{Pssst… stay tuned for a discount below – they’re offering a discount to our awesome readers!}
Where my organizational nerds at? Okay. Where are my wannabe organizational nerds at? I feel like I always fall into the former category.
Because I’m super thrilled to share this post with you today.
Once upon a time I had an office. And it was a hot mess. {See my fabulous before pic, below}
We manage what feels like multiple businesses within our umbrella of The Handmade Home: design and remodels for clients, brand ambassadors, art, photo shoots, running a full time website and more. So my little office/studio space had taken a real hit.
And then this arrived, and it actually rocked my world.
No really.
Wait for it.
Everything is finally in one place. Everything is available at a glance. It no longer takes me two hours just to prep for what I might want to make because I’m searching the house for a pair of scissors, storing supplies in five different spaces, or double-buying from Amazon in a frenzy.
From oil paints to sewing notions, washi tape, watercolors, clay supplies and everything in between, and I do mean everything… I know where it all is.
“A place for everything and everything in it’s place,” never had a better meaning.
But let me back up a little.
My office was an overrun dumping ground. I was overwhelmed all the time. If you’ve spied my little studio tour before, you know this isn’t how it’s supposed to work. It’s supposed to feel pretty and feel organized and make me want to sit down and feel inspired in my quiet little corner of the house.
Instead I was always stubbing my toe and feeling a little rage for all the oh so necessary samples sitting everywhere.
It made me want to cry. Our home is smaller, so we have to be smart with our spaces. But working from home can be a real, constant challenge. I knew something had to change. I just wasn’t sure what.
What I really needed, was a studio space to keep for all things interior design, clients + samples, graphic design, website work and more.
And then I also needed a space for painting, crafts, sewing, resin designs, handmade ideas… need I keep going? It was just a hot mess.
{The following links are affiliate links so that we can send our amazing readers their way!}
Then I saw Create Room. And I almost fell over.
Could something actually be a rational, all encompassing solution for what I really needed?
I hopped online and I obsessed for a while. Like, really obsessed. I watched as many different videos as I could find and did all the reading I could, to figure out what would work best for me and my own needs. I measured. I double measured. I carefully considered the perfect space for what I needed.
And then the day came when it arrived, oh-so-neatly on a pallet. You can see more on that actual process in our video, but I was honestly amazed that they could pack up something so complex into a relatively small box. And then I was even more amazed, that it was pretty easy to put together.
Then I tore our basement apart. Like, really gathered everything I could possibly need from all previously-used areas of our home, and started putting everything together.
I had supplies I’d forgotten about, because they were buried.
I was so thrilled to organize simple elements like paint according to categories. Yarn according to color and type. Thread even has its own drawer. Sewing supplies. Paint brushes for acrylics, oil, watercolor and latex.
Is there anything more satisfying? Imma say NO.
Guess what we don’t do anymore? Walk around aimlessly searching for a pair of scissors.
Game. Changer.
Before I dive any further, I want to share this code: HANDMADEHOME
If you’re in the market to reclaim your creative space, you can get a great discount! It’s the perfect time to start thinking about that Christmas gift to yourself… if you’re anything like our family, it’s the gift that keeps on giving, CLARK. They’re all just glad they can see the floor again.
This discount is good for $100 off any style DreamBox for you guys.
Also, using your code can give you $200 off you buy the DreamBox and Sew Station together. Basically, the more products you add to your purchase, the more of a discount you can receive. Awesome, right?!
Let’s talk customization.
What we love about the Create Room system, is that it’s fully customizable for your every need. They also make shopping fun, because it’s easy to check it all out on their site under the accessories section. Here are a few of the things we added to help us out.
Finish:
Available in four options. I opted for the simple white shaker finish, with a crown. The crown holds a white led light on the top, so you can work away on a rainy day. It also polishes it off for a pretty look. This is perfect for working in a space without much natural light. It also allows me to photograph my projects if I need to work at night… endless possibilities.
Side note on the wallpaper look:
I also customized it on my own for a fun look in our basement with some simple removable wallpaper – I love that I can change out the colors if I want, on a whim. –Just an idea if you’re looking at one of these puppies.
Prebuilt Service
We opted for the prebuilt service. If you’re a big DIY-er, it just comes in more unassembled pieces, and you save a little. However, we were excited to end the chaos, and chose this upgrade. We’d just finished building an entire small building, so let’s just say we’re still recovering. It only came in a few different pieces. We literally joined them together after carefully removing them from the crate, and then installed the shelves. If you’re jonesing to organize, we highly recommend this option.
1. The 40 Inview Tote + 24 shelf upgrade kit
From their site: “This kit includes everything you need to upgrade your 40 tote setup into an 80 tote setup.”
These are basically the clear acrylic organizers also known as ‘totes’ on their site. I added some colorful cardstock to the front of each one, so I could color categorize all my supplies. I’ll be sharing more of this process in a future post, and adding labels as well. I love that these give you the option of seeing everything at a glance, or customizing it just as you want with fun colors.
2. I also added the +80 tote + 77 shelf package.
Basically I needed all the sections and all the totes with all the dividers. With so many supplies I was thrilled it could hold everything. I needed all the help I could get.
3. Plastic notions and tray inserts
This was the inception of organization, because on the inside, I could also have dividers to help keep things separate. Basically, no more chaos.
4. Tool Cubby
This is the little cubby you see below! It keeps everything organized and it’s fully adjustable. I may actually be adding another one in the future, for another way to organize my brushes. The kids love it for school projects, because they can easily grab what they need, and I love it because everything is color categorized which makes things easy to find at a glance.
5. Side Tables
These are additional tables you can add on to your main middle table. They also fold up, but I do not have them attached in the photos. I have them for later expandable options. Right now, I am using this hard working piece for full on storage, so I’ll share more on the side tables coming up, as well.
6. Dreambox Rods
You can move these around anywhere. They hold ribbons, washi tape, twine… anything on a roll. They also help you keep everything at a glance.
5. 6 Dreambox Jars
This keeps all the little things close and in view.
6. Power Package
This includes a power strip for the inside {PERFECT if you need a space to plug in using your glue gun or sewing machine- it’s short so it stays out of the way. This also holds your phone or ipad so you can follow instructions or film, and a little charging dock. Bluetooth speakers are a bonus, so you can listen to your jams, podcast, audio book, etc.
I have to tell you guys, it’s like we added an expandable project closet / additional studio to our home. When it’s not in use, it folds neatly out of the way. And when I need it, I pull it out and open it up. It’s already come in handy in so many different ways.
It’s just brilliant on so many levels.
We’re in love with our Create Room! Anyone else see what they did there?
And this is no glamor shot, but I CAN SEE THE FLOORS IN MY LITTLE OFFICE AGAIN.
I can also keep this space cleared up for all things client and design work, while the other is for all the other fun creative projects we always seem to have going on.
So be sure to check them out you guys, and build your own after you’re finished stalking their site!
{Seriously you can spend hours over there fantasizing over all things organization!}
Use the code HANDMADEHOME at checkout for all the savings, and check out all their other products, too!
As always let us know if you have any questions, or if there are more features you’d like to see. We’re having fun being all organized and stuff over here!
Have an inspired day!
Layla K says
I love this so much! What a great project ❤️ And you’re adorable
Anna says
This is brilliant! Wow.