I started on this art journey all gung-ho, purchasing all the art supplies the world could offer. Tubes of paint, brushes, papers, cardstock, varnishes, tools and frames started to engulf my little spare “guest” bedroom turned art studio. Not to mention the business side of art- the receipts, business cards, marketing material, packaging supplies and shipping boxes. My little 3m x 3m room was bursting at the seams and a highly unproductive space. I was tripping over things, scratching through desk draws trying to find that one colour of paint I needed, and the chaos was overwhelming me.
It's a little embarrassing to share the mess!!!
It was time to get serious and invest in some decent storage solutions.
It was time for a trip to IKEA!
I measured out the space and spent some time thinking about how I could utilise vertical space, given my floor space is very limited. I still needed to be able to use the pull out sofa bed in this room easily, if people come to stay. I trawled the IKEA website for ideas and came up with some perfect storage solutions. Writing down the location numbers (isle and bay number) from the website made the visit to IKEA a whole lot less painful and quick, as you can skip the showrooms and go straight to the warehouse to collect your items.
I removed the old desk I’d purchased off Facebook Marketplace for $20 and gave it to my 9-year-old son. He absolutely loves it and thinks he won the lotto! I removed everything from the room and gave it a good clean and commenced the dreaded IKEA flat-pack construction. Seriously though, it was pretty easy (albeit a little time-consuming!)
I purchased the following items from IKEA to organise my Art Studio:
This draw unit is perfect for storing all my art paper pads, watercolour sets, cardstock, business supplies, tape, folders full of inspiration, drawings, sketches, swatches etc.
To match the ALEX draw set, this desk fits perfectly with just enough room for both. The desk also comes in a larger version if you have a bit more space to work with. I covered the top of my desk in thick PVC purchased off the roll from Bunnings, to protect the top of the desk from paint and arty mess.
I was super excited when I came across this little gem. I have very limited wall space and wanted to utilise the spot next to my art studio window. Most shelving options were too big to fit in this small space; however, this bathroom wall shelf was a perfect fit and just what I was looking for to store my larger tubs of paint.
The link above shows this item in 120cm x 30cm version, I went for the thinner shelf at 20cm as I only needed a thin shelf that didn’t look too heavy in the room.
One of my main frustrations was digging through a draw full of paints trying to find that bloody Burnt Umber I needed right that minute!
On Pinterest, I'd had seen people display their tubes of paint on a pegboard and noticed an old unused pegboard in my Hubby’s shed. It was an old thing he had rescued from my Pop’s shed when we were cleaning it out after he had passed away over 10 years ago. It needed a serious de-spider, a good clean and a fresh coat of paint. Now it looks as good as new. I love having it in my art space as a beautiful reminder of my Pop, who was also very creative with his hands.
All the cardboard boxes, frames and shipping materials now live in the wardrobe, out of sight.
I’m already loving being in this space and having everything easily on hand and organised. I’m not a messy person at all, so this organisation has calmed my mind and eased the stress I was feeling every time I walked into my studio.
What do you think?
Let me know if you have any other fabulous storage ideas I might need in my art life! Xx