lately my mind has been dwelling on how we use our home. The space we have. It's function. It's aesthetic.
There are so many things that don't 'NEED' changing. For example, I have a perfectly nice kitchen, but I hate the bench tops and the oven and the layout and the cupboards and the....I could go on. I am crossing my fingers that the oven and stove will just stop working so I can then convince my other half that a change would be truly beneficial to the happiness of the house!!! hee hee.
But there are so many things that we both would like to adjust to make the house better for us all. It's either that, or we move.
One consideration is to change what is now our 'formal lounge and dining room' into a space that actually gets used. Like a studio and media room. I mean we just don't entertain formally. It is an ironing room, a sewing room and storage space for my husbands bike. All this amongst the "formal" table that we never dine at. I mean even the words formal and dine sound like something my mother could relate to.
We bought a lounge and chairs that neither of us really like, for the sake of filling the empty space.
So, I'm trying to imagine how the lounge would look as a studio. I'm not convinced it is the right thing yet, but loved these images below.
I'm sensing you not requiring too much convincing here! Go on, just do it!!
Are you at Mathilda's on Saturday?
Posted by: Kiki | 13/04/2010 at 21:49
Wow ... what a dream ... a whole large room as a studio?!?! Be still my beating heart! I'd totally go for it if I had the chance!
And I'm Loooving the images you've atatched of other peple's studios ... Now I want to update my studio too!!
Posted by: Chrissy Foreman C | 13/04/2010 at 08:34
Oh Tiel, do it! We ditched the dining room a few years ago as it was really the ironing pile room and got used about twice a year. I now have a blissful no TV no toys, grown up living room and a family space with the telly. Plus I shunted a small child out of the biggest bedroom and have my computer and craft space in there. And I don't feel guilty, because thie boys spend lots of time in there with me.
It's hard to ditch the traditional room allocation, but I'm really so so glad we did.
Posted by: Ali | 12/04/2010 at 22:07
We are moving soon and I'm thinking alot about space and what will work best for our family, now and into the future.
We previously renovated a 'perfectly serviceable' 30yo kitchen and it was the best thing we ever did in our old house. It was such a pleasure to work in a modern kitchen with big pull out drawers instead of poky cupboards and to use an oven which didn't have the knobs broken off. I'm mulling over whether we should buy a house with an 'already nice' kitchen one that needs a new one so I can design something that I'll love.
A permanent workspace for myself is essential, but perhaps having it a bedroom is no longer the best way. I'd really like a 'family creative/play space' and then a seperate cosy TV room.
Posted by: Claire | 12/04/2010 at 15:44
We turned our "formal dining room", (which is one side of the L shaped room attached to our Lounge Room) into my sewing studio when we moved into our house almost 6 months ago, (sewing studio tour on my blog).
I am still getting used to the dusty apricot walls (the whole house is very 80's)- but I love the space. Best decision - I am right by the kitchen so I can multi-task when I really have to.
We would never have used a formal dining room, the table in the meals area between the kitchen and the family room (all one big room) is plenty. This way we are using all the spaces in our home, and everyone is happy (especially me).
Posted by: Claire - Matching Pegs | 12/04/2010 at 14:41