Scrap/work space - I need ideas

[berniek]

I need your help to find a new scrap/work space in my house. Happy reasons!

I’m from the Netherlands and I own a house from 1935, so it’s old and not the most efficient at times. I'm willing and albe to make some small changes but there are limitations because of the age of the building (also it's the middle in a terraced house).

It’s 260 square metres (2800 square feet), so plenty of space for just me living there. But I am hoping/wishing it will not be just me in the near future (trying to conceive, currently hoping for it to stick, fingers crossed).
There are two quite large bedrooms upstairs, one is my bedroom and the other is currently my office and creative room. That one will need to be a baby room in the future. But where do I and my iMac go? I need a space to work from home (HP laptop) and to scrap (iMac)...

I would love to know where your space is, especially if you have to get creative and don't have a separate room.

I have been hunting for ideas on Pinterest, and am debating these ideas:
- changing a build in closet in my bedroom into a build in office. Pros: I don't need that closet for clothes, the room is large enough, after I close the door it's out of view. Cons: I don't like the idea of mixing my place of rest with a place of work, also I would need to have a desk chair in my bedroom.


- I can place a small desk underneath the window on my landing. Pros: it's out of the way. Cons: there's no heating nearby, it's an open space and I'll sit with my back to the stairs; I'm not sure what that does to my feeling of safety
- I can create a work space in my living room/dining room area. Pros: the options above share a wall with the baby room, this will not. I can use a fancy dining chair (to buy new) as a desk chair. Con: it need to be a closed hutch (don't know the correct english term) because I will not be able to keep a space like this neat and I don't like the look of a computer in my living room. But my big a** 27 inch iMac doesn't fit in the hutches I've seen online.


- I do have an attic but it's not big and (obviously) has slanted ceilings, I can only stand in 1 meter wide, the length of the attic.
- Do I need to change out my iMac for a slimmer version or even an Macbook?

Please help me with your examples or ideas!

 

[weaselwatchr]

My scrap space is in the family room. My computer sits on an end table there. I am able to hang out with the family and watch tv while I scrap

 

[umyesh]

Fingers crossed for you Berniek! Yay for happy reasons!

I have scrapped on a laptop until this year and always sit wherever I want (usually sideways on the nice, soft sofa in the living room).

Recently I have been scrapping on a desktop set up at a desk right by my bed. I have had no issues mixing my place of rest with my place of "work" so you may want to try it and see if it actually bothers you or not. I wonder if you could have the chair fit in the closet too when it's closed?

I also think a closed hutch in the dining room area would be nice if you can find one to fit your Mac.

I hope you find an option you love! Good luck!

 

[Nemla]

I would go for the bedroom option. Not the landing one. Not because of the feeling of safety, but because of the draft from the staircase . If it is your office space and you work from there,not much fun sitting with a blanket over your shoulders. I speak from experience.
Good luck re the baby...

 

[dawnmarch]

My office is in my bedroom and it's fine for me. I do have a partial wall between the two but being able to close your closet door would serve the same purpose.

 

[bestcee]

Fingers crossed! Yay for more family members!

We had an art desk in the closet. Now, granted, it was munchkin's space in my craft room in that home. It worked really well though! His chair tucked under the desk, and away. We added the shelves, and that was wonderful to tuck things away and keep the space neat.

We also had my desk, and all the homeschool, office, etc, supplies in our bedroom in a different apartment. This was done by necessity since the apartment had 2 bedrooms, a galley kitchen, and a living room, with no other space. This is an earlier photo. I ended up cleaning that shelving unit up a ton, and added a curtain in the front to cover the mess. The desk didn't bother us. If I'd had the money, I would have bought a desk that fit the space better.

Our current space is actually the dining room. We put a table in the space off the kitchen, and turned the dining room into a family office room.

For the attic, I know you said it's small for an adult to stand, but what about a kid? Our friends had an attic that sounds similar to yours. They insulated it, and let the kids have it as their bedroom starting at 3. Theirs was super long, so at one point all 3 kids were up there by choice. They loved their 'secret' space. Not theirs, but same idea.

For the hutch, how handy are you? Could you take a desk like mine in the second photo, and build a cover for it? You could build it to fit the iMac.

 

[Karen]

I currently have my desk in the dining room. We don't eat in the dining room more than a couple times a year (we also have a table in the kitchen where we eat), so I just scooched the table over to one wall and added my desk at the other end of the room.

 

[Memaw2Wm]

I second the idea of turning the attic into a baby/kid room. My guess is that you'll have the baby in your room at first ... makes it easier for those night feedings.

I don't have a dedicated scrap space as my den/office was turned into a nursery for my oldest grandchild 28 years ago and my youngest grandchild (17) currently occupies the space. When I scrap at home I work on my dining room table.

 

[jk703]

There are even those scrap cabinets that you might be able to tuck into a spot that works for you!
https://www.createroom.com/products/dreambox (Way Expensive)
https://www.amazon.com/BOWERY-HILL-...?keywords=desk+armoire&qid=1681739071&sr=8-12 (A little more tolerable $$)

https://www.wayfair.com/storage-org...chine-platform-and-wheels-cloy1007.html?piid=

https://www.wayfair.com/storage-org...e-craft-table-with-wheels-dddn1003.html?piid=

I do love the closet idea too!

Exciting news and wishing you the best of luck with the baby!

 

[gracielou]

I have a create room box that I used when I was paper scrapping. It was nice to be able to close it up into a clean cabinet when company was coming over. Now I scrap on an iPad digitally so my space is wherever I feel like sitting, lately outside on my back porch in my swing enjoying the beautiful weather.

 

[littlekiwi]

It's not my idea but I love it and have saved it for inspiration if I ever have a space like it for a office under some stairs

I love how it is tucked in so neatly under the stairs yet is still part of the main living area