Sewing Room Design
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Should your sewing room layout or design include bookcases or open shelving units against one wall to hold everything? Would stackable baskets be more economical?
What about the feel or interior design of the room? Should your sewing room have art prints of quilts, fashion or other sewing themes or would you prefer witty samplers on the wall to inspire you as you work?
What about the walls? Would you want vivid colors or soothing colors? Wall paper or paint?
And since lighting affects color, what kind of lights will be in the room? Will you use what's there, add more or just change what you already have? (If you intend to use floor lamps, you'll need to consider their placement in your sewing room layout.) Are there windows to be considered? Will they have curtains, drapes or shades? Will they be a primary consideration in where your machines go or will they not really affect them? Would you want to include mirrors in your room?
Does it even matter to you?
Considering that it's ALL part of your sewing room layout and design and that you will most likely be spending a lot of hours there, you DO want to consider everything. (Not to mention, how much money you have to invest in this room! Did I forget to mention that??)
Again, what would be the ideal for a sewing room layout or sewing room design? There are a few books written on the subject of the ideal sewing room with plenty of photos of work spaces which are good for ideas and inspiration. However, the ideal layout and design for your room is whatever works for YOU and fits in your budget!
So how do you decide what WILL work for you and your budget so you can have your ideal sewing room?
Start by asking yourself some basic questions:
- What will you be doing most with your sewing room? Garment construction? Quilt making? Home decor such as draperies?
- If you plan to do custom sewing for people, will you need an area for them to be measured for fittings? Will you need any chairs in that area? Oh yeah, these are things to consider in your sewing room layout!
- Will you need lots of shelving units to store material and notions or will you buy these only as you need them for each project?
- How many machines do you need to make room for? Will they each have their own cabinet/table or will you be using a cabinet setup that handles all of them?
- How many cutting tables do you think you will need?
- How much money do you want to spend?
Next, measure the actual space you have to work with and get it on paper using a simple grid (or graph). Seeing it on paper makes the sewing room layout creative process go so much smoother! I always graph out a room when I want to change or add furniture to it. You can buy inexpensive room designing kits or software to help you with this OR you can simply take some paper and make a grid to use. Draw the size of your room, using 1 inch for every foot. If your room is 12 x 12, you'll have 12 one inch spaces/lines across and 12 one inch spaces/lines going down.
Take measurements of everything you will want in your sewing room or space and transfer the measurements to your grid. If your sewing cabinet is four feet in length and two feet wide, lightly fill in (by shading) the same number of squares that correspond in the position you think you will want the actual piece of furniture. Continue with everything you think you need in your space (shelving units, cutting tables, ironing boards, chairs, etc.). Don't forget to measure and show where your closets, windows and entry doors are as well.
Once you have drawn everything in, you will be able to see, fairly accurately what will fit and what won't. It's an almost foolproof way to determine your ideal sewing room layout. You will also be able to see how much space you will have between each item you have put into your space design.
The beauty of planning it out on paper or by using a room design software is that you will be able to redraw and redesign your space concept as many times as it takes to make it work for YOU!
Sewing Room Suggestions
Sewing room layout and sewing room design is not one-size-fits-all.Sewing rooms are as unique as the people who use them. You don't have to spend a ton of money, but it DOES take planning to get it right for your needs. This is an excellent article from the New Mexico University's website regarding sewing room layout and designing your personal sewing center.
In the meantime, while you are working out your IDEAL sewing room layout and setup, here are few suggestions I've picked up over the years to make your current sewing room a little more user-friendly.
The right sewing cabinet/table: Don't settle for a setup that doesn't work for you. Sewing cabinets and tables come in all prices, sizes and shapes by many different manufacturers. Do check out several of them before you buy and read as many reviews as you can by people who actually purchased them! In regards to sewing cabinet/table setups, cheaper is not better. You want it to hold up so get the best you can afford. Look for those that fit your particular sewing needs.
At least one full length mirror: It can be on a wall, back of a door, or free-standing. Place it where you can see your whole self comfortably. It won't do you much good if you have to stand so close that you can't see your feet when checking the fit of pants or long dresses and skirts.
An ironing board: Free-standing or, if space is limited, on the back of the door. Just make sure you have room to use it.
Bookcases or other shelving units: If you don't like the idea of setting your fabrics and supplies in open shelving, use baskets or plastic storage bins and put them on the shelves for a more pleasing appearance.
A cutting table: There are numerous styles available made specifically for people who sew and quilt. They come in all price ranges and sizes. My only recommendation is that it's on wheels that lock! You'll find one or more that works for your sewing room.
A cork board: Something you can hang near your sewing machine to pin your pattern instructions on. You'll also find yourself using it to keep any notes you may need to refer to when working on a project.
A dry-erase board: If you design your own patterns, a dry-erase board gives you a place to brainstorm and sketch out ideas while they are fresh in your head.
A clothes rack: (This is assuming you don't have a closet in your sewing room.) You should have something to hang your projects on when you are not working on them or when you need to step back and look at your progress. Portable clothes racks are a good choice- just make sure they are sturdy. They are not large and usually come with rolling casters. If you don't have room for one, consider hanging a couple of small chains from the ceiling with a rod in between, if you can anchor them properly! By all means, do not tear up your ceiling.
My Ideal Sewing Room Layout and Other Wishes
- A room twice (ok, three times) the size of the one I currently have so I can put one of those huge Koala sewing cabinets in it. One that has a place for your sewing machine, embroidery machine and your serger. Soooo Sweet!
- Windows, lots of full length windows with a sweeping view of nature, instead of the side of my neighbors house.
- Lots of different art prints on the walls for inspiration!
- A huge closet with lots of large cubby holes for bolts of fabric.
- A roomba (or maid service) so I don't have to pull out the vacume to clean up all those little threads and scraps that keep missing the wastebasket!
- One whole wall of shelving units with cute baskets to hold patterns and my most used supplies instead of old bedroom furniture and old plastic storage bins.
- a corner with full length mirrors on each side where I can also put my dress form.
That's my wish list! What's YOURS?
"Happy Stitching (and have fun working on your ideal sewing room layout)!"
