I'm now using our guest room as a sewing room and that feels quite extensive for me. We don't get a lot of houseguests and the ones who come live with my machine which is up all the time. Sometimes I put my iron and board away but not always. In the past, I used very small spaces, however. I had my machine on top of a standard child's desk and cut fabric on the end that didn't contain the machine. When I needed to use the desk top to write I simply moved the machine to the other side. I have always laid my quilt blocks out on beds rather than the floor - still do so. Sometimes I have gone to public buildings (library, historical hall, etc.) to use their tables to pin baste my quilts, but mostly I've used the bed, sliding a cutting board around underneath.