MAKING THE MOST OF YOUR OFFICE/STUDIO-SPACE!

Last week I promised I'd use my next blog entry to talk about how to make the most out of a studio/ office-room with limited space (and budget). I had to make the recent move from my studio back home, and set about trying to create a good working space within a small single bedroom (which already housed a wardrobe & chest of drawers that couldn't be moved elsewhere).

Desk Area

The first thing to do is to consider what you will use the room for and to work from there. I know that sounds like a very basic requirement, but think about what space you need, and measure and plan and do a bit of research before committing to buy. Forget about what you've seen in magazines, or in furniture stores, the key is to make it work for you and your work. There's no point buying a big desk, only to find that you're mostly working on your laptop and the rest becomes a dumping ground. Storage should be a major consideration - think about what will work, what you need to hand, and what can be put out of reach. For example, I use a sturdy under-bed storage box on top of the wardrobe, as it fits perfectly, but keeps all my postage paraphenalia together and out of the way.

Inking-up desk tidied away

Printing Area

From my own experience, I knew I needed three things: clean desk area for drawing/ carving; area for my press and then an area for inking up. For the messy inking up area I decided to use a 'mobile' option, so I bought a cheap but fairly sturdy fold away table, covering it in PVC for the ink. It literally fits under the desk when not in use, or can be folded away at the end of the desk. As for the desk, I needed a long narrow space to work on and so decided to get storage options underneath the desk. one 'open' area for books and another set of drawers for hiding away inks, rollers, lino blocks and other bits. I think that's the key to making a space work for you. Having everything to hand and easily accessible is really important, but you don't have to look at it all the time. The drawers are perfect for that.

pots of pens etc

The desk is long enough to house my printer at one end; pots of stuff at the other and my guillotine; leg room and a 'desk' area; and space to house the inking table underneath. For the general desk-area, I've used tins of different sizes - great for my pegs and string and pens and pencils. It's a compact space, and I could do with more storage areas / shelves for paper and filing storage, but it works for the time being and until I return to an external studio. The desk (inc. drawers and shelving) was about €100 from Ikea. It is a bit of an investment, but this matched my specific needs. You might be able to grab an online/ live auction bargain - try to buy a desk because it works for you, not because you need a desk (you might not even need a desk at all!)


As I mentioned in my last blog entry, one of the things that works for me is to tidy at the end of the day and get the space ready for the next morning... mine is always this tidy... did I say always... I meant never.