My Workspace REVEAL- before and after

Finally, I can get all my pictures up- the room is done.


In the beginning... this room was added onto the house after it was moved to this property in 1959-- that is when they added the one and only bathroom ...

NO...WAIT. That is too far back...

In a Galaxy far, far away... No... Too High-Tech....

Well, recently... How is that?

Yeah, recently I met Donna- (Funky Junk Interiors) She is a mover and a shaker. She inspired me to get my workspace lined out. So I can be more productive in 'GETTING MY RECENTLY ACQUIRED EMPTY NEST-- pulled together' . I decided I'd play along, because it was time. The kids are gone, DISORGANIZATION WAS MOUNTING and Space is a premium in my home now; I should BE CONQUERING IT and making what has always been mine (and the hubby's) reflect US!
BUT...
I needed a place to work, while pulling all the other spaces together.

So-- Donna said, "choose a space"

I did. I call it the Utility Room. It is the space right between the kitchen and the back door and squarely planted between the bathroom and my bedroom.
I do laundry there.
I blog there.
I walk precariously through this room in the night between bed and potty

(Oh, the dangers!)

I did it and I'm glad I did. I am especially glad to have followed other sister bloggers through the workshop series who weren't afraid to show their CONQUESTS TOO. IT'S BEEN FUN!

There are lot of pictures-- hope you can last through IT!

So here are a few before and after shots.

This is looking from my bedroom to my computer area.




This is looking into the utility room from the kitchen


At the computer area (BEFORE ) ....... OUT MY WINDOWS! (AFTER)



This is looking from the kitchen to the laundry area.


The mess, who could do laundry here? (BEFORE) .........Just needed a little cleaning up really. (AFTER)




My homemade laundry soap. A clean surface for folding. Baskets for storage.





I don't mind walking into this room now! .........................Canning supplies above the washer /dryer.

This is the view from the washer looking back to my bedroom. Yes! see I told you it was dangerous. NOW, with a clean area for work. A chalkboard for notes. No Longer a mountain of clutter.

(BEFORE) (AFTER)

Remember the closet?
SEE ABOVE PICTURE WITH COMPUTER AREA, YES...
THERE IS A CLOSET.

Here it is mid-way through the workshop project. Here is the inside. We added shelves to the wall for tools and such. Notice the "fancy" extension cord wrap? Yep! I taught my hubby something in all this. I don't know if he was as impressed with it until I mentioned that it doesn't get tangled. Then he was wanting to learn himself.

We used nails for hanging things like a LEVEL and T-Square. I have shelf for all my paints.

Below are a few things I'm showing just because they are repurposed.

One is the Anti-freeze bottle (washed out of course) The side has been cut away and it is used as a tray sort of, to hold odd and end tools and scrap bits and pieces; for who knows what? But simple enough. Keep a little plastic out of the landfill.

The other thing I repurposed was these ceiling fan blade brackets. I found these blades with the wooden paddles still attached amongst the clutter. I took them off and thought what would Donna do with these?

So... I literally pulled this idea out of my hat! I mounted two over the window for our straw hats (the Texas sun really beats down in the summer) and the other two I mounted over the chalkboard to hold some extra long pieces of board/battens - I hung them crooked. But hey they work!

This is between the chalkboard and the kitchen door. I needed an easy access place for gloves. Gloves are important around the ol' place. Gotta keep 'em HANDY!

Lastly, this is the door to the only bathroom in our little ol' farm house. It is to the right of the washer/dryer and to the right if coming from the kitchen. Today, I prettied it up with a tassel! I was inspired by Kolein at Kitchen table productions to make one. And for the occasion of DONNA'S first Workshop Series coming to an end. I made the tassel FUNKY JUNKY! Complete with jute twine, rusty washer, old lace and an old screen door latch/spring.

My hubby thought it was a tarantula!

This is the picture I see when I look out my newly UNCOVERED WINDOWS! Beautiful mini-daffodils.
Right out my uncluttered window.

I love my new workspace.
I've used it already, I hope to post those pictures soon of the project I completed.

I MOSTLY HOPE IT STAYS usable.


Thanks for sticking it out with me to the end.
Now Off to post this before this evenings deadline!


* edited to add the link for Kolein kitchen table productions

What I'm working on right now...

I'm supposed to be finishing up my project room. Workspace.

Yeah.

Have I been working on that?
NO.

I got it cleaned out.
But it needs painting still.
Too cold, too wet,
too distracted.

Got most of the organization done.

Watched Donna's videos--
2 thumbs up!

Played in the snow!

WAY COOLER THAN THE WORKSHOP!

oH, YEAH.

I started a furniture project.
That is coming soon too.

By the way...
did I tell you I'm distracted?

And now would be a good time to mention the
"CASUAL"

in the new name of my blog.

I'm WAY, WAY , WAY *CASUAL*
I'm so casual, I'm laid back and slow even.

I recently found out I'm quite anemic so that is part of it--
I am on the mend now, and have had a burst of energy;
Then today, I saw that Donna said-

Times up!
I also work better under a deadline and pressure.
So now, my burst of energy is fueled by
PERFORMANCE ANXIETY.

I'm a wreck.

SO, that's what I've been up to

I hope to have it all done and get it posted before Sunday!

Go check out Donna's FJI ...
Workshop Wrap-up
and don't forget to VOTE!

Punxsutawney's Prognostication- My Procrastination-

My Progress~!

I am following Donna @ Funky Junk Interiors workshop and this is my progress so far.





Before:
I couldn't get to the closet, that housed...who knew what!




The After : Clean out!

Once I opened these doors there was no stopping. I took out everything that wasn't nailed or screwed down and even took out a free standing shelf and wiped it down completely ( I put it back) I store paint and tools there now.


Now only shelves and tools and paint...
LOTS AND LOTS OF PAINT!

(the box is temporary) I will find something smaller to hold long upright things. I had this box and it fit the space for now. There are odd bits and pieces of wood, trim and paint roller handle standing in it for now. Hope to get a tall slender trash can or something. All those electrical cords are no longer hanging everywhere either (those were removed after the photo)



Before: Computer area ... This is moved to a new home in another room.



After:

Wow! Those are windows.
They are dark, but believe me, the afternoon sun is beautiful.




Before: This - WHATEVER this mess is!




After: A work surface complete with drawers. All that junk on top of this table (except for the tin can with screwdrivers) got moved to hubby's shed. Well, not the telescope (in the long box). It is being used by some other star gazer, that maybe shops at Goodwill...*smile*




Ok my room is almost completely empty. Except for the few things I've put back to store. I've already begun trying to organize this space for work purposes. I have to paint and make it suitable for 'framing' ...lol! (or whatever else I decide to work on out there in my new workshop.

Now Keep in mind this is also my laundry room.
NOTICE: I did not include any new pictures of that space. I have plans to make that section nice -- but first things first!

This is slow going. But I am excited that it will be so much better than before.

Oh and what does this have to do with Puxsutawney Phil and his prognostication... well, if I'm gonna be inside due to cold weather... a girl needs to have a decent place to work right?
And... now I have an extra 6 weeks to get my room done. I just hope it doesn't rain anymore... so I can paint out there.

Don't forget to check out the workshop over at Donna's

I can't believe I'm showing this...

...but if Donna can do it; then I know I'll be able to do it too. Here goes!





Ok -- so here are the pictures of my back laundry/pc/slash mudroom...oops! too many slashes! Well, you get the idea. This room is overflow.
It is awful! We've lived in this house 14 years THIS month and this room has always been the BANE OF OUR HOMES EXISTENCE... it gets under my skin too.

A few things about this room:

• This is the room w/ the BACK DOOR.

yes! right behind that cheap dollar store vinyl table cloth (did I mention this room is drafty?)

• It is also the room w/ the washer and dryer in it... ah, the Laundry Room.

Notice: bleach, ironing board, bucket of home made detergent against far wall, basket of folded CLEAN- YES I SAID CLEAN LAUNDRY!!!!!! That cute little purse hanging from the cabinet -that is clothes pins. Yes, I love to hang laundry. Once the weather straightens up I'll be hanging out the laundry. The weather is sometimes nice enough to do that ,even in the winter , down here in TEXAS. not always, but sometimes oH, and underneath it all... the washer and dryer of course!

Sorry, I got a little sidetracked there... moving right along.

• This is the room where tools (in this dresser) are stored. Let's see... books, and over flow from the other parts of the house. It never fails. I get this room organized but it never stays that way. Hmmm...
  

I have a project in mind already for this dresser too, by the way.

I don't think I have to tell you what everything is in the above picture... just suffice it to say. This is going to be my NEW AND IMPROVED PROJECT & WORK CENTRAL

But FIRST I have to get rid of THIS...!

yes...

• this is my place of blog. My computer. (cue sound effect...time machine...going back in time...) Let's see I moved it here when the kids were still living at home. (it was in the kitchen) I am NOT however moving it back there--- that place is still in the process of becoming beautiful .

I am going to probably move it to a spare bedroom. That will take another project day.

But oooh! I am so excited that Donna is lighting a fire under some of us to create a workspace w/in our corner of the world, to call our own.

So, the first of order of business is , well, ORDER.

creating order out of cHAoS!

I don't know what exact steps will be taken to make this room functional...cause it is barely functional right now. But I know it involves a TON OF WORK! I'm tired already just thinking about it.

Oh yes, and the closet doors in the last photo are a closet that is crammed w/ objects de memorabilia... A.K.A junk.

I think I'll be incorporating that closet and utilizing it SOME how....

stay tuned.

If you don't have a work shop, place to work or craft or sew. Consider Donna's Funky Junk Workshop Series

Go there and check it out!