A major change at home

My Domestic Carpenter, who runs a carpentry and decorating business, has an amazing collection of tools, and it was the need to store them that got the "home renovation" project going, which has a few items yet to be finished (Bookshelves!!). In his top-floor bedroom, which has a dormer window, he was able to make storage space under the eaves either side of the window, and has been keeping his special boxes of organised tools there. The saw table and such large items are stored flat under the bed, into which he incorporated a hydraulic system. 

But the top-floor bedroom is up a lot of stairs, and tools are heavy to lug up and down between taking them to job sites, so Tom had the sensible idea of using my studio - which had already become a store room - to store his tool boxes between jobs. Then the under-eaves space in his room would be free for storing what's piled up in the (former) studio, and the process of organising it to fit efficiently into the new storage would give me a chance to see what's there and let that information percolate in my subconscious until I can act on deciding what needs keeping and what can GO. 

We spent three Saturday hours on the reorganisation. At the outset, the studio was crowded and chaotic, and the portfolio stand was always in the way  -

The portfolio stand is now for sale on ebay. Smaller items have been consolidated into boxes (mostly labelled) and are efficiently packed onto rolling pallets for easier access. And there's still room for more!

The floor emerged, and also some clear counter space -

It made a big difference to empty "the Halifax trunk" of paint pots and unnecessary objects and lift it, and the spare microwave, onto the counter (the microwave will be moved into its proper position later) -

Out went the grotty carpet, revealing a vast expanse of grotty lino -

As tool boxes started appearing, the counter started disappearing -

Keep your eye on the poles, they're part of the painting booth; the paint sprayer is on the floor behind them -

 The booth is set up, ready for use ...

 ... and by late afternoon various boards had been sprayed and laid out to dry -

Behind the plastic is the sewing machine ... having it less accessible makes me want to use it more! The booth can be dismantled easily and won't be in use all the time.

Another interesting consequence of this conversion of hell hole into paint booth is that, to minimise the smell of paint throughout the flat, the door of the studio can now be closed. 

I hope that soon the bookshelves will be painted ....