Craft Room Design

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The perfect craft room design will vary depending on the media you work with, but there are some general concepts that apply to good craft rooms no matter what type of materials you use to create your crafts.

Your craft room will be the center of your craft business; you'll spend a lot of time in there, so you'll want it to be a room that is uplifting and comfortable while still giving you the space to move about and do your work. Good craft room design will provide you with an enjoyable place to do your work, a healthy and comfortable place to work and increased efficiency in production.



Keep the following considerations in mind when designing your craft room:

Furniture Placement and Utilities

If you are planning to buy any furniture for your craft room, be sure to measure the available space first. A work table or shelf can look like it's the perfect size when it's sitting in the showroom of a big furniture store, but when you get it into your smaller craft room, it can overwhelm the space. Drawing the dimensions of your room to scale on graph paper, and then marking out ideal furniture placement and size is a good way to avoid the mistake of buying furniture that is just not right for the room.

Take into account sources of natural light, the location of electrical outlets and the amount of space you need to move and work when planning furniture needs and layout for your craft room.

Good Lighting
Good lighting is essential to good craft room design; this includes both general lighting and task lighting. If you prefer to work with natural light, take this into account when deciding where to place your work space.

Storage Space
While you are planning and considering your craft room design, think about the tools and equipment you need to have readily available, and design your room with this in mind. An entire wall can be equipped with shelves and drawers, and overhead space can be used effectivly to make good use of all available space. Creating effective craft storage and craft room organization takes a little bit of planning. Avoid haphazardly storing all of your tools and materials; be sure to give some thought and planning to your craft storage needs.

Clean Up
Use materials for your craft room that will be easy to clean. Choose furniture that either will not be easily harmed by any chemicals or tools you may use, or that can be marked up and you won't mind (I learned this lesson the hard way after spilling resin on my good dining room table).

Your flooring should also be made of a material that is easily cleaned, ideally something you can sweep up and mop when necessary. Carpet is probably not going to be the best floor covering choice in your craft room. It's generally harder to clean spills on carpet, and if you work with small components, anything you drop will be easily lost (I've lost more than a few beads and findings in the pile carpet in my living room, which has taught me to stick to my studio when I'm making jewelry).

Safety and Ergonomics
Design your craft room with good safety and ergonomic design in mind. Store any potentially harmful chemicals or tools out of reach of children and pets. Depending upon the nature of the materials you work with, you may want to consider purchasing a storage box that can be locked.

Be sure to choose a work table and chair that allows you to work on your projects in the most natural and comfortable positions possible. A work space that requires you to work at odd or uncomfortable angles for prolonged periods of time can eventually cause injury. Take a look at the ergonomically designed tools and equipment that are available at both art supply and office supply stores. These tools often cause very small shifts in your posture or your grip on a tool, and those small shifts can make a huge difference in your ability to work on a project without injury.

Inspiration
Finally, choose a room and area that is conducive to work. Colors that inspire you, space for storage, and add a few favorite things can make the room your own. The fact is, when you enjoy your surroundings, you'll work more productively than you would in a cramped, dingy room.

When you take your craft beyond a hobby and it becomes a business, it's really well worth the effort to plan and create a craft room design that will suit your practical needs and be inspiring at the same time.

 
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