Workroom – Artquiltmaker Blog

Bookcases Sad Face

I am disappointed in the IKEA bookcases I bought. The Billy bookcases are very popular with a lot of people. I liked the options, look and feel.

What I found, however, is that the 66 lbs each shelf is supposed to hold isn’t true. The shelf holders are very substandard and have damaged the inside of my bookcase sides.

The shelves involved are the ones I can easily access. Those are the shelves I use for my block dictionaries, class related references and color books. I use these particular volumes all the time.

My DH looked at it and had a plan to fix it. He is really busy, though, so I called my handyman. After taking a look, he brought some new L brackets and some new Fir shelves to try. I installed them. They look ok. Not bright white like I wanted, though we will paint them if we decide they are the ones.

They work ok and the bowing of the outside pieces has stopped, but I lose and inch or two that I need, so I can’t fit the books on one whole shelf. I put the books sideways, but that doesn’t help me much since I can’t see the spines.

DH checked Home Despot for other shelf holders and we have a few options. I am really annoyed that these shelves have only lasted for one year. Yes, I have filled them full, but each shelf is right around the max weight, so they should work fine.

One option I have is to get bookshelves built out of wood rather than particle board. My handyman told me about a place in the City that will make custom shelves. Stay tuned.

Design Wall Reinstallation

Finally, I finally got on DH’s schedule to get my design walls reinstalled. He had a three day weekend (I didn’t ), so he felt like he had the spare time.

He got a new white stick for one of the design walls so everything matches and looks nice. We put up both of the design walls and my refreshed inspiration board.

After a tough 1.5 weeks of family stuff, I wasn’t really up for the disruption, but it is hard to find a time that works, so I gritted my teeth and we got the work done.

In the photo, the room looks like a disaster. It really was. A lot of the furniture that needed to be moved was on wheels, so it was pushed out of the way easily and put back easily. I was surprised how easily, I got everything back into place so it wasn’t on my nerves.

We switched where the two design walls were. We installed the new one (large) where my sewing machine is now back in June of 2020, so it had to go on the other wall where my sewing machine used to be. I kind of like the new location. The light is better over there. I wonder if that will change my fabric choices? I’ll have to make sure not to keep projects on the design wall for too long.

I will say it was a shock to have stuff on the walls after months of bright white, empty walls. I didn’t like it at first. After letting the idea settle overnight I found the effect warmer and more cheerful. The room does look smaller.

Full Shelves

I spent time filling my shelves and emptying boxes. The boxes went out with the recycling (except for some DH hid from me) and my shelves are now filled with my quilt books.

I am really happy that my books are more accessible. Before, some of them were on the floor in big stacks, which was not conducive to browsing.

Last week after I had done some of the work, I spent time leafing through some of the books that were more accessible to me. I also leafed through some while on work calls, though I have to be careful, because I tend to tune out work and focus on quiltmaking, which is not what they pay me for. 🙂

Before this whole workroom redo I had collected books, run out of space which meant all the books on one topic were scattered. As I was putting books in boxes, I made an effort to arrange them so that like books were together. All quilt history in a group of boxes, all art quilt books in other boxes. This made it easier to shelve them all together when I unboxed everything.

The very top shelves are less useful *to me* because I can’t reach them without a stool. I wanted them (the top shelves are add-ons to the Billy bookcases not part of the shelves) for two reasons. First, stuff will get crammed up there anyway, so I might as well have a shelf. Second, dust. I prefer cabinets and bookcases to go to the ceiling because that open space just becomes a dust collector. With these shelves, I put books and stuff up there that I don’t access often. For the books housed there, they may be candidates for weeding in the future. We’ll see.

My shelves are not 100% crammed full, which is great. I am glad to have some growth space. I do feel like there are a few books missing, so there may be another box somewhere.

Next project is to put up the design walls. I want to work on some quilts again soon, not that I am short of bag and other projects, so I can mark some fabric off my ‘fabric used’ list. DH is busy with clearing out his parents’ house (still) so I have to fit this in or get the handyman in.

More Workroom Shelves

DH came home from the football game Saturday night and put together the second shelf. My room has that new paint or furniture smell again and is a complete wreck.

I really like the clean, white look of the bookcase next to my desk. It is beautiful. It is also a lot better than a pile of cardboard boxes.

Cardboard boxes don’t just magically unpack themselves, though I wish they did. The rest of the room is a wreck. I have a lot of work to do reshelving books and arranging stuff on the shelves.

DH has to get some anchors, so I am not allowed to stand in front of the bookshelves during an earthquake for the moment.

See that computer set up in the picture (above right)? That is where I spend my days. That particular computer is my personal computer. I swap it out for my work laptop at about 8am every morning. One reason I need to clean this area up is that I have to get that blue chair out from the boxes, so I can “go to work” on Monday. Currently, it is stuck behind some of the boxes because we quickly moved the boxes out of the corner of the room so DH could install the second bookshelf.

More progress! Yay!

Workroom Shelves

Some progress is being made on my workroom. I retrieved the purchased bookshelves about two weeks ago. It seems like an eternity.

I asked DH if I should get the handyman to put these shelves together. (I am sure they are relatively straightforward to assemble, but my shoulder can’t handle such work.) He said that he would put them together. Time went on, we went to San Bernardino ? for an event (it was a good event, but an icky town) and still he insisted he would put them together.

When DH told me he had to go work at his mom’s house over the weekend, I asked him when he was going to put my shelves together. While I was gone at Sew Day, he put the first one together. Then he came home from the football game later the same day and banged around putting the second one together. He is a really great husband.

Finished Tools Bucket

Tools Bucket - 3rd pass — Tools Bucket – 3rd pass

I worked on covering up the previous blue with some magazine pictures.

It didn’t like the way it looked. If I had had more cakes and dots, it probably would have been fine, but I didn’t. I thought it looked bad, so I went back to fabric. The good part was that the magazine paper covered up the blue pretty well. After this 3rd layer dried, it made a good base for more fabric.

I finished decoupaging my Tools Bucket in a way that I can live with a few days later.

As you can see, it is in use next to my sewing machine. I don’t notice any difference from before I decorated it. I think it looks better, though.

More progress! Creeping along, but workroom progress.

Got ’em!

My friend, Cyndi, sent me a text saying that the bookshelves were in at a local IKEA. I couldn’t get them delivered, so I had to arrange to go and pick them up. The packages were longer than my car so I had to borrow a van.

Now the boxes are laying on the floor of my workroom and DH is studying the instruction manual.

Workroom Sad Face

The bookshelves are delayed again and I am getting annoyed. Well, I was already annoyed, but now I am more annoyed. Pandemic. Supply chain. First world problems. Blah blah blah. I know. I know.

Scandinavian Designs has some very basic bookcases, which might be a good solution if they are in stock. They do not have the added height shelf that the Billy bookcases have. Also, one thing I like about the Billy set is the accommodation at the bottom for the baseboard. There is a little cut out so you don’t have a gap against the wall. Also, apparently, they no longer have white in stock and I refuse to introduce anything even approaching life-sucking beige into this room. Finally, they are much more expensive. On the plus side, we have an entertainment unit from Scandinavian Designs and we are very happy with it.

Why hasn’t anyone tried to copy the Billy bookcases? I know I should be promoting intellectual property theft. I really want the chaos in my house to end.

Tools Bin Again

I worked on the Tools Bin again on Saturday. I decoupaged paper on top of the blue described in the last post on this topic.

I found some pictures I liked and decoupaged them over the blue paint. I was still not thrilled. For some reason, it wasn’t working for me.

I am building up nice hard layers, however.

Sewing Again

I got back to work over the weekend on some machine projects. Things aren’t completely set up, but I can sew. It felt great to get back in front of the machine.

I am finally sewing together the Sew Together Bags I have been slowly cutting out.

Workroom Furnishings

We went to IKEA the other day in order to get the bookshelves. I just go expecting to be able to get what I want. DH, being the smart shopper he is, checked the website in advance and found out the Billy bookcases are out of stock until the end of August. 🙁

Yes, that means the project is at a halt until the bookcases come in. 🙁 I am kind of shocked that another company hasn’t copied the Billy bookcases. Don’t get me wrong, I don’t approve of copyright infringement, but if someone is going to infringe on IKEA’s copyright, I might take advantage. I looked for tall, plain white bookcases and nobody else had them. Leave a comment if you know of a company that sells them and has them available.

We looked through IKEA anyway, which is sort of obligatory. I thought, perhaps, they might have another option for bookcases or some other storage that might work.

I almost bought this cart to replace the brown cart that I gave away. I decided to wait because I am sending tons of stuff to donation places and I just want to be sure it is the right storage solution.

I probably just need a designer.

Refreshing Storage

Tools bucket - first pass — Tools bucket – first pass

I want everything to look good in my refreshed workroom. This is a tools bucket I use. It sits next to my sewing machine.

I thought Collage Pauge** would work. I pasted (painted??) fabric on to the outside of the bin. While the fabric was hard as a rock, the look was not ideal when it dried. It was too see through. That was not the look I wanted.

Tools bucket - blue pass — Tools bucket – blue pass

Lil Sissy suggested I mix Collage Pauge** and white paint. I didn’t have white paint so I used turquoise. It didn’t work. I should have gone and bought some white. Thus: I still don’t like it.

I am not sure what is next, but I may collage over it with some text paper. Collage Pauge** is really made for paper and covering what I have done with paper might be the best thing.

**I use affiliate links and may be paid for your purchase of an item when you click on an item link in my post. There is no additional cost to you for clicking or purchasing items I recommend. I appreciate your clicks and purchases as it helps support this blog.

Closer to the End

I know the whole project seems never-ending. Guess how it feels from here? It is getting better.

The painting is done. I have some furniture in the room, but am still waiting on the bookcases.

We (meaning DH) pulled up the carpet and the floor is in pretty good condition. We didn’t take the time to redo it, though I did clean it with Murphy’s Wood Oil soap. We really didn’t have the time to do a full scale floor update.

I am starting to put things back in the green bookcase, not that you can see that in the photo (left). I am forcing DH to go through his books before I reshelve them. I am not putting books back on the shelf that should be donated. He doesn’t have to give any of them away, I made that clear, but if he is going to read them, I have other uses for the shelves.

My sewing machine is going against the wall that used to have my new design wall, as mentioned. That is one of two walls with an outlet. I wanted to minimize the number of extension cords required as I kept tripping over them. The last thing I need is another broken foot or torn ligament. I took the opportunity of all of the furniture and stuff being out of the room to have the electrician expand the available to outlets to ‘fours’ from ‘twos’. One reason I had 200 extension cords in use was that there were a total of 4 outlets in the entire room. That was nowhere near enough. While 8 is better, it is still not enough, but an upgrade nonetheless. We have outlets on only two walls and if we want outlets on all the walls, we have to rip out more of the walls than we want to and that is too big of a job for us now. The outlet covers are nice and fresh. You can see the difference between the phone jack and the new outlet.

Finally, I got new door handles as well. I don’t know that they are my dream door handles, but they are fresh and clean. I am really happy with them.

This weekend: bookcases, I hope. The YM is coming for a flying visit and it would probably be nice if he could actually get into his room.

DH is talking about painting our bedroom now.

Nearing the End

What this post should have been named is “Nearing the End of the Life Sucking Beige”, but that is too long and it makes for ugly URLs.

The white is definitely dominating and only the baseboards need to be painted. The room really looks fresh. Today it was pretty foggy and the room didn’t look as depressing (which I try to ignore since it is my own space) as it has in the past.

DH also ripped up the carpeting, which I wanted. The floor is hardwood and in good shape except for one spot. I call that a win. The dirt we swept up from under the carpet was amazing. It looked like a sand drift. That blue is the old pad, which DH is using to keep the paint from hitting the floor.

The house stinks and I have had a headache for two days from the paint fumes. We have the windows open as much as they will open and there isn’t much else that I can do except stay away.DH isn’t allowing me in the room anyway since I may hit some surface that is still wet.

This is a picture of the wall where my new design wall was hung. The door is the door of the fabric closet. The furniture lumps in the center of the room are my work desk and my sewing table. They are the only two things we couldn’t get out of the room. They are too heavy for the two of us to carry.

I also bought new door handles. Ours were sort of functional, but I thought I would just go for broke and replace them with new fresh ones.

Yay! It’s looking good.

Beautiful White

The white looks beautiful.

The life sucking beige looks even worse than it did before. Who would choose that color?

I can’t wait until it’s all done.

I have the best husband ever.

My SIL#2 also helped paint. (I would have, but I have to work) Also, I don’t like painting.

Also, every room in our house is involved in this project except the kitchen. Yes, even the bathroom.

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