The Studio Overhaul! Day 2

Lots of pictures for you today!  I had no idea how to go about finishing off this room, but I had a vision.  I literally had a measuring tape, heavy hammer, lots of finishing nails, pencil, skill saw(You know one of those hand held saws that has a blade that jiggles up and down to cut?)...and LOADS of determination.  Loads.  For day 1 I started with all the trim work.  It was actually really fun.  Like putting together a puzzle!  One huge lesson learned though.....make SURE the wood is flat, has no warping or twists.  It makes for trim that so doesn't want to lay like it should.  And is very frustrating.  You hammer one end, the other end pops off the wall.  And vice-versa.  Oh well.  That's what chalk is for, right?

I was most proud of the way the windows turned out.  They required a ton of pre-finishing with the Great Stuff (which is super awesome!!) and chalk.  The windows having not been finished very well were extremely drafty.  Now, they are not!

 I found this heart in the wood of one door frame.  A good sign no doubt!!

The other drafty issue was where the concrete semi wall and sheet rock joined.  This is only on the exterior wall and half the interior left wall.  Again, I Great Stuffed it and added trim on top.  Then I added chalk on the top and bottom of the trim for a super seal.

I had no idea how to finish off sheet rock with tape and stuff to create a smooth wall surface.  So instead I joint compounded the walls to look like plaster.  Yep.   Cool trick, right?  We did this at The Vintage-Flea a lifetime ago, so it was in my bag of tricks already.  And quick.   I did all the trim and joint compound layering on day 1.  Already it was feeling better to my little creative heart.

On the second day, after getting more trim wood from Home Depot I painted the walls with Pale Honey. Turns out the paint at Home Depot has primer in it!! No way....awesome! No wonder it goes on like a dream. So an hour later I had the whole room painted!

Next was painting the concrete.  This was not what I expected.  It looked a bit like cottage cheese after one coat, and was hard to edge the bottom.  So three layers of white later and tons more chalk later it looked done.

So, what does an artist do when she makes a mess on the floor with concrete paint?  She makes a scallop boarder, that's what!!  I love, love this detail in the room now!

I debated the floor issue for a spell and decided that honestly the cold floor needed carpet.  Outdoor carpet is very durable and came in a lovely shade of gray.  For lighting I added some twinkling lights!!  At IKEA I plan to purchase some floor lamps that can be moved around according to where I am at the time.

Day 3 came and went like a blur.  I hurt from finger tip to finger tip...my wing span that is.  So at the end of Day 3 I was still in a mess.  And pooped.  Turns out I had a ton of stuff I want to use in the space.  It's almost overwhelming though visually.  So I need to edit.  Edit.  Edit.  Not my forte.  Because I want to use it all!!  I got all the boxes unpacked and everything in a home....but it took until day 4.  And that day was after taking a 2 day break!!

 Graham Cracker has already found her spot in the room.  On the pink couch.  Dang I love that pink couch!

Here's the finished doorway.  And yes, the shape is on purpose.  There will be a clothesline between the posts for favorite pics and inspirations!  Also I am adding curtain doorways.   Turns out the doorways are very thick and oddly wide.  In other words, a real door would cost a fortune.  I like the idea of the soft doorway anyways.

Next up:  The FINISHED SPACE!!!  Wooohooooo!!  It may be next week though before that post is ready.  I am still tweaking the room.  And have managed to make a jewelry making bomb on the table.  I've got deadlines to meet!  I want to show it off done. :)   So be sure to keep coming back peeps.  And if you ever, ever want some help designing or creating a space to be creative, don't hesitate to email me your questions!  I am always eager to lend a hand!

I will share this....today when my 9 year old came down and my finished ceiling pizaaz was up she went, "WHOAAAAA!!!  Mom!  Wow.  I like that!!"  It's good.  Puffy heart good.  (and yes, that was on day 5...it has taken a while to finish. hehehe..)