Desert 2 District Design II DIY art studio — DIY

*Tiny Space Art Studio*

Guys, I cannot tell you how excited I am to be checking this off of my 18 in 2018 list! Thank you, Gretchen Rubin, for the idea of creating this list because it has seriously motivated me to work on all kinds of things I have been putting off. I FINALLY have my own, dedicated art space and it is just such a joy. I had put this off for a long time because I didn't think we could possibly have space for me to have a "studio." We live in a 760 square foot, 1 bedroom condo in D.C., so I was pretty certain there was no chance. But, we had a blank wall leading into our bedroom. When I started painting bigger pieces that didn't fit on my music stand or kitchen table, I would sit on the floor there and lean the canvas against the wall and I started to think that I could really fit everything I needed right on this wall if I just used the space wisely. I am SO incredibly happy with the outcome. I love having my supplies accessible, but organized. I love just seeing this space every time I walk by. It keeps me motivated to paint every day and I look forward to being here at the end of each day so much.

My husband and I (labor was 99% my husband, but I consider myself the brains behind this design) were also able to put this together in a weekend, so it was relatively simple. The total cost of supplies was around $120, and we have some extra wood from the shelf that we'll be using for upcoming projects.

Desert 2 District Design II Tiny Space Art Studio

SUPPLIES

Wall-mounted drop-leaf desk (we purchased this one)
2x6 board, cut to the length you want (ours is 32 inches)
2 brackets and screws (we got these)
dowel, cut to the length of your shelf (we got a 3/4 inch wide dowel)
3 screw eyes that fit around your dowel
S hooks that fit your dowel for hanging your supplies
sandpaper
sealer or wood stain

STEP 1

Mount your drop-leaf desk. I have seen projects to make your own, but given that it was relatively inexpensive, we decided to buy ours and followed the instructions that came with the packaging to install it. I like to work standing up so I had M mount it so I could comfortably reach everything while standing barefoot, but you could easily set yours up to chair height.

STEP 2

Gather your supplies and have the hardware store cut down your dowel and board to the length you want.

STEP 3

Sand your board and apply a sealant. I just used some matte spray that I already had. You could also stain it if you prefer that look.

STEP 4

Mount your shelf, using the two brackets and screws. M pre-drilled the holes and then used an electric screwdriver to mount everything to the wall. He also used a level to make sure everything was even.

STEP 4

Screw the screw eyes into the bottom of the shelf where you want the bar to be. It helps to pre-drill these holes as well if you have an electric drill. Add the dowel. You should be able to slide it through easily.

STEP 5

Add the S hooks and your supplies. Now get creating!

2/18: DIY Tiny Space Art Studio