My Studio Overhaul

I run Funky Fossil from home - which includes 2 laser cutters, storing stock and a space for packing alongside having a creative space where I can also film :) The business has overflowed in to all areas of the house - I was packing on the kitchen table, filming in a spare bedroom upstairs and often stacking boxes of stock in the hallway. However, as part of my overall reset, I wanted to get things back under control and contain the business physically so that it didn't feel like it was completely overwhelming every aspect of my life.

I am sure that I am not alone in saying that my physical environment can really impact on my mental health and everywhere I went in the house all I could see was a long 'to do' list....and feelings of guilt that everyone else was living in the middle of my mess. Don't get me wrong, I am not a particularly tidy person so mess is a regular feature of my environment but this was another level!

I am lucky in that I already have a good sized studio/workspace that backs on to the garden. It is south facing, sunny and light so the task ahead of us was to finish the conversion of our old garage to create a packing and stock space and to reorganise my studio once the stock was no longer living there to accommodate filming. The work started in early November and we were pretty much finished just before Christmas.

Here is the garage transformation....

I still need to do a bit of stock re-organisation but it is so nice to have the stock to hand when packing orders rather than going on a treasure hunt around the house! There is quite a lot of stock in the new garage where the laser cutters 'live' but that is still too much of a mess for me to show you :)

I have 'zoned' the studio space in to 3 mini areas - a dedicated space for filming so that I can leave the equipment in place, a standing desk for computer and creative work and a mini area to sit down and take a breath!

Having a dedicated filming space makes life so much easier as previously I was gathering up the supplies that I thought I would need and carrying them upstairs. I invariably forgot something! This way, I have everything close at hand and having the space ready for filming means it feels less of a job to get started!

My workstation space is bright and light and easy to move between PC work and creative activities. I still have plenty of storage in this room as that is the only way I can keep supplies from living on the floor!

I really wanted to have a little seating area - it is a tangible reminder to me to take a break, enjoy the sunshine and pace myself! Previously when I was in this room I felt guilty if I wasn't being 'productive' but now I can sit and do some slow stitching or write my blog and appreciate how lovely it is to enjoy the garden. And, apparently, it has been adopted by Mr G who comes in to chat much more often now that there is a comfy seat for him :)

I hope that you have enjoyed this peek behind the doors at Funky Fossil HQ! I am so glad that we have finally got around to setting up a dedicated stock and packing area so that the rest of the house can feel more like a home again. And I love my studio space....I have to be physically removed from here at the end of the day :)

Getting the physical environment right and revamping the virtual environment with our new website has meant that I can look ahead this year feeling much calmer and more positive! The only thing left on my wishlist is a studio room in the garden where we can run workshops but I haven't mentioned that to Mr G yet!!

Does the new year motivate you to have a tidy up/reorganise your space?

See you again soon,