A Room of One's Own

Something really special happened this past weekend. I finally made a distant dream a reality. Like many of you crafters, designers, makers and creators, I've been yearning for a special space all of my own. Somewhere I can gather all my crud materials together in one place and leave it there...away from the grabby hands of small boys, in a place that will provide instant satisfaction when the crafty mood strikes. It needed to be a workspace, where I could bring my laptop when I need to write, interview and work on features. It also needed to be light, airy and warm. Above all, I needed a corner where I could home a large desk for my work area and to accommodate Miss Betsy the behemoth sewing machine.

So here it is....my half of a study/office/lounge space for grown ups. 

This lovely bright room became available in our house a few weeks ago when we moved little George out of the nursery into his brother's room. The two boys were sleeping badly, both wanting company and coming into our bedroom all night long so they didn't have to be alone. So we re-arranged Albie's big, bright room and moved in George's cotbed. This has also meant we've now had a clear out of almost all the baby 'bits' in our home. Of course it's bitter sweet saying goodbye to those accoutrements that make up early memories and babyhood, but boy it feels good not to have all that unused stuff lying about. I made up some memory boxes for each of the children with first outfits, shoes and blankets, as well as their hospital wrist bands and cards and hats. So now they are sleeping brilliantly, keeping each other company and enjoying story time together. 

Which left the coast clear for me and my man to move in! For weeks it has been a rather dirty, unloved dumping room. So I cleaned it, bunged some stuff in the loft and to the charity shops and made space for this lovely little table- an absolute bargain at just £9.99 on eBay. Of course we had to drive to Romford to collect it, which wasn't really the adventure I had hoped, but it was totally worth it! I've been shopping around for nice desks- something sturdy and retro. I love the shape of the legs on my table, and the plain, formica top. It's sturdy as an old Ox and needs to be for Miss Betsy. (seen tucked underneath there)

 The turquoise chair is from IKEA. It was £20- a tad more expensive than the moulded plastic wheely chair I had considered, but damn sight more comfortable. The walls and curtains are unchanged from the nursery, I made the curtains from Cath Kidston fabric when we first moved in. The walls are a colour we rather foolishly mixed ourselves when the colour I bought turned out to be BEIGE. I hate beige. So I mixed some white into the stone colour and had just enough to cover all the walls. Hence why I haven't been able to paint over that bare patch to the right there. Ideally I'd strip the wood chip and re-paper the whole lot but I'd pay someone to do that and budgets don't stretch to those kinds of luxuries at the moment. 

 The table is the perfect beige! enough space for all my jars of 'things' (made mostly from jars I've covered, and my beloved smashed-and-glued-back-together-again Emma Bridgewater mug) and my DAB radio. I can't wait to listen to the Archers and sew. 

 The magazine boxes are housing sewing patterns and circular knitting needles at the moment; I may well move them later this week when my new turquoise desk lamp arrives from John Lewis. 

 I made this bunting for the nursery, to match the Little Teawagon patchwork blanket I bought for George when he was just a teeny embryo. I was hoping for a girl, clearly!

I'm considering adding a peg board just below the bunting.  

 On the wall at the moment are some Wes Anderson-themed prints- the one on left there is by Ladybird Likes, and the larger poster was a present from my friend Portia. Moonrise Kingdom is my favourite. 

Here next to the window is a little IKEA tub chair that I bought for the nursery. It was used mainly for feeding and cuddling little baby George, and now it's a lovely bright spot for some quiet hooky time. And a huge bare wall! Ideal for a little shelving unit I think for the jars of things- buttons, lace, ribbon etc. 

 This is the view of the room from the armchair...another armchair! And my original Hoopla yarn rug- pattern in Simply Crochet issue 26!

The other armchair is in not nearly as good a nick as the window chair. Hence the big blanket! This will be hubby's side of the room. We already moved his ukulele, CDs and DVDs in here as there is literally nowhere else in the house they can live. So I'm hoping to get him a fabby unit for his records and record player, and a table for the lamp! Of course this room will still be used for laundry and ironing and I have absolutely no doubt that more crud stuff will get dumped here. I haven't made room for the all the yarn and fabric that's in the ottoman at the foot of our bed! So there it will stay- easily accessed. This little room is off our bedroom, so feels very private and child-free! Hurrah!

I cannot wait to go and faff about up there later, and get Miss Betsy out for a play. I have a washi dress to sew!

Happy hooky everyone...

xxx