Each time I post a snippet of my workspace, I always get comments on how inspiring the studio looks…and I would have to agree.  I love it in here and so I should. It is my space, one area that I do not share with anyone else. It is a place where all of my textures and colours and things amass together and they all work beautifully.

Which did get me thinking about creating a space for yourself that is yours. It doesn’t have to be a studio like mine, and I never started off in a full studio either. The original Marley & Lockyer studio was a teeny table in the corner of the guest room. It worked for me back then as I was only just starting out and didn’t need a lot of room. But, I did make it my space. Flowers on the table, books of my drawings and ideas, bound in linen and a beautiful blue and white china lamp with a linen shade to work by. It was perfect…but I started to need more room….

Photo : Sharyn Cairns for Australian Country Style

…that’s when I moved to my own full room and was when M&L went full time for me and also the one you may have seen in Australian Country Style in June 2012 (above). Again, I made it mine. I painted a wall next to a window in chalkboard paint so I could add images as well as draw straight on the wall..you know, for when you get that idea and you are covered in clay and can’t hold a pen properly?

I had everything in there I needed…except lots of space for this ever growing business. So again…I moved…

To this studio, where I am now. This was taken the first day I moved in. It was still unfinished, but I didn’t care.

It has everything…white floors, white bead-board, perfect light…

…and a fire which went on fire, but that’s another story!. I have filled it with everything I love and it is a place I love being in everyday, creating. Even when it looks like a bomb has hit it leading up to an event or release, I still love it.

Storage is a big thing in here and I think if you are going to make your space work well, you need to be not tripping over things or not be able to find stuff when you need it most. I have open shelves for products, racks for pieces drying and a white linen covered space for all of the ‘stuff’, like clay, glazes, props, packaging etc. It works well and still looks nice.

There are fairy lights everywhere…because I adore them…and they are copper, so what’s not to love!

Lighting is super important too. I have task lighting at each of my work stations (office, production, wrapping) and then an old 6 light, dim-able chandelier made from hand hammered iron which is original to our 1800’s home above the main work area. The lighting can then change with what you need to focus on…oh, don’t forget candles…lot’s of candles!

Even though this is a work space, it for me, still has to look pleasing. I’m a very visual person and I love my surroundings to be beautiful. All of my paperwork goes into white magazine files to keep that clutter at bay, scissors, paintbrushes, twine and anything like that all go into glass jars and white tumblers. The ones on the work table sit on a grey stripe linen tray from Fog Linen, that I can easily wipe down if it gets clay on it and can move the whole tray easily to clean my work table. The table itself is an old wooden table that picked up for next to nothing and I have 2 rugs in a grey and white stripe cotton from Kmart that I can throw into the washing machine every now and then.

Even though the space looks inspiring and pretty…it has to be a work horse. It gets covered in glazes, clay etc everyday, but I think the reason it all fits is because it is what I love so much…every piece. Nothing comes in here unless it has a purpose and is beautiful.

Stick with a theme, or your palette of colours and textures to keep it seem-less. For me it is worn wood, linen, zinc, glass, white and black….and flowers and candles. Don’t forget those. Even a branch from the garden is better than nothing.

and don’t be scared to use things left of center for storage…they are the best parts!

Now, go create your inspiring space.

~Ness xx

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