It's looking like a real artist's studio... sort of

I apologize, if you were patiently awaiting progress photos of the studio.  I was focused on doing everything else first, but by Saturday the upstairs was basically livable.  However, the weather was so nice (i.e. not raining) that I couldn't resist doing a few things outside.  There is so much to do!  So many places ready to be landscaped.  So much black plastic to dispose of.  But not until I know I can control the weeds manually.

Then Sunday I headed toward the mess of boxes.  First thing in my way was my old drafting table, covered with roof granules and mouse refuse from 20 years in the attic.  Just cleaning it up led to completely refinishing it.  Which led to not getting much else done.  So after procrastinating for a week, I went down there at about 8:30 last night and powered through unloading everything into either the storage pieces or the shelves.  I didn't think too hard about what needed to go where, just get it out of boxes and into storage, THEN I can organize and rearrange to my hearts content.   I was amazed at what got done in about an hour. So sorry I didn't do a before picture of all the crap covering the floor.  Next I will reassemble the drafting table, and put a large worktable in the center of the rug.

I'm not totally sold on the idea of partitioning my space with the storage pieces, but not sure what else to do.  It's about ten feet from the window wall to the white column, and there's twenty more feet beyond that.  I would like my space to be open to the fireplace insert if I ever get one installed, but  I don't want to have to walk 20 feet to where things are stored, either.  Unless I get way more organized and  put everything in to the shelving unit.  I just love the way the colors of the Matisse are repeated in the bead storage drawers.  But I have to figure out how to hang it on the concrete wall.  The white unit was supposed to go there, but I'm liking this better.

Although the shelves look full, the pink/orange/green boxes are mostly empty and a couple shelves are occupied by my boxes and bags of family photos and a couple scrap-booking projects that have never materialized.  They can go elsewhere if needed, but I have a vague idea of doing some sort of collage art that would use them.  

The white board to the left of the cabinet is my old design wall, that seemed so BIG in the old house.  Now it's tiny.  Next step is to get that whole wall from the shelving to the window covered with foam and flannel.  Exciting!  It looks like the cabinet is to the left of the window, but it really isn't more than a couple inches over.   I'm also thinking the backs of the storage pieces can be turned into design walls too - a good way to step away from something,  and/or to hold smaller pieces when the big wall is full.

From the vantage point in this picture you see the underside of the deck and stairs but I don't look from this point - I'll post one showing the view out to the yard later.