Features
Come behind the scenes at Brown Paper Bag for a #CraftRoomTour and see Sara's writing space in Minneapolis.
I have a south-facing apartment and love the light throughout the day. It's especially great for all my plants!
Tell us about your space
I have two work desks—one is where I write and the other is where I create art. My writing space is where I spend a majority (if not all) of my day. Because of this, natural light is a MUST for me, but the only window is in our living room. So, my writing desk, bookshelf, and plenty of plants are set up against a wall in our living room; behind me is a couch, coffee table, TV.
I technically share this space with my husband. But since I work from home and he works in an office, I am alone for most of the day. When he arrives home, I try to log off my computer and move away from my writing space, so it doesn't feel like I share the space.
What have you done to make your space cosy, beautiful or inspiring?
I have a giant bookshelf that I've filled with my favorite objects. I've also incorporated many plants on and around the space and made a gallery wall featuring female illustrators and artists I admire.
How do you keep organized?
I like to find beautiful objects that just happen to be storage solutions, too! I have a basket where I store some supplies, and tin boxes that double as decor. These are for the things that are out and on display. For those not on display, I have a lot of art supplies in cheap plastic bins, organized by medium, that are in a closet.
Any tips & tricks for organising supplies?
We moved to Minneapolis from Baltimore (a 19-hour drive), and it required me to take a long, hard look at what I owned. I ended up getting rid of a lot of stuff. I think a purge like this is helpful every once and a while, because it's less you have to organize! After that's done, grouping things by their use is helpful for me.
Which are your favourite possessions and are there any of your own creations on display?
I love ceramics, so any that are on display are some of my favorite possessions. I have some of my embroidery work on display, but not much—just pieces that mean a lot to me, like the album cover I embroidered for the band Iron and Wine.
How do you organise your inspiration and ideas?
I love Instagram for inspiration, so I use the Collections feature to organize images I like. I also like Pinterest. To keep track of my ideas, I have several notebooks that I like to write in.
Where do you look for inspiration?
I find inspiration from my everyday life. It's important that I be inspired offline, so I look to the things around me—my cats, my plants, architecture, and nature.
If you had three wishes, what would you do to make it the dream space?
Ample shelving, self-timed blinds (the sun is brutal!), and a professional photography set-up for when I need to snap nice photographs.
Whose craft room would you love to explore? Send us a message!
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