My home studio
The Maple And Oak Headquarters have been moved once again. I loved working from my last studio because it was so bright and spacious but it always was a temporary solution. When we came home to our pretty and cozy but also very small and cramped apartment after a trip to Quebec, I had enough of storing our bikes in the living room and moving them every time I wanted to go to the book shelves. So I started looking for a new place. There were three places that looked interesting but we only managed to look at one because it was perfect! Close to Guillaume’s work, a big second bed room that serves as my studio and a wonderful large living-room.
So we moved into our new home on July first and are still stoked about all the space we’ve got now! I am happy to work from home but not from the living room anymore. Every evening I can close the door to the studio and let work be work which makes such a difference for my ability to relax. And don’t forget the working in your PJ’s thing, definitely an asset! I just love that I can wake up, get up, make myself a beautiful cup of tea (I don’t like the taste of coffee but I do like my dose of caffeine every morning!)and slowly start working.
The other day I read an article about the importance of having a a clean and pretty work space. Apparently, it helps your creativity and productivity if you love being in the space you work from. Not that I ever doubted that but it felt good to see my suspicions in print. I’m sure most of you know me well enough by now that I used the chance of having a new studio to decorate it and make it look all pretty. Have a look!
As we’re renting this place, I didn’t feel like painting the walls even though the colour is hideous. Like, horribly light brown kaka hideous! Nice white walls would make the room look so much bigger and brighter but oh well, you can’t have everything. One day…one day I will have a pretty studio with white (maybe some colourful accents?) walls! For now, wall decoration has to do the trick. I’m especially excited about my new banner by Dixie and Twine. I met Amber on Instagram a while ago and instantly fell in love with her colourful party decorations. Glitter and colours everywhere! Yay! So I asked her to make a custom garland for me with pink flamingos and blue letters that spell out Maple And Oak Designs. It is so so pretty! Seriously, go check her out.
Then there are the post cards that I made from my last big photo shoot, a silk screen wall vase I found in Vancouver and a framed photo of thread in all colours of the rainbow by my friend Jillian of Logee Photography. If you’re looking for fun photography products, look no further!
The brilliant thing about working with vintage and recycled fabrics is that they are already so colourful. They make a room look happy and bright by just being stashed in a shelf. I like my fabrics to be on display, so when I work on new products I can see what kinds of fabric I’ve got. Ideally, I organize them by pattern, kind of fabric and project. Unfortunately, it never lasts long. Sometimes, in the heat of the moment while sewing, I just throw them back into the shelf without thinking twice…oopsie!
I hope you enjoyed this little glimpse into my work space, what does your creative corner look like? Do you prefer working from home or a studio?
With love from the Maple And Oak Diaries,
❤ Leonie❤
