Thursday, July 31, 2003

The Studio

During lulls in my classwork I'm trying to get my studio together downstairs. I think I'm going to have to resort to threatening emails and voice messages to get Dan over here and do something about all of his clothes and other crap. But - I'm not letting a few piles (actually mountains) of clothes and CDs get in my way. I've started to paint. Laura and I went to HD today and bought 2 gal of their OOPS paint. We got premium grade paint for $5.00/gal. All we could see was a dot the size of a dime on the lid to tell what color it was. I think we made good choices. The pumpkin is going on the two walls that get all the sun. The studio is in the basement but I have patio doors facing south and a window facing west so I get a lot of sun. The lighter color is going on the wall with the patio door. That wall extends for the width of the house back to under the stairs where the furnace lives. The colors go together much better than the pictures show.

I painted each color on an index card so I can get fabric for curtains and JoMar (local fabric outlet) is having a 50% off sale including their drapery and upholstry fabrics. Most of the time they'll be open, but I need something to close up if we are trying on our new creations, or if company is going to use the guest room (Dan's old bedroom, which is really going to be fiber and equipment storage, but with a sofa bed in there, just in case.) Laura and I are setting the space up for both of our sewing machines and my serger too. So it will be like our own little sweatshop!

Transforming a rec room to a studio! Let me tell you that my method would drive an anal painter mad, but it's working for me. My method: Move everything away from two walls, giving just enough room to squeeze in with a paint brush or roller. Vacuum up spiders and yucky things. Spackle the gizillion holes from wannabe dart players. Paint. Let dry. Paint second coat. Let dry. Move things back and tackle next wall. Laura and I finished the first coat tonight. Oh, did I tell you Dan borrowed my roller trays and my handy dandy 5-in-1 when he was painting his new place? Didn't remember that until after I started! Luckily Josh was around and ran to HD for me.

5 comments:

  1. I suggest large black garbage bags for the clothes - first for storage and then for Goodwill :)

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  2. What's wrong with your method? It's the way professional painters work so you can still use your room while the paint's drying :-) (At least that's what my mother told me, us never having been able to afford someone else to do the painting ;-)

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  3. Hey, some "professional" painters in Chicago didn't even move the furniture. They just painted around it ...

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  4. Really? I just assumed it was all like Trading Spaces where they take everything out of the room. You can tell we've never had pros do it either. I think it's just that I left SO little room that I've ended up painting anything on my body that protrudes while trying to turn around :-) Good news is I've finished those two walls and the rest will be a piece of cake.

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  5. Hey, it sounds like your kids are making themselves useful. Crack that whip!!

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