storage room. You may see the door on the left facet of the image beneath. That’s the doorway that results in the breakfast room now.
Right here’s a view of the opposite facet of the storage room in the back of the storage. This space is now the storage closet within the studio.
And for the file, right here’s a have a look at how the storage regarded from the skin after we purchased the home…
In the summertime of 2017, we determined to show the storage into my studio. I employed a contractor to do many of the large work, like eradicating the storage doorways and constructing a entrance wall with home windows.
So in the summertime of 2017, it went from trying like a storage to trying like an precise room in the home.
One other factor they did was take this mess of a ceiling…
And so they redid it in order that it had a a lot cleaner look, in addition to a model new beam to take away the sag within the ridge line of the room.
New French doorways have been put within the again wall of what was once the again storage space, and a cased opening was put in the place the one door used result in the storage space. It regarded significantly better, however we nonetheless had this low sloped ceiling that was solely about seven ft excessive on the again wall, and hit simply above the brand new French doorways.
So total, it regarded like a room and never a storage anymore, and every little thing was trying significantly better. However this part of the mission was fairly costly (about $40,000), so the mission stalled a bit after this.
In the summertime of 2018 is after we determined to construct a carport onto the again of the studio. That solved so many issues. First, it gave us a spot for a pleasant ramp. Second, it changed the storage. And third, the addition would clear up the issue of the low ceiling in the back of the studio. Right here’s what it regarded like earlier than…
And right here you possibly can see how the addition of the carport permit for the elevating of the ceiling in the back of the studio as soon as the brand new roof was put in and the previous roof might be eliminated.
So from the within, it was now not a sloped roof that was solely seven ft excessive alongside the again wall. As a substitute, it now had this new roof line above it, permitting for a a lot taller ceiling inside.
We spent some huge cash on all of that (the preliminary value of the studio development plus the $22,000 for the carport), so we needed to take a break and let our checking account recuperate. However we picked issues again up in 2019 with having the room insulated with spray foam insulation…
And shortly after, {the electrical} and drywall have been achieved.
At that time, I took over and did the remainder of the work within the room. I painted the partitions in the primary a part of the studio and the again entry, after which I put in the hardwood flooring.
By the tip of 2019, I had gotten this far on the studio. Issues have been getting achieved. Initiatives have been getting checked off the listing.
After which 2020 hit, and every little thing got here to a grinding halt. That 12 months is a blur to me, to be fairly trustworthy. I did make some progress on the home, however my focus wasn’t on the studio. I completed the lounge and music room, after which turned my consideration to the visitor bed room, grasp rest room, and residential fitness center.
So it wasn’t till Might 2023 that I made a decision to show my consideration again to the studio, and I began by redoing the flooring. I hadn’t been cautious with them, and had been storing random issues within the studio, so the ground had stains on them. Plus, I used to be actually desirous to do a painted design. So in Might 2023, I began engaged on the ground…
I additionally determined to go along with IKEA cupboards for the room, so I ordered and put these collectively.
And since I had determined to make use of IKEA cupboards, I discovered that every one of my electrical bins needed to be moved up a number of inches.
I lastly bought the entire new electrical bins put in and the brand new drywall up in July.
Additionally in July, I redid the wallpaper in a a lot bigger measurement to create extra of a wall mural, and I put in that earlier than the cupboards went in.
In August of final 12 months, I additionally started putting in the cupboards across the window within the workplace space of the studio.
After ending that wall, I turned my consideration to the cupboards simply contained in the studio door from the breakfast room.
After which in February, I bought the remainder of the initiatives completed up within the again entry.
In April, I did a bit makeover to the paint swatch cupboards. I had initially painted the cupboards black, however I made a decision it could look higher white to match the doorways.
After which I completed the remainder of the lengthy wall with some spray paint cabinets, a body for the TV (which I’ve now moved up a number of inches), and an enormous colourful calendar.
Additionally in Might, I completed repainting the room (ceiling and partitions), and repainted the work tables from inexperienced to this eggplant shade.
In July, I principally remade the desk in order that it now has this extra female look with a beautiful walnut veneer prime.
And this month, October 2024, I lastly bought the remainder of {the electrical} work completed so that every one of my lights and shops now work.
So that’s the story of my studio from the very starting, and I can’t imagine that this room, which has been a piece in progress because the summer season of 2017, is now just about completed. I simply have a number of tiny issues to do, and the room will likely be achieved! It doesn’t appear doable, and I can’t wait to indicate you the entire earlier than and after photos of this room! Once more, I make no guarantees. I’d like to have photos for you tomorrow, nevertheless it has taken all of my self-control to remain seated at my desk whereas there’s concrete work being achieved proper outdoors my window. So I may be a bit distracted at present. However I’ll get pictured taken and uploaded as quickly as doable. I promise!
Addicted 2 Adorning is the place I share my DIY and adorning journey as I rework and embellish the 1948 fixer higher that my husband, Matt, and I purchased in 2013. Matt has M.S. and is unable to do bodily work, so I do nearly all of the work on the home on my own. You can learn more about me here.
