Need sewing/stitching room design help

I'm not familiar with the Koala cabinet/table. How large is it? Do you want to be able to walk all the way around it or will it be up against a wall? Make little cardboard shapes to represent all the furniture you want in the room. The scale 1 inch equals 1 foot works well. Use largest possible dimensions for each piece (tables with all leaves added, file cabinet drawers open) and draw a dotted line across the piece to show the difference between "normal" appearance and "expanded" appearance. Lay those out on a plain piece of paper and position them the way you would prefer. Remember to allow room to move between items and allow extra space if anyone else will ever work in the room with you. Tape the pieces in place. Then draw in where you want your closet in relation to the furniture. Draw the rest of the walls (doors & windows too) to complete the room and just measure the lines and convert inches back to feet. If the builder will give you a free hand, you can also chart out where you want all the lights and outlets for the room. If you will have a lot of large electrical equipment (multiple sewing machines/sergers, computer, etc.) in the room, make certain the builder/electrician knows so you don't overload a circuit. Sun tunnels or skylights are something to consider to bring more natural lighting into the room. A wheeled storage tower might help store some of the miscellaneous items. Park it in the closet when not in use.

We had a thread on here a couple of years ago about designing our dream sewing/stitching room. I'm sure you will get a lot of help since almost everyone around here has had this dream!

Marianne Teubner wrote:

-- Brenda

Oh, how I envy you!! Years ago (?35) I had a sewing room, but the kids were little and it was just for dressmaking!! I would suggest someplace that there are big hooks to carry skeins of overdyes. I have them on the inside of a cabinet door,( but the hooks are on a sticky backing which does not hold weight). A place of their own would be perfect. Storing beads is great using the Lee Valley watchmakers cases, which are about the same dimension of the darice boxes.

I have a rocker in my bedroom corner, and reslly regret that. If I had it to do again, I would have had a nice upright chair, so I could have a stand, and the Dazor behind it. Os course you need a computer, so you can log all the stash in Excel.

Gillian

I can't pick just one thing. And this would be for a combination library/craft room (the computer would be someplace else)

Large windows to let in lots of light

One wall with no windows, no switches or outlets, no baseboard heaters so I can cover it with bookshelves (or alternately, built-in bookshelves) My current bookshelves span 9 feet wide.

Modular shelving (along the lines of elfa but maybe not that specific brand) in the closet to allow for flexibility as my needs change

Complete stereo system, either with speaker wiring hidden in the walls or with wireless speakers. I don't like seeing cords!

If I could really have my dream room (and this is probably unrealistic for you), I'd LOVE to have a small fireplace!

Jenn L.

--

projects: Nordic Needle Rose (Silver Lining) Starry Night (Vincent van Gogh via Cross Stitch Collectibles) Lady of the Flag (Mirabilia) Weight loss to date: 18.5 lbs

Jenn Liace said

I second that!! If not, track lighting over your work areas

Picture frame molding on all or most of the walls to hang your projects on and eliminate holes in the wall.

Lots of outlets and a phone jack

Lots of lighting - windows, your task lamp (mine's an Ott), overhead

Tables - one for a sewing machine, one for your tea cup and cookies

Shelves for your books

File cabinets for your charts

A small attached bathroom

Music, computer if needed!

Cheryl

Marianne , congratulations , for having an understanding husband. Do you have a sewing machine ? you need a place for it ,, Make a real list of All your Craft tools gadgets materilas and estimate how offten you use each tool. For storage of threads zips, elastics , knitting needles, scissors , ribbons, bias ribons etc... , i use Plastic office drawers , that come in modular boxes, drawers are deep and shallow, and have nice colors , i pile those modulars on top of each other . For beads buttons, hooks and smaller stuff , and sewing machine parts i use a wall unit , that garrages use for small nails screws etc. For Works in progress i sewed Big cotton ]left over materials] bags , which hnag on wall hooks. Wools for weaving sewing are organized in open Shop like stands ,,,[ White coated wire drawers and shelves]. i bought everything quite cheap in shops that sell this stuff to shops. My shelves are commercial tin shelves . On the wall i have 2 big double card board Units to pin on notes patterns etc.... When installing a work table , take in account if you are right handed or left handed , to decided on position towards the window . mirjam

One thing I have used, and it *might* be applicable. Where I stitch I have an overhead light, close to the ceiling. There is a restriction on the wattage that can be used in the light bulbs, because of overheating. The limit is four 60 watt bubs. If you use ordinary incandescent bulbs, 240 watts is not much light. However, there are now, comparatively low cost, fluorescent lights which give off a lot more light, with a lot less heat. I now use four 29 watt fluorescent bulbs, which each give out the equivalent of 100 watts of light; 400 watts instead of

240 watts. Quite often, I dont need anything like an Ott. HTH.

-- Jim Cripwell. From Canada. Land of the Key Bird. This creature of doom flies over the frozen tundra in winter, shrieking its dreaded call; "Key, Key, Key, Key rist but it's cold!!"

Thank you, thank you, thank you!!!

You guys have great ideas and I have printed out all of them to put in my file. At this point in time, we are just starting the process, I have a "blank" canvas and sensory overload!!!!!

I appreciate all of your help and suggestions.

Thanks again.

Marianne T.

Hi ! I just designed my work room/sewing room and we just finished the home last year. Mine is 15x25 approximately. The work room itself is

15x15 and then the extra 10x15 is a walk in closet with shelving . It has a door . In there is a u - shaped closet with rods on one side and shelving and total open shelving on the other. In the middle is room for an ironing board --remember to put an outlet system into the room. I used a natural ott light set up in that room where all the fabric and all is stacked. In the 15x15 I made sure I had a LARGE window with uv protection in it. It bonks out about 99 % of uv rays. I have art work hung in there . On the closet side is a large flat computer desk with my computer there ( need it for talking to you all and also for downloading stitches on my Bernina and printing out patterns etc. The phone is also there. I have a matching roll top next to it that matches to hold files. On the opposite side I have many artworks framed ( needlework too) on the wall all the way to the ceiling and most of the way to the floor. I also have my art chair and floor needlework frame there. On the window side I have a barrister I had built that goes to the ceiling so a good 7 barrister partitions for holding needlework books. Unbelievably they all fit. I could get more in if I had to. It is made to fit the wall on the window side and no waste. In the middle of the room is a glass table dining height with a padded--yes padded chair so it is correct height to sew and never hurts my behind. That was the thing I hated most about my sewing cabinet set up before. On the door entry side I have a Fancy Italian shrunk that I brought back from Europe when we lived there. It is not a wide one but TALL so does not take over the room. It is only about 40 wide. Do remember the outlet system for the closet. I have enjoyed that immensely.. AND the glass table now serves as a light table for design work as well or cutting out fabric. It does not fill the room since it is glass. Good luck on yours.

Don't do built-in shelves or drawers. Buy the modular ones so you can arrange and rearrange as your interests/stash levels change. I had built-in, now I use fully adjustable bookcases and those plastic stackable sets of drawers. If you have a lot of patterns, filing cabinets are great.