Sewing Nook Makeover -- Gettin' Organized

All last week -- taking it one day at a time after work -- I managed to get all the touch-ups completed on the china hutch turned craft storage. This included fixing the door I accidentally screwed through, sanding, priming, painting, and sealing the back piece, then covering it with fabric, and eventually nailing it into place.  It's hard to tell in pictures, but the fabric I chose has a very subtle grey dot, which ties in with the newly painted grey desk perfectly.

I have yet to reattach the doors because I want to attempt a hinge makeover. I read about a product called Rub 'n Buff that is supposed to work on metal and I think with a little elbow grease, I can get the hinges to match the new hardware a little better.  I'll let you know how those turn out as soon as I get started.

The lack of doors did not stop me from moving right on to organizing though. I have been waiting weeks to get to this part!  After a trip to The Container Store, I came home with three desktop files, three DVD boxes and three photo boxes.  Finding concealed storage was actually a bit tricky because the china hutch is not very deep -- just 9 1/2 inches on top -- and the dividers on the front constrain the length. I found desktop organizational items to be the best fit because they allowed me to take advantage of the height and most weren't too deep.

 

 I also grabbed a few other items I already had and planned to use and started to layout the shelves.

When I was happy with the placement, I went all over the apartment and started gathering everything I hoped would fit in this one place. I emptied old storage bins and started grouping items to see how much space they would need. Box by box, the floor started to clear up and the baskets started to fill up.  I tried to keep similar things -- such as office supplies, sewing supplies, craft supplies, etc. -- on the same rows and the most commonly used items as easy to get to as possible. By the end, I was able to store sewing, craft, scrapbook, camera, paints, and even computer items in this area.  My laptop even fits in my desk drawer! 

 

After moving everything to one spot, I now have so much extra space in my closet and bedroom -- I feel a total apartment re-organization is in the near future :)

But back to the craft nook -- there are still a few more changes I plan to make in here. I am not a fan of so much solid white, so I have ideas for sprucing up the storage bins to add a bit more color.  I'd also like to add some fabric to the lamp shade and the cork board so they aren't as 'blah' as they are now.  Then there is always fabric that needs to be added to those high-water curtains, a rug for the floor and of course, a chair to sit at!  So much accomplished but still so much I want to do... In the meantime, I am loving the extra storage and plan to sit at a tiny, unstable stool just so I can get working in here :)