Easy steps to create a hobby or craft room

IF you have a hobby, like sewing, photography, music, DIY- ing, collecting stamps or trying to fix what your kids and significant other broke, it helps to have a dedicated workspace.

Below are three easy steps to create a functional yet stylish hobby or craft room.

Decide where to put it

Think you do not have space for a hobby or craft room? You would be surprised at the possibilities. Design and renovation expert, Mina Fies, tells how they got contacted by a family whose daughter had turned the family’s dining room into a workplace.

“It was no longer used for eating, but was overflowing with craft store supplies and half-finished projects,” she said.

Fies helped the family turn the unfinished laundry room into a multi-functional room. The space has sliding wall panels hiding floor-to-ceiling storage and a standalone craft table in the centre of the room that also doubles as a place to sort and fold laundry.

Jennifer Baldinger, a licensed associate real estate broker, believes there is no wrong place for a craft room.

“I love the idea of using odd spaces such as oversized closets, windowless rooms in a basement, even garage space,” she said.

One of Baldinger’s buyers repurposed the area under a staircase to create a “secret” fun play space for their young daughter to create art projects.

Decide how to create it

Fortunately, it does not take much to create a craft or hobby room.

“You need some good storage shelves and a workspace with a table,” Bellinger says.

“I have seen some great ones in a back corner of a basement where my clients used an old kitchen table.”

However, depending on how much time you will spend there and what you expect to accomplish in this space, you may need to put a little more thought into it.

“For comfortable work, you will need sufficient space — reliable and easy to clean,” advises Katy Brut, interior design consultant.

Comfortable seating is also important. “Sometimes, you want to look for ideas in books and, if your family is like mine, they want to come ask you questions while you work,” says Janet Perry, a needlepoint teacher and author.

“Having a comfy chair gives you a place for relaxation and them a place to sit when they come in.”

Lighting is another important consideration.

Decide how to organise and store your supplies

To keep the room organised, Brut says you will need a storage system, and she takes a very detailed approach.

“In advance, calculate the number of not only boxes and shelves, but even internal drawers,” she says.

“Ideally, all the most important stuff should be at hand. Begin by grouping your stuff by categories and types. For example, ribbons with ribbons; buttons with buttons.”

She recommends dedicating larger drawers to tools and materials in large quantities.

Brut recommends creative ways to repurpose items. For example, decorate a glass jar and store threads, buttons or other small items in it.

“If you have opaque containers, be sure to label them to help you locate them when needed,” Brut says.

Perry also recommends using repurposed items for storage.

In addition to storage and a workspace, Perry also recommends having a place to display your work. freshome.com