Hobby Room

Whether crafting is a hobby or a full-time occupation, it requires good organization and efficient storage. The majority of people don’t have plenty of room to spare in their homes. Many years ago, our client Bea, wanted to create a craft area with the space she had, but this space also had to double as her living room. Since she planned to stay in her home for a very long time, she felt special built-in cabinetry would be the best option for her. She also knew that since this would be a permanent arrangement, it was important to carefully plan how the craft area was laid out. She knew extra creativity would be necessary to make the most use of a single wall in her living room. Bea wanted the cabinetry appearance to be stylish and sleek. That’s where I came in.  

I met with Bea in her lovely home about 15-years ago. For relaxation, our client loved to use stamps to create greeting cards, photo albums, and memory books. Bea showed me her hundreds of expensive stamp pads, ink pads, glue, tape and numerous art supplies. She told me that inspiration could strike her at any time. So, she asked me to create a place where she could indulge in her craft, while ensuring that everything stayed well organized.

Because Bea’s living room walls were creamy white and the plush, piled carpet was a burnt sugar color, I chose to use maple wood painted in antique soft cream with a caramel glaze. I designed the wall-to-wall cabinetry with many base cabinets, including multiple drawers and overhead wall cabinets with adjustable shelves. Since Bea had accumulated a significant amount of supplies, many of which were extremely tiny and expensive, I knew it was critical to have proper storage space. So, I included two 90-inch high cabinets with roll out trays in my design. Each tall cabinet accommodated 13 rollout trays. This would become home for Bea’s hundreds of stamp and ink pads. The tall cabinet on the far left would be a closet for the broom and sweeper, to assist with thorough cleanups.

Bea wanted a surface that would be durable enough to withstand heat from her glue guns and take beatings from scissors and similar sharp items. Caesarstone, an engineered stone, provided the perfect durable countertops for these purposes.

The wall between the upper and lower cabinets was covered with a sheet of pegboard. For Bea, the pegboard was the icing on the cake. It was an ultra-efficient way to keep craft materials tidy and within reach and look amazing. Bea planned to use pegboard hooks so she could keep track of her scrapbooking’s many supplies and tools. Some electrical outlets were added for easy usage when Bea used a glue gun, and other electrical tools. Oil-rubbed bronze hardware was installed on the cabinets, which provided a perfect finishing touch.

Collectively, from start to finish, it was professionalism and team effort that helped bring the homeowner’s hobby room dream to fruition. All the cabinetry was Showplace Wood Products through Blue Creek Cabinet Company in Swanton, Ohio. The fabulous, and very talented, late Joe Carter did the installation.

This wall was transformed into the perfect craft area. The wall turned out just like Bea, an ecstatic hobby enthusiastic, wanted it to be and was just perfection!  The spacious countertop and the pegboard wall above it, puts all the supplies in one place. The custom-built cabinets keeps the living room from getting cluttered and disorganized.

I hope that my blog, along with the pictures sparked a great idea in you. This could be an easy DIY project, but I’m also willing to help with a project like this, whether it’s the whole thing, or just coming up with a plan on how to organize the space! Contact me if you have any questions or want to get started on a fun craft space for your home!