It used to be the kids playroom when we first moved in, until we finished the basement. As planned, we took the kid stuff downstairs and brought up the office furniture from the first floor office (I refinished all the furniture to make it darker and painted the room Hunter Green...DH's pick...and yes, I planned those eyeball lights knowing DH's collection would eventually be here).
Here's a view of the entrance...the door shown is off the upstairs hall (there's another unseen backdoor to the Master Bath just to your left).
Little packages arrive at our doorstep weekly from all around the world...I've finally figured out what was in all of them. Collecting things is an illness and I think it's contagious. I'm sure there's someone out there that collects everything...there's probably a used battery collector out there somewhere...I hope it's not your DH. This is what a 'collection gone wild' looks like...I think he's up to 700 now. '700 what?', you ask? '700 useful things perhaps?'...umm no...glass telephone insulators. The sad part is I can't point fingers...I told you 'collecting' is contagious!
Oh, and the 'shrine to DH' is mostly on top of the bookshelves...trinkets from his childhood in Germany (dad was an Army Doc), thing from his first career as an oil/gas Geologist, etc.
Here's (turning slightly right) the other side of the entrance...I decoupaged/framed a geological map of Pennsylvania DH had...and...why yes, there's a 'border' of guess-what at the top of the walls.
Turning slight right is the office area. I framed an old Pittsburgh map found at DH's Grandparents home when it was sold (they lived here), and more furniture I refinished...Oh and part of DH's 'rock collection' are in glass cases in the corner of the desk. I'm an 'almost OCD' organizer, but I have a terrible time with papers and filing as I'm a 'pigeon holer'. Most of this was actually kids papers/art from school. I'm proud to say I threw a ton of this out yesterday and I should be about done with it all in another day or two....kill me now...did I say I HATE FILING?
Turning right, beyond the office, in the dormer window is my little sewing/craft area. The sewing machine/cabinet is backed up to the file cabinets (can't see). My antique drafting table (craft/sewing table) is just under the window between the bookshelves. I made the tapestry valances and framed (4 frames you see) the blueprints for the house (I designed our house).
Turning slight right again you can see the short door on the knee wall that is my closet and houses shelves on both sides stuffed with art/craft supplies (my first career was as an art teacher). There's also a lot of fabric in there as I hate sewing, but I don't hate sewing decorating things like curtains and pillows...She who dies with the most fabric wins...I'm a contender.
See that key in the lock I added to the door instead of a knob? How smart was that? Ummm...it's only 'smart' when you hide the key. I need to learn to use it and take the key out...my kids love creative stuff too and the closet/room was a jumble of art supplies when I started...sorting that out seriously took a day...umm...I just noticed the key is still in the lock.
I brought some more shelving (shoe factory racks/match the ones with our books in my corner) back from my parents and we set one up in the corner for DS2's new 'music corner' (If there's open wall space in our house it eventually will be filled with an antique...I don't think we could fit one more thing into this room). When you move the guitar amps (and the tuba) from your son's bedroom that's over the Family Room to the Hobby Room over the garage (under the ruse of setting up a 'music hobby corner') you can actually have a conversation in your Family Room...amazing. DS2 caught on...his complaint was that I gave him Great Grandma's chair and the wooden arms would scratch the back of his guitars...and 'couldn't we put it all back in his room?' Add a throw...problem solved...sorry kiddo.
Turning right again is the pullout sofa (I made the padded valances, pillows on the couch that match and the padded ottoman...DH made the frame for it). It's taken me years, but I've learned that some hobbies go by the wayside...a 75 gallon aquarium (yes, I refinished that cabinet too) with no fish or water in it isn't a pretty sight...the good news...I had the foresight not to put it in my Living Room in this house...it's gotta go.
The Master Bath 'backdoor' is just to your right/white frame (other entry to the bath is from our bedroom...yes, so DH only wakes me once getting out of bed in the morning...I'm not a morning person...hey, there should be some perks to designing your own house!). Yes, more insulators over the 'aquarium'...and LOOK at the lovely streetlight hanging lamp with the insulators on top (OK, I'm the one that bought this for DH's B-day).
Look what I found when I cleaned out my sewing area? If you leave things in your mending pile for enough years, your kids (and you) will eventually grow out (shrink out) of them...problem solved...or so I thought...I hate to mend. The next pic is not from the Hobby Room, but is the sorted pile of mending still left after I tossed all the kids clothes and other things...kill me now...did I mention I hate to mend?...this will take me all summer...or maybe I can wait another 5 years.
Yes, our house would drive a minimalist to drink...it's OK, I have a wine collection too. I guess I've stalled long enough with my tale/tour about nothing...back to my prison of papers...kill me now.
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7 comments:
OMG OMG OMG!!!!! I can't believe it... we just bonded!! my DH COLLECTS THOSE GLASS INSULATORS TOOO!!!!! He is even in an official club, the National Insulator Association and goes to the Geek meetings.. and he has THOUSANDS . They will definitely need to talk.. and he has a wine collection quasi wine cellar in the making.. oh lord.. now you understand why one of my things on my rules page is get rid of stuff... he still has his boy scout patches!!!
I totally understand the need to cull stuff..
It's a great space and I'm exhausted just reading about the project. I'm a minimalist and haven't had to drink yet, so you're okay. LOL
I am a crafter and I think you are wonderful for not tossing all the DH's collection and filling it with Martha Stewart and Tim Holtz.
Beautiful space. You work so hard.
I would love to come view the wine collection
Holy cow! That looks like a lot of work. Good job! I think you should take the mending pile and bag it up and toss it.
But you never know when you might need a telephone insulator! Better than all those bags of frozen fruit you posted about months ago. Are they gone yet? Love your suggestion about mending. Wait until they outgrow the clothes. That's me-I don't sew, or mend, or iron. And I have a cleaning service. Guess I don't do much.
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