Room of the Day: Stylish Craft Room Makeover Creates a New Order
A designer beautifully organizes a space where a mom and her 4-year-old son can spend quality time together
After: The redesigned craft space now is a beautiful, organized and easy-to-use place for the mom and her 4-year-old son to do crafts throughout the week. Beyond saving time, bringing in an interior designer saved time and brought fresh ideas to the project.
“I would say the one rule I follow when designing any small space is utilizing as much square footage as possible without intruding on important floor space,” McQuaid says. “That means using awkward spaces to your benefit, going up not out and allowing as much light in as possible.”
Style: “We borrowed color, pattern and texture from other design styles to create a cohesive and balanced space that reflected [the homeowner] and her sense of creativity,” McQuaid says.
Step stool: white, Bekväm, Ikea; ceiling light: Westrem 2-light semi-flush mount, Mercer41; area rug: indoor-outdoor in turquoise, Charlton Home
“I would say the one rule I follow when designing any small space is utilizing as much square footage as possible without intruding on important floor space,” McQuaid says. “That means using awkward spaces to your benefit, going up not out and allowing as much light in as possible.”
Style: “We borrowed color, pattern and texture from other design styles to create a cohesive and balanced space that reflected [the homeowner] and her sense of creativity,” McQuaid says.
Step stool: white, Bekväm, Ikea; ceiling light: Westrem 2-light semi-flush mount, Mercer41; area rug: indoor-outdoor in turquoise, Charlton Home
Problem: “The biggest challenge I faced was the lack of wall space and the opening to the entertainment room,” McQuaid says.
Solution: They decided to build a faux wall between the entertainment area and the craft area. The design team made the panels from framing lumber and oriented strand boards covered with wallpaper to give them a finished and custom look. This temporary wall sits in front of the columns pictured in the before photo, and behind the new craft area’s long run of cabinets seen in the next photo.
Wallpaper: Blue Quatrefoil, WallPops
Solution: They decided to build a faux wall between the entertainment area and the craft area. The design team made the panels from framing lumber and oriented strand boards covered with wallpaper to give them a finished and custom look. This temporary wall sits in front of the columns pictured in the before photo, and behind the new craft area’s long run of cabinets seen in the next photo.
Wallpaper: Blue Quatrefoil, WallPops
Storage: At the beginning of the project, McQuaid cleared everything out of the room to clearly see the space and categorize items by type and size. These steps allowed her to purchase the proper furnishings in the right amounts.
The new wall provided the space needed for an expansive storage system. “These IKEA shelves [were] perfect for adding storage for craft supplies and toys,” McQuaid says. The varied shapes, sizes and colors of storage bins give the room a curated look.
Shelving: Kallax, Ikea; storage boxes: pink, white and light blue, Tjena, Ikea; storage bins: aqua striped, gray/aqua and plastic aqua, Pillowfort, Target; storage cubes: Recollections, Michaels; desk chair: Shellman in green, Zipcode Design
The new wall provided the space needed for an expansive storage system. “These IKEA shelves [were] perfect for adding storage for craft supplies and toys,” McQuaid says. The varied shapes, sizes and colors of storage bins give the room a curated look.
Shelving: Kallax, Ikea; storage boxes: pink, white and light blue, Tjena, Ikea; storage bins: aqua striped, gray/aqua and plastic aqua, Pillowfort, Target; storage cubes: Recollections, Michaels; desk chair: Shellman in green, Zipcode Design
The shared memories: A small table and chairs were placed on one side of the room so the homeowner’s son had room to create and play.
The completed design left this family with more than a beautifully organized room. Mom and her son love that they can now spend more time creating and less time looking for supplies. That also means she can spend more time with her child, which was the main goal of the project.
Children’s desk and chair set: Justine Windsor, Viv + Rae
Carpentry: Seth McGuire of Custom Finish Carpentry
Electrician: Dunbar Electric
More
20 Ways to Organize Your Craft Space
Browse storage and organization products
The completed design left this family with more than a beautifully organized room. Mom and her son love that they can now spend more time creating and less time looking for supplies. That also means she can spend more time with her child, which was the main goal of the project.
Children’s desk and chair set: Justine Windsor, Viv + Rae
Carpentry: Seth McGuire of Custom Finish Carpentry
Electrician: Dunbar Electric
More
20 Ways to Organize Your Craft Space
Browse storage and organization products
Craft Room at a Glance
Who lives here: A couple and their 4-year-old son
Location: Zillah, Washington
Size: 150 square feet (14 square meters)
Designer: Caitie McQuaid, founder and principal designer at CM Fresh Perspectives
Before: A large room in this family’s Zillah, Washington, home was divided into two: an entertainment area on one side and a craft area on the other. The backs of entertainment units separating the two areas are seen in the photo of the previous craft area above.
Scope of work: There were two main goals for this project: make the room more presentable and organize the things within it. The couple hired designer Caitie McQuaid to transform the space. They knew a professional designer was an investment but having someone else plan, order and hunt down supplies freed them up to spend more time together as a family.
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