cathyvv

Tip: Put electrical outlets waist high on your walls. Easier to get to. I say waist high, but it could be 'top of desk high'.

QuiltnNan

Oh, yes, definitely. I'm getting ready to make a new sewing area in my winter residence and that is what I'm planning

amyjo

I remodeled my garage into my sewing studio. Plugs are higher than desk top so I don’t have to worry about not reaching them. I also had to have a ramp installed to get out into the space which took up a good 6’ of my space so instead of 17’ by 21’ I am down to 9 or 10’ by 21’. I can change out the ramp if I want to by winter bc I have a small elevator that I intend to put in. Then the ramp goes away except for the two landings I had put in. I have 6 bookcases plus one extra large cabinet on wheels for my fabric and I’m not kidding when I say I have more yet to put on shelves. I did have the 4800 led lights put in with plugs in the ceiling. My electrician installed them and also installed two small ceiling fans and a garage electric heater for winter. Plenty of insulation two nice size windows in front plus outside door. I also had a door put in on the east side if I wanted to open it up for fresh air. My daughter got hold of a 14000 btu portable ac unit a lady was getting rid of and I’m a happy camper. I have two sewing cabinets but I have yet to get my janome horizon out there. Waiting on removing my sisters’ ScrapBox that I got for a steal. Someone wanted to get rid of it. I have one of the original ScrapBox and I just love it. All my tools in one place plus lots of storage for thread n fat qtrs I’ll have to take some new pictures to post. I also have a large cutting table w/ sides that drop. My one sewing cabinet is huge so opening that one wide will have to wait till the ramp is gone.

amyjo

I also am in the process of putting my fabric on the magazine boards. I just love how my fabric is displayed on the shelves. Looks like a store. I did put curtains up on the bookcases bc of fade issues but have the led lights. I also had white metal (like pole barns) installed on the walls and ceiling. So nice n bright.

cathyvv

Great minds think alike!

cathyvv

We are never satisfied, there is never enough room for all our quilting stuff!

jmoore

We dormered the attic over our two car garage about 2 years ago for my new sewing studio. It is a lovely bright place to be creative. I received a lot of ideas from members of this board.
I worked directly with our contractor and electrician. I put plenty of LED lights, some recessed and some on strips that are adjustable. I had electrical plugs installed at different heights on walls, a couple in the floor in the middle of the room and a couple in the ceiling.
I have plenty of storage under the knee walls which would have been wasted space. I also chose LVP (luxury vinyl planking) flooring which is super easy to keep clean and durable.
Good luck, it’s very exciting to have a designated sewing space.

juliasb

22 years ago we had the addition and remodel of our home to accommodate my sewing room. It included access to the bathroom too. That is the one thing that could draw me away in the middle of a project and I would have to make a running dash. This access made the best sense. Having a computer station also was a must for digitizing software to be at hand so I could test designs or stop to take a break like this to learn more and more from each other. We built a single wall of cabinets and a built in cutting station. I keep a single book case in here that has quilting patterns and books. The cabinets house my fabrics from floor to ceiling and the lower cabinets have 3" built in drawers to handle various notions. I keep a small chest of drawers in here too that hold other medium items. At one time I had my quilt frame set up in here then after several years of only having a path I decided that needed to be moved down to the guest room. The lighting was also a big investment. I have 2 skylights and large windows on 2 sides from east to west so I always have the best lighting for sewing anytime of the day. I max the use of this room every day. The only thing there was no space for was a design wall. I also keep 4 of my 12 sewing machines in here. The others are now in the guest room. I do all most of my sewing in this room, only when I am using my mid arm machine am I sewing in the other room. This sewing studio addition was the best gift I was ever given and not a day goes by that I am not thankful for this special space I can call my own.

Tothill

I only dream about possibilities.

I have two ongoing dreams. The first is to gut and renovate my basement. It is about 800 sqf and has a bathroom and laundry room. Currently it is divided up into 4 rooms plus the bathroom. Each room has a different type of wood paneling. If wishes were fishes, I would remove all the paneling, insulate, replace the windows (they are old single pane), upgrade the electrical and lighting.

I would combine the two rooms on the North end of the basement, there is a load bearing wall, so some engineering would be needed. I would add a wall of built in cabinets to the interior wall. This would give me room for my books and fabric. The long arm would stay in current location.

The sew larger sewing room and laundry would be painted a very pale buttery yellow, the other room currently is the family room and it will be redecorated with a wine theme. The closet (only one currently in the basement) is large, but under stairs. It will be insulated and given climate control and become my wine cellar. I will have this space outfitted with a wine cooler, comfortable seating and a table for wine tastings.

Now I know that should be more than enough, but since I am going with the premise that I would have unlimited funds here is the second dream. Completely unattainable at this time.

In the next 10 years, build a new home where the cottage is. I have pretty much decided on the house plan. It is open concept, with two bedrooms on the main floor and a large loft/bunk room above. Big decks to take in the view. Where you ask is the sewing room? I would have a free standing studio on the hill behind. It would be about 20x30 (have to meet local bylaws of max 600 sqf. There would be a small bathroom with a shower, kitchenette and a large closet on the back side, the front would be a wide open space with lots of windows (I will risk fabric fading, I love lots of light). My long arm and supplies will be towards one end and the other will have my sewing machines. There will be interior seating for hand work, a huge cutting table on castors and an ironing station. A covered deck will run the length of the studio and will have more seating, hanging baskets and climbing vines.

Things I want in both spaces, comfortable flooring. I do not like carpets, so a floor with give is important. Lots of light, natural if possible, otherwise light from a variety of sources, except fluorescent. I know many love it, but I get migraines from the flicker. Windows, the bigger the better. I realize this limits wall space, for upright storage, but I need light, and if I build at the cottage, I will have a wonderful view. Pale, but not white walls. My current sewing space is a very pale buttery yellow and I love it. It is warm, does not distort fabric colours and reminds me of sunshine. Loads of outlets and lots of breakers. The current cottage only has 30 amp service and the original outlets do not have grounds.

Flexible furniture, preferably on castors. Room for art. I have an eclectic taste in art and I need room to display beautiful things.

Lastly, I need room for another person in my space. I would love to have room for a friend to join me.

slstitcher

My hubby offered to build on but I wanted my own space that I could just walk off and leave and nobody would bother. We ended up putting up a building in the backyard, all my own. It's 16X24 and I love it. I spend lots of time there and have friends come and sew with me.