yes, i do work in a basement and the room is not really small. it is about.....mmmm.....12 x 13. but is does not have 3 walls. one side is up against the stair so that's only a triangular wall and where the stairs end there is no wall at all. one wall opens into the laundry area with a double folding door that wont stay closed (warped), so i don't have that full wall either. one wall has a wall-hung gas heater. toasty, but i can't put anything too close. and the last wall runs back into the stair opening at the bottom of the stairs. i have collected, over the years, a factory blind stitcher attached to a bulky table, a janome 8000 on an antique sewing base with an new dh-made top ,a viking #1 on an antique base with a dh-made top, (that's 3 machines), the big board sticking out in the middle of the room, and chairs for every machine. every possible wall and door space is used, including under the board. the room is very crowded. since this is a ranch with a full sized basement, there is a larger space under the lr, kitch and dr, where there is a tv and lounge chair where my dh sometimes keeps me company, a fishing rod and reel repair and build area, a book, magazine and music collection, AND my quilter and 10" frame. past the laundry area my dh has his shop and there is a pantry for canned goods and kitchen appliances tht are seldom used (it was here when we bought this house). the last owners also built a cedar closet, almost as large as my sewing room, in the basement. we store luggage, outgrown baby clothes (there will never be grandkids), all my threads, my mother's knitted afghans, etc, in there. so you can see, i'm very close in that room with no ALLOWABLE space to go. very excellent ceiling light, but no windows. it does feel like a cave. considering what a lot of you have to deal with - or without - i count myself very lucky. it was one reason we chose this house when we moved down in size after the kids left.
tell me about insulbright. is it totally silvery? or mostly cotton with some silver in it?