'TIS A GIFT TO BE SIMPLE

For many years, we traveled to Kentucky every other year for the GA-KY football game. We took the girls out of school on Thursday and Friday, and would leave late on Wednesday and spend a long weekend enjoying the area.

One of my favorite places to visit while we were there was the shaker village, near Lexington. It is a restored Shaker community and I am so attracted to the simplicity of that lifestyle. Their storage solutions are incredible. Peg racks with candle holders and hanging shelves. The built in attic storage in the main building. Amazing quality of materials and craftsmanship. The quilts and other linens, the clothing, the tools.

We have been getting a barn ready for my studio space. This is a long term type of project for us because we are doing it ourselves. We both work full time and both girls play sports, plus we are active in our church. This leaves very little time for this kind of work. I can complete crafts, because what I do is portable for the most part, but I am really studying my "stash" and trying to figure out the best ways to store materials and have a work space that is user friendly. The members of the shaker community had simplicity at the heart of everything they did and I think that is what I want to achieve with this work space.

So in thinking about this today - I am using this as a list of things that are important in the space. If you guys see things missing from my list or have suggestions - please - please post a comment with the information.

Required Items -
1. Heat/AC
2. good task lighting
3. good general lighting
4. a way to look out on the area around me. (window or glass door)
5. fabric storage
6. ribbon storage
7. bead storage
8. design wall
9. inspiration bulletin boards. / magnet boards / dry erase board
10 work surface and comfy chairs.
11. a way to plug in - the sewing machine, the glue gun, the embossing gun, the dremel tool
12. paper storage
13. tool storage - scissors, glue guns, hammer, knives, paper cutters, pliers, soldering iron, dremel tool
14 easy clean floor
15 embellishment storage
16 stickers storage
17 stamps and ink storage
18 yarn/fiber storage
19 cross stitch materials storage
20 books journals magazines pattern storage.
21 misc materials - paint, glue, canvas, etc.

And all this must be pretty and easy to retreive from. Ideas ladies???? Help.

I have studied studio spaces all over and am slowly putting ideas together for this space. What is your best storage idea? What would you most like to simplify in your life?

I hope you all have a beautiful day.