I always enjoy seeing other artists’ spaces and thought I’d share my new studio in Twisp, WA. I have the smaller room of the two-bedroom house my husband and I rent for my office and studio. The room is approximately 9′ x 12′ with two windows, as well as an additional closet in which I store a mix of clothes (our house only has two closets!) and art materials. I have the following additional storage: a mini-loft accessible from my studio where I keep paper rolls, portfolios, and a box of sketches, another mini-loft in the bedroom where I store various framed paintings, an Ikea Expedit bookshelf which creates a small hallway outside of my studio and defines my husband’s workspace (we both work at home), as well as a large crawlspace about 4.5′ high under the house. It’s insulated and dry, so I store my prints as well as packing materials down there.

As I mentioned in a post about my previous studio, I use a folding Norden Ikea table to save space, and next to it have a large drafting table. Underneath my Ikea table, I store my paper cutter on a small side table, under which I keep some external hard-drives. My drafting table also lends itself well to compact storage: Underneath it, I keep a 30″ wide roll of brown paper in a dispenser and when not working, I’m able to tuck away an additional folding table and small shelf unit on wheels in which I store my paints. To dry sketches and paintings, I have a “clothesline” where I can clip things up. For the rest of my large papers and works in progress, I tuck them in the 6″ – 8″ of spare space on both sides of my drafting table. Facing my tables is a bookshelf I fill with supplies, files, and small portfolios and I have my computer and filing cabinets in the other corner. Everything is compact and at times a tight fit, but it’s working out so far. The light and views are lovely and everything I need is close at hand. One thing about using a small space, though, organization and simplification is key! I’d love to hear how you’ve set up your workspaces.