Martha Stewart Craft Furniture
on January 26th, 2011After showing you my messy work room, I thought I would redeem myself by showing off my happy studio space, which is next door.
I absolutely love my studio! It is playful, comfortable, and contains everything I need.
I’m always writing about clutter reduction, but as you can see, I like a certain amount of companionable junk. My studio has its fair share of toys!
This set up allows me to do many types of work in one space, instead of having different task areas set up around the room. I swivel my chair to work on my desk or on my easel. Also, instead of printing out my scripts and reference from my main computer, I download them to the laptop next to the drawing board. When I worked on 24 page stories, it was easy to keep track of the papers. On 140 page graphic novels (3 or more at a time!) the paper is unmanageable. I try to print out as little as possible.
My computer work station has so many screens, I’m starting to look like Ozymandius. If I had my druthers, I would get rid of the television entirely, and since the screen is going home to Jesus, I probably will.
I often watch movies on my large screen Apple monitor, and the quality is terrific. On the right, a 21″ Cintiq. The computer set up is a gift from the very generous J Michael Straczynski! The scanner and printer are my own recent acquisitions. The Epson Workforce 1100 printer is not only very affordable (less than $200, including ink!) but ideal for comic artists because it can print up to 13″x19″.
Take your thumbnails, scan them, then blow them up on the computer. Print them out at original art size to transfer to final drawings. This saves the energy of the original sketch. I almost never have to go to a copy shop anymore, which is great since there aren’t any copy shops anywhere near this mountain!
These flat files are a terrific deal! Art supply catalogs charge a fortune, but this big beautiful “map chest” not only looks better, but comes at a fraction of the price. Use them as an extension of your desk. Assignments are in the drawers right next to my drawing board. Materials are organized in these drawers to easily switch from one job to another without having to pull stacks of papers out and shuffle through things.
This chest handles 16″x20″ pages. You can also lay 3 sets of 11″x14″ pages side by side in one drawer. This chest is very heavy. Once you decide where to put it, don’t move it. You can get it in a variety of colors and styles. It arrives fully assembled. The only reservation I have about it is that some of the drawers tend to stick. You may need to do some sanding to get them to roll smoothly.
A smaller chest to the left of my drawing board handles 11″x14″ pages perfectly. I also use it to store my tools, and my day planner rests on the top drawer where I can see it at all times.
For tools, this is a great wheelie cart. You can get this with as many as 14 drawers!
I’m partial to the non-wheelie for storing art, but that’s just me.
Martha Stewart has a new line of furniture that I absolutely love, and if I didn’t already have a nice set of goodies, I’d be buying this stuff. Great prices, and it looks beautiful. Sage green is my favorite color! Assembly required.
Makes me tingly.
Purrrrrrr…
Buy the pieces and mix and match. This “paper storage” hutch is perfect for graphic artists.
Nice flat files:
This craft space storage hutch is a wonderful solution for painters: units to hold bottles and tubes as well as space to slip canvases, brushes and other flat tools. Love this!
The Martha Stewart Collection is manufactured and sold by the same company which made my faboo map chests, and I am very happy with my purchases. Go to an art supply catalog, and pay through the nose for custom furniture. Buy “craft furniture” and “map chests” and save a bundle!
Can I just order one of those white set-ups in the first picture? drrrrooool.
Man, I wish I wasn’t moving around so much. I want a permanent space to work! I love your studio, Colleen. It’s perfect!
AQUAMAN!!!!!
Thank you!
Yeah, that first picture…dang, the perfect set up!
Damn. Stop posting this furniture pr0n!
Honestly, just.. wow. I want all of those. Plus the work spaces. You know it’s ridiculous how much less a good artist set up would cost over there as opposed to getting items like these over here. The two flat drawers at the top would already run about 1000€ combined, never mind desks and other shelves. Right, off to work to save up for a studio.
That’s the Tonner Aquaman doll. Got it on sale, and I love it! His tunic is made of sequins! He sparkles like a goldfish!
“furniture pr0n”! LOL!
Wow, if you can get this stuff imported, you would save a fortune! 1000 Euros! Holy cow!
Your basic cheapo home office furniture is fairly inexpensive since it’s made out of cheap materials but anything that would function in an artist studio and could withstand heavy use/tons of paper/test of time is going to cost a pretty penny. Specialized market. It’s pretty hard to find too. So importing some Marth Steward stuff is definitely a good option.
I have expensive art furniture and inexpensive craft furniture. I have had one of my cheapo map chests (not pictured) for more than 15 years. It is still going strong. My taboret unit is almost 30 years old.
If you absolutely must have metal files with ball bearing drawers, go ahead and pay $1000 for one unit. But my oak files do the same job and cost a fraction of the price. And running on 15 years, I think they are a good deal!
Oh, how I covet flat files! I keep checking Saltmine U’s surplus inventory, hoping somewhere, a department’s getting rid of them.
Oh, man, I wish I had the space for such furniture – to have such a studio! *sigh*
Ah, interiorotica… As a child, I would marvel over the cool kids bedroom setups in the Sears catalog… but I knew they were fantasy. One week in my bedroom, and all would be chaos.
I watch DVDs on my Apple laptop, and it works quite well. No television (because with the crappy reception in NYC, I’d have to buy cable, and then I wouldn’t stop watching stuff like Animal Police or Pawn Stars).
Since we’re on the subject, any recommendations on book shelving?
Hey Torsten.
I bought several styles of Sauder bookcases. Inexpensive, but assembly required. My big dark bookcases hold a huge amount of weight, which is why I now use them for art storage.
I’ve bought others which were so lightweight they bowed and shelves collapsed after just a few years.
My big dark wood cases hold a couple hundred pounds per shelf and have solid metal pegs. Some of the shelves they’re selling have plastic pegs which give out quickly. As I recall, I paid about $199 per each of the large dark wood units. I’m very happy with them. At 12 years old, they show no sign of bowing or wear.
I paid a lot more for a bookcase from Levenger, and didn’t think it was any better value for the money.
Random tip — rubbing a candle on the underside of drawer runners gives them more slip and helps them stop sticking.
Very cool to see your workspace, thanks for sharing
.
Great tip!
Alas, the wood itself was bowed and had to be sanded down.
I want an Ergonomic Work Station, rather like this one: http://dvice.com/archives/2008/07/zerogee_worksta.php
Of course, I also want one of the Prius cars as my neighbors have a couple.
While I’m at it, I want a Panasonic Tough-book. And a house with more space.
I have a lot of wants.
Oh man, if we get into wants…
Big Florida room attached to studio space, vaulted ceilings, fireplace, and a full time assistant.
Oh, and perpetual physical fitness without the exercise.
So far, hasn’t happened! LOL!
What I want:
http://www.wired.com/techbiz/people/magazine/16-10/ff_walker?currentPage=all
But I’ll settle for Morgan’s personal library room. (Don’t need those old boring books, just the room with shelving. I’ve got enough graphic novels to fill the shelves.)
I could have that. Totally. Only not to live in. That would be my Reference Room, attached to the spacious studio with the arching doorways.
Oh yes, I’d love to be rich and have everything I want. And anonymous!
farbeitfromme wins.
I am totally agreeing with this. I want to be rich enough to buy anonymity.
Misspelling your name isn’t enough of a secret identity, huh?
I’ve been trying to pass myself off as that Doran guy…