Don’t these baskets look all orderly? As in, they’re stored in their perfect place, ready to be grabbed on a whim for a photo shoot?
Well, that’s what I’ve been aiming to strive for the past few days. I’ve been putting in a few late nights in my downstairs office trying to make heads or tails out of the mountain that continues to accumulate down there.
You see, I want to sit down and WRITE. I want stuff accessible for the photoshoots I’ll need in ORDER to write. And I can’t do it this way. So.. one thing at a time. I need order in the house!
Beware, this is not pretty.
See why I can’t get into that studio?!? It’s been blocked off. 😛
This space shares my sign shop downstairs. I’ll give you a better visual when it’s… cleaner.
The initial idea was a sound one. Floor to ceiling storage and only keep so much stuff if it won’t fit on the shelves. But I knew when I built this temporary area that I’d need a much larger space. So I’ve been working hard on the other side of the basement to make that happen.
This silly project has been about a year in the making now. When one computer bit the dust, I decided to do without that secondary one and free up a room for the photo studio. The result of losing an entire room left me in a serious need to purge and better organize.
This event has been no small potatoes. One change effected 5 areas in my home and in order to make one happen, they all had to be touched at the same time. It’s been quite a shuffle.
But.. it’s working. 🙂
Missed the amazing spellbinding story thus far? You can catch up at:
So while I continue to dig myself outta the junk ditch only a true hoarder could love…
it’s good to see SOMEONE enjoying my studio.
Must be nice.
Want more info on that storage unit? I reveal my love for them and how to build them HERE.
Where do you store your ‘stock’?
I like to think of my area as my workout space too, since it’s a lot like hiking since I have to step up and over lots of debris just to get around in it. I’m surprised I don’t have to do the army crawl in some areas, but you can’t see the floor to crawl anywhere! LOL! Since I have no basement in my home, I have to use one huge room upstairs that serves as my storage, sewing,scrapbooking and crafting room. We both will see the light in our endeavors!
You have such a gorgeous cat. Every time I see a photograph of him I have to stop dead and admire.
I don’t think you could ever have enough space anyway. Every time I clean everything up, it all comes flying back out again as I start up the next few projects.
Oh well, life is all about creating!! You can tidy stuff up some other day.
xox
Oh, Donna. Keep plugging away! You’ll get it done. If it makes you feel better, my basement is full of my “stuff” and looks about 50 times worse than yours. I keep trying to work up the courage to tackle it. 🙂
Well it seems you have the same domino effect going on as I do….I am working to get one room redone as my studio, however, in order to work on anything in that room, lots of ‘stuff’ has to come out to have space…so now the rest of the house is swamped…but until the studio gets painted, shelving finished, two desks assembled, you know the drill…. it’s crazy! Let me know when you figure out how not to have the domino effect! Love your blog 🙂
I have wanted those Ikea shelves ever since the first time you posted about them. Finally this weekend I got them! It’s been the same thing here, moving one room to another to another trying to get that space ready. Now to paint and put together. I need them for storage but I really wish I could make them look pretty just like your old office kitchen area.
Laura, be like me and get 3 sets so you can. LOL Seriously… I’m a true blue IKEA GORM addict at this point. LOVE them.
Donna
I just spent the weekend cleaning out my laundry room. I’m ashamed to admit this, but I hadn’t filed any bills for 10 months. 10!! What is wrong with me? Anyway, I finally took a day and did a bunch of jobs like that that had been piling up on me, and believe me, most them did not take that long to get out of control. It’s just life. A busy life. We can all sympathize. You should see my craft room, Donna, it makes your office look like Martha Stewart’s. Seriously.
I know what you mean about each area needing to be touched at the same time…
it’s a work in progress.
You work on room “A” …but that means you have to move this gadget or piece from there to room ‘C” …etc.
Like shuffling junk… it definitely slows the progress down a bit!
hang in there. Thanks for keeping it real!
Pat
I’d love to take some of that junk off your hands.. hehe.. I too am a DIY’r and I love junk… I recently started a blog. Come check it out if you have a chance… Thanks a bunch 🙂
OH my I am waiting to see it all!…..You do the most work and it is amazing!
It will all be worth it in the end, right?
Donna, you are not alone. I know you’ll get it just the way you want it. I did a post about trying to organize recently. Because I redesign and paint for a living, and now blog, my stuff is everywhere. It’s a constant uphill battle. I worked on my garage and studio for a solid week, did a show, picked up more stuff, and now it’s back to the drawing board.
I just had to go back through my blog and found out it was one year ago today that I posted about the big start of my reorganizing project. arrgggh! It has only gotten worse since then. And what was worst was that I let it totally immobilize me for months, refusing to work because I was waiting for the magic time when it was all Martha Stewart and I could be the sewing room diva. Bah! I finally realized that it is better to be creative than perfect. Anyway it sure makes me feel a bit better to know that it isn’t just me!
I need a front end loader to get through my studio space so I know what your are feeling! It seems a monumental task but one that needs to get done! Sigh!
Good luck
Hugs
SueAnn
I clean, I organize, I mess, I clean, I organize, I mess…..SIGH!!!
I, too, am trying to organize the chaos that has accumulated in my basement work area. It is so overwhelming! I keep telling myself to devote at least one hour a day cleaning one section and that I’ll have it done in no time. However, there never seems to be that “one hour” of time available to get to it. Guess I need to make better use of the rest of the day so I have this “one hour” of organizing time.
I don’t envy you that job, no matter what you touch you have to find another place for it and it does affect lots of different spaces in the house. It’s like a disease!
Oh my..you should see my guest cottage right now with the junk (inventory) for my new shop, but I know it will get better soon:)
Blessings,
Linda
Oh I’m so happy I read your blog and many others. I’m not alone in the chaos. LOL. Moving from a big sewing area with 3 closets and under the counter cabinets to a 14×11 bedroom with one closet as been quite the organizing feat. I like the shelves you bought but my husband convince me to purchase the chrome shelves from Sam’s. 18″ deep 48″wide and 6′ tall. I put 2 in my sewing area and they’re full. I’ll be blogging about my progress again soon also. I’m just happy to know people with more talent and skills than I have the same issue.
Hey – only two people needed to reach 7000 !!! followers. My tip to you – Get Some Help! If you sign up an intern, or swap with someone, or even get a volunteer, it is always easier when someone is there to keep you on task. You can also work faster. So, you and another person can often work 2 and half or three times faster than just you. You might need a photography assistant to help light your photos. think about it. Ann
your comment about changing 5 rooms to make one re-do happen resonated with me. In our small 1927 house we call it the domino theory of home renovation.
stay sane!
Barb
I’m think’n that must be what heaven will look like. All I could do was enlarge the photo so I could view all your treasures. It’s like one of those I Spy books, “find the mini washboard”, I see it!!!!
Pins and Needles to see the reveal 🙂
Hey cat what ya doin’ soakin’ up that sun???
Thats not getting the work done. Talk about
sittin’ down on the job!!! Donna looks like
your on your own. Maybe if you keep working
he will get the hint. Looks like that going to
be one good looking studio. I can’t wait to
see the end results.
I keep threatening to pretend I’m moving out, put it all outside and move it back it in an organized manner. What’s left outside gets picked up by Goodwill!
I feel your pain. I have the same affliction. I call it horizontalitis. Any and all horizontal surfaces around me get so cluttered up in my crafting endeavors! Just think how wonderful your new studio will be. Looking forward to seeing it!
I hear ya..I just cleaned out my garage recently and found stuff I didn’t know I had and items I had “misplaced”for years..haha..Love your blog..