Thursday 22 August 2013

An outdoor artist/craft studio - what do you think?

Having recently turned my studio into a lovely guest bedroom, I now have limited space to paint. My third, small bedroom is soon to become an office and I did think I may be able to set my paints up in one corner, however as my medium is oils I realise with only a small window, there may not be enough ventilation. Other options are renting space in a studio, buying a larger house (not an immediate option), or the possibility of a studio in my garden which would certainly be a cheaper and less drastic choice.

I don't have a large garden, I also don't require a huge space to paint in, just a small area with enough light and ventilation. To have my own studio and to be able to close the door at the end of the day and literally walk away without the worry of the smell of turps throughout my home is an appealing idea. In the long run it should be more economical than renting studio space, spending money on petrol and travelling back and forth. Imagine how much easier it will be to roll out of bed and walk a few steps across my garden to reach my work place, and I get to decorate another space :)

Artists studios are such personal spaces, some work in spotless studios, others paint splashed disaster zones, some large, some small, I have been looking for ideas of how I might want to plan the inside of my studio and then started looking at suitable designs that might work in my small garden. I was amazed to find a vast range of architectural designed garden studios. Initially I was expecting little more than a garden shed until I came across Tunstall Garden Buildings who have some fantastic studios. The garden shed has certainly advanced to grand proportions, in fact, I could probably move into one of these buildings and rent out my house, something to think about should I hit hard times.


Some artists require only a small space




My dream studio,enough room to paint and exhibit...maybe not a reality :(


Light and airy with a  homely feel

This studio feels a little industrial -  the painting kind of scares me.

Images via: 1|2|3|4

And the exterior....

 Light filled, contemporary...I may want to move in!


Cute, probably a more appropriate size for my own garden


Traditional style - add some pretty shutters, sisal flooring and you have a lovely outdoor room

Images via - Tunstall Garden Buildings (link above)


I believe I have found the perfect spot for my studio, well actually I don't have a lot of choice with what must be one of the tiniest gardens around. I guess all that's left is to do is to work out the size and design that will work for me.


Sharing this post with the following blogs:



2 comments:

  1. Aren't they gorgeous, those Tunstall Garden Buildings?! That's a great solution having a garden studio. I look forward to seeing what you do with it, if you go ahead with the idea. x

    ReplyDelete
  2. We are currently trying to get council permission to extend the back of our house but as we are on a crosslease we may not be able to. If we can't then there is just enough room we think to fit a studio. Tunstall designs are British, I have to find something similar in Auckland.

    ReplyDelete

Thank you for your time to leave a comment, I ♥ to read your comments and try to reply to them all.