How To Create A Creative Space

Step 1: Send hubby to Vegas for 5 days.

Step 2: Take over the basement before he gets back!

Bright and early on a Wednesday morning, hubby headed out to Vegas for the National Bowling Tournament. I’d been secretly plotting planning for weeks just what I’d be doing while he was gone.

Entrance wall - before. Straight ahead are the stairs to the main level. Under the soffit to the right is a short hall that leads to the garage.

See. Hubby and I were at odds over what to do with the basement that still housed the remnants of A Lovely Thing Eshop. He wanted it for storage. I got it for a craft room studio.

The view of the back wall as seen from the doorway at the stairs. To the left is a small powder room. The door to the right is a closet. Under the tapestry-turned-curtain at right is a window.

The very second I heard the garage door roll down, I hit it! Boxed up remaining inventory and hauled it out to a still accessible spot in the garage — a spot that I had covertly cleared earlier in the week. There were plastic shelves, not too heavy. However, if you look under those movie posters and next to my packing supplies, you’ll see a folded up treadmill. That 2-ton beast took a full 1/2 hour of huffing, puffing, pulling and shoving to get it out into the garage.

About an hour or so after the bowling stud had left, the space was empty and ready for paint.

Bench before spray painting.

While waiting for the first coat of wall paint to dry, I cracked open a case of spray primer and a case of black spray paint. I had saved several spray paint projects to do all at once. Tip: don’t do that. My spray finger really cramped up.

In between putting the second coat on the room and a dozen spray coats on small pieces of furniture, I corralled all my crafty stuff in the dining area on the main level. That meant 5,179 trips UP the steps to the top floor of our tiny townhouse and 5,179 trips DOWN the steps from the top floor of our tiny townhouse.

Back wall - after. The black bookcase is oak -- heavy, heavy oak.

The black book shelf along the back wall caused me the most grief during the all-by-myself reno. It’s oak — heavy oak. And it, yes, was on the very top floor of our tiny townhouse. I didn’t even try to lift it … I tipped it on its side and slid it down the two flights of stairs. For a few frightening moments, it had me wedged at the bottom of the stairway turning into the basement (see the first picture above).

I had visions of my husband coming home in three days to find me passed out under it.

But I am woman, hear me arrrrrghh the shelf.

(… to be continued with tons more after pictures)

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