Art Studio Renovation

After spending the summer away from the studio, I felt like rather than doing a little ‘Spring Cleaning,’ I needed to do a major ‘Fall Flip.’ When we moved into our home several years ago, we converted our small spare bedroom in our home into the studio where space is very limited. After doing a lot of research, I knew that we needed to figure out how to consolidate space functionally (with a lot of storage).

First and foremost

I needed a desk for both my computer setup and to paint. The Craftsman 8’ solid wood top workbench does just the trick (linked is a similar style as the one we own is now out of stock - but this seems to be just as durable and more reasonable!). I refused to splurge on this as I knew I would be getting paint on it. Luckily I found one on Craigslist in mint condition that was half the price. We bought two Craftsman Drawers that serve as my painting table that roll underneath the desk. Storing them under the desk when I’m not painting allows for so much more space and makes the room appear larger.

Other important key players in the renovation:

Rug: normally $192, bought this beautiful and colorful Safavieh rug for only $50 on Overstock. Safavieh makes beautiful, high-quality rugs that always tie together a room. 

Shelves: this is where our DIY came into play. Typically most floating shelves (that are good quality and can hold items like books!) run anywhere between $40-$150 per shelf. We spent a total of $31 on our shelves! Thanks to my husband’s ingenuity, he thought industrial pipes would serve well as a shelf bracket. We spray painted them with Krylon Indoor/Outdoor Glossy White spray paint (seriously, spray paint can do anything and everything!). We bought two common pieces of wood and varnished them with a clear gloss so that they matched the desk. It took only a few hours and was well worth it!

Homegoods: I have to go into Homegoods knowing exactly what I want or else I spend all of my time and money there. I bought wicker seagrass baskets that look identical to Pottery Barn’s version for storage purposes. These are used to hold my prints and marketing supply, while the wicker laundry basket holds my paint clothes (this one looks identical and is $90 more!). I also wanted a sleek lamp and found the perfect one for the studio.

Total cost break-down on renovation and accessories:

Desk: $350.00 Rug: $50.81 DIY Shelves: $31.98 Homegoods Lamp & Baskets: $85.00 +____________________________________

Grand Total: $517.79

Original cost: $800 Rug: $192.00 Shelves: $222.60 Basket & Lamp: ~$200.00 +____________________________________

Average of original items: $1,414.600 TOTAL COST SAVINGS: $896.81

BEFORE:

AFTER:

To see more of my behind-the-scenes and DIY projects, be sure to follow me on Instagram at @cocozentner_art as my husband and I do projects like this regularly!

All the best,