Looking Ahead: Finishing My Studio

As I’m working to get our master bathroom photo ready for its big reveal (which I hope will be on Monday, but Tuesday at the latest) and finish up the home gym, I’ve been giving a lot of thought to my studio, which will be the final room to finish in our home pre-addition. (Matt and I are trying to decide exactly when we want to bit off that big addition. No firm plans yet, but at least we’re talking about it regularly and seriously.)

But anyway, back to the studio. I already shared a couple of months ago that there will be some changes coming to the studio. I had mentioned that the green back entryway will be repainted, as will the walls in the studio bathroom. But the more I think about it, and the more we open up our home to guests, the more I realize that the changes in studio will probably be pretty significant.

Until recently, I’ve always considered my studio a separate part of the house. And as a separate part of the house, I never thought it needed to “flow” with the main part of the house. It’s my space where I can do what I want, regardless of whether or not it coordinated with the rest of the house. And because it’s my space, that also means that it’s the one space where I can break Matt’s one rule — no pink walls. That’s his one rule for the house, but in my studio, that rule doesn’t stand.

And while I’ve never planned to do pink walls in the studio, I have been planning all this time to do coral/pink cabinets to go with the bold floral wallpaper. And there will be LOTS of cabinets in this huge room.

I was leaning towards something like this…

But the more we have people in our home, the more my mindset about that room is changing. Rather than thinking about that huge room and bathroom as spaces I get to hoard all to myself, I’m starting to want those rooms to be more incorporated into our main home, and to be available as an extension of the main area of the house. And that means that I’d like the look of those areas to flow with the rest of the house as well.

It’ll still be my studio. MY studio. The function of the room isn’t going to change at all. But I do like the idea of having it available if we need the room to spread out. Matt and I host a weekly home group (people from our church), and on that night, we’ve had from 11 to 15 people. So far, we’ve all piled into the living room (with the furniture moved around, obviously), and it’s been fine. Cozy, but fine. 😀

But the max capacity of that room is 17, so if we ever have more than that show up, I’d love to be able to move right into the studio (the only other room in our home that can hold that many people, plus a whole lot more). And if nothing else, I really want that bathroom to be available for guests to use, in addition to the hallway bathroom.

So this new chapter in our lives, which came long after we converted our garage into my studio, but fortunately has come about long before I’ve had the chance to finish the studio, has really changed my outlook on how I want the room to look and feel.

I think rather than trying to incorporate any of my previous ideas into the finished room as I move forward on that project, I’m going to think of it more as a blank slate. I’ll be starting over completely. I’m thankful that that won’t mean a lot of money down the drain. The most costly thing that I have in there (that will most likely be changed) is the wallpaper.

I really do love it, but it’s not something I’d do in the main part of the house. So if I’m now treating this room as part of the main house, then I need to find something else.

Everything else can be changed with paint, plus a little bit of tile. I’m so thankful I never got to the point of having to repaint studio cabinets. I’d do it if I had to. Y’all know I would. 🙂 But I’m thankful that I don’t have to.

And of course, that doesn’t mean boring or neutral. I love color way too much to do a neutral room. And I’m not at all opposed to wallpaper or murals, as should be obvious by our bedroom and master bathroom walls.

But I’m starting at square one. A fresh start. A clean slate. A brand new mindset. I think this will be fun. 🙂 And I’m hoping that I’ll be able to start on it very early next year.

studio progress as of 10-25-2019 - 9

Update:

I see that I’ve upset a number of you with my thought of removing/replacing the wallpaper. 🙂 I do love it, so I’ll see how I can make it work. I’m just not sure that I can do white cabinets, though. 😀 But there are tons of colors to choose from that would coordinate with that wallpaper, flow with the rest of the house, and be colorful while tamer than the pink/coral. But it’ll still be colorful and fun when I’m done!

 

 

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55 Comments

  1. I love your idea of house flow. I think that space would be great for entertaining because of the bathroom, entrance and close to the kitchen. It will be fun to watch you meld the space with the rest of your house!

  2. I think I’m kind of disappointed in a way. I really love your studio and I think people would understand that’s your “work space” away from your living space. Kinda like going to a job, but it’s in your own building 🤷 But…….it is your house, you guys live there, and I know that whatever you do, it’ll be beautiful!

  3. I’ll be in mourning if you get rid of this wallpaper. I thought it incorporated so many of your daring home colors. I’d keep the wallpaper and go white on the cabinets! It would neutralize an overload of color. And you can always change the wallpaper when you tire of it.

    1. I say the same, go white on the cabinets, keep the wallpaper! Max 17 people from your church in the living room? Get padded folding chairs for your studio and use that room for your gatherings. Btw, have you ever thought of holding a “craft” class in the studio? A class someone will pay you for.

  4. I have to disagree. Obviously it is your house and you can and will do what you want. But I remember how excited you were about making that wallpaper and it certainly goes with the colors in your house.

  5. Love the idea of incorporating your studio into the house so it can also be used for social gatherings. I’m looking forward to seeing what design decisions you come up with. Another commenter suggested painting the cabinets white and leaving the bold floral wallpaper. Or possibly use that wallpaper in the bathroom or entry? Just tossing out ideas.

    1. I am in love with that wallpaper ! I agree with some of the others to leave the cabinets white though your idea is a great one. I think the wallpaper would be my inspiration for creatively! It’s my style for sure . Your doing a wonderful job on your home. God bless you and Merry Christmas 🎄

  6. I am puzzled by your conclusion that your proposed studio color scheme is somehow not a continuation of that of the rest of your home. I look at that wonderful wallpaper and see every color you are already using in the rest of the house. Perhaps think about painting your cabinets white and painting the backs of the bookcases a color, such as that gorgeous coral you love.

    1. Christine, I completely concur! Colorful elements are best experienced when the eye has a “moment” of rest in between. The same holds true for gardens. An explosion of color with no place for the eye to rest just ends up looking messy and jumbled, even if the individual elements are beautiful!
      Definitely keep the wallpaper and go with white cabinets and a colorful background to help meld all the colors into a cohesive design!
      One last point–Start using that room for home meetings right away, even before adding your cabinets! When I’m feeling overwhelmed, I find it best to experience the space for a bit. So add a couple of pieces of family room furniture and extra folding chairs to make the meetings comfortable. No matter what the eventual plan, that room is first and foremost a big part of your home!

  7. Please keep the wallpaper, it is my favorite thing in your home! Actually the studio is my favorite room ( being a crafter I would love to have that space!). There are so many colors to pull from the paper to tie in with your home.
    No matter, I can’t wait to see the final room, it will be awesome.

  8. Love your idea of using this room as a multi use space. Repaint the power bath and hall but please keep the fabulous wallpaper. Love the idea of doing the cabinets white and painting back of the bookcases a color. If you keep the door open you will have a beautiful tie in the the colors in your other rooms, in seating room, pantry, kitchen and living room. Can’t wait to see the bathroom and gym. ❤️

  9. I love your wallpaper! Could you focus on blue or teal and save it? As I remember your prior plans, there wasn’t going to be that much of the paper exposed after the cabinets were installed.

  10. I’ve been following for many years and have never questioned or challenged on why you are doing something… but today is the day I have to switch gears, so I’ll say it short and sweet: keep the wallpaper!! It’s so beautiful and I really think it flows with the rest of your house, maybe a different wall and cabinet color than what you originally planned or currently have is the change needed to give you the flow you are looking for? The thought of using it as an additional space for larger groups of people, when needed, is a great idea. Larger groups for a meal would be so much easier if incorporating your studio, the big work table can be the food table and plenty of space to set up tables and chairs for a meal. I know the end result will be gorgeous. Good luck!

  11. I’m agreeing with other posters. Keep the wallpaper but go away from the coral cabinets. You could go purple like your breakfast nook, teal similar to your kitchen, or even white.

  12. I look at your wallpaper and see the same colors and aesthetic sensibility as in your home’s other public spaces, e.g., your living room (couch pillows, purple chairs, pink drapes), entryway, hall bath, music room, kitchen/sitting area, all echo the wallpaper colors. I hope you keep it.

  13. You’re breaking my heart Kristy! I love that wallpaper!! Can’t you leave it and just pick up different colors from it to connect with the rest of your home?

  14. Another vote for keeping your lovely wallpaper and having white cabinets. As you posted:

    “Of course, a lot of it will be covered up. This wall is going to have a floor-to-ceiling cabinet on each end, a desk-height cabinet in the middle, a desktop stretching across the entire wall, ,and probably a piece of artwork or a corkboard in the middle of the wall underneath the wall sconce.”

    The rest of the walls are a restful light blue, so the wallpaper will not overwhelm the room. Of course, whatever you decide will be wonderful anyway.

  15. I love the wallpaper too. But, Kristi, it’s your house. If you choose to take the wallpaper down then sorry to those that disagree. Don’t make a decision you might regret just to appease some people you don’t even know.

  16. Another vote for keeping the divine wallpaper and coral cabinets and making it work. It already flows with the tv/dining room and the coral and orange drapes and purple buffet.

  17. I’m so glad I read this *after* the update posted! I have to agree with you and the others who feel the colors and overall vibe of the wallpaper really DO flow with the rest of the house! Your living room curtains, the art you just posted with the new art light, the hall bath curtain, the kitchen cabinets, all these colors and looks flow with this beloved wallpaper!

  18. I have really enjoyed your designing progress. You have totally pushed my thinking outside the box. I discovered you back in the day when you changed your kitchen from green to turquoise. The transition through the rooms has a comfortable flow but not at all boring.
    When you designed the other end of the house I didn’t feel that vibe at all. The studio colors in and of themselves are great and as a stand alone design would be fabulous. But in the transitioning the flow is broken. The brain becomes uncomfortable as it takes in the different surroundings.
    Through my years of viewing HGTV I have learned the transitioning flow is important in an overall visual appeal and a comfy, homey vibe.

    1. Question to ask yourself: If the addition was now completed for your entertaining desires. Would the color plans of the studio be the same conflict in your thinking? If so, press on with your gut.

      1. I am excited you are changing the vibrant green. It just doesn’t flow with the house since you changed the kitchen cabinets. Maybe a color in the same family as your studio bathroom vanity? I love the stripey wall in the studio bathroom. It reflects the exercise room but with a different pattern and smaller scale stripe, would hate to see that changed.
        I like the wall paper too & also can’t stand white painted cabinets, they are just a lot of upkeep. I wonder how a white stained wood like your living room coffee table has would look? Most artists like white surfaces in their studio so reflected color doesn’t mess up their color decisions when working on a project. If you are meeting regularly in there, I would reconsider the layout to include a small sitting area that could be easily expanded by moving the big rolling work tables & adding some folding chairs (!Oh, with fabric that includes the colors in the wallpaper?!) I have followed you for years because you have a gutsy, DIY approach & exquisitely creative design. I know it will turn out perfect.

  19. The fact that you will change your room three times and I can’t even get one space done is mind boggling for me. Where do you find the time?

  20. When I saw this title I dreaded that you would consider changing that incredible wallpaper. Even though I know you will create a gorgeous space, I would be sad to see it go!

  21. I know how much you love that wallpaper but think back to when you made your living room a dining room. That didn’t fly and to change that colorful paper for something that might happen once a week or month seems unfair. Let your studio have its own personality because as one commenter said, there are all of your house colors in that wallpaper. Definitely keep it!

  22. Your update was hilarious…. Because when I saw you mention changing/getting rid of the wallpaper I thought…”OH NO!!!!! NOT THAT!!!!” And then I saw your update.

  23. Interestingly, the Read my Recent Posts feature showed the studio wallpaper contrasted with the coral on the front door, and the purples and greens in your living room, and the colors in your gym room. The colors in your wallpaper are definitely the colors of your home! The one color I question is the light blue on the studio walls. Yes, you sort of have it in your master bathroom, but that is supposedly to be a restful space and I think your studio should have a more energetic vibe to it. Maybe that’s the color that should be reimagined rather than the wallpaper. Just a thought! Whatever you do, I know it will be fabulous!

    1. I find it so encouraging that you’re looking at your house as a place for ministry to other people and not just “MY” house. I’m sure that whatever you decide to do will be just right for y’all. And beautiful!

    2. The light blue is the color I was wondering about too. It feels like it’s the “off” element. Regardless, I know everything will come together beautifully, even if every single element changes. I’m not surprised so many people love the wallpaper (I too remember the initial excitement), I am surprised at how many people are so adamant about someone else’s home. 🤷🏼‍♀️

  24. Hi Kristy, I think that if you want a do over, then just do it over. Yes the wallpaper is beautiful, but if it’s not perfect, it’s not perfect. Make sure your vision board makes you happy. Press on as we cheerfully enjoy the process. 😁

  25. I’ve been following you for quite some time. One thing that is blaringly obvious is that you are no follower – you are a leader! So you do you!!!!!! I rarely comment because it’s not my home. You and Matt live there, not the rest of us. I love your blog. Your choices may not be mine but I am enlightened by your process. I have learned so much from you🤗. You are ever changing and expanding your design concepts which signifies growth. So ditch the wallpaper if you want. The pleasure often rests more in the creating. Good luck! You’ll do right for you.

  26. I think the wallpaper and coral cabinets tie into the rest of your home beautifully. They would compliment your breakfast nook/tv room really well and play off the rest of the pops of color throughout your home.

    I think the disconnect in this space is the white-washed floors, the green entry with chevron “rug”, the bathroom, and the blue-green paint color in the studio. I think if the studio and entry were repainted the classic gray that’s throughout the rest of your home and the floors were refinished to match the rest of your floors, the coral cabinets and wallpaper would complement beautifully. You have a lot of the wallpaper colors in your TV room/nook already.

  27. No way! Do what you want. It’s your house! Don’t let others get upset about your choices for your own home. If you want to get rid of the wallpaper, get rid of it. It’s your home!
    P.s. I love that you redo things. Not only does it kind of give me permission to not try and live with something that doesn’t really work. Just because I spent a lot of time on it. But it also gives us a lot more tutorials and content from you. Which is always a good thing!!

  28. Kristie this is your house and you do what you want to do. There is a reason you put off finishing your studio with cabinetry and moved on to other projects. Since you worked on your studio, you have made major progress on the rest of your house. In addition to your home, you and your husband bought a van and your lifestyle has shifted considerably. You are getting out more and you are hosting a group from church in your home. I understand why you want your studio to flow with the rest of your home. This is your home, your dream and don’t let other people’s comments/reactions keep you from seeing it through. Dreams and goals change all the time. You make it what you want.

  29. Count me among those who literally had a visceral reaction to the idea of changing that wallpaper. It is one of my very favorite things on the internet (second only to adorable animals doing adorable things). I mean, I do like YOU better than your wallpaper, but that wallpaper is SO YOU. And from where I’m sitting (you know, in front of a screen), it totally goes with the rest of your house – colorful, happy, and beautiful.

    1. Back when you made the wallpaper at spoonflower, I tried to find it for purchase and couldn’t. Any chance those of us who love it that much could own it ourselves? I dreamed of putting it up on one wall of my home office.

  30. Kristi, I have to say I am taken back by the strong feelings people are sharing over your decision to re-think/re-do a room in YOUR & Matt’s home. You are kind to share, to inspire, to teach your followers. Lest people forget, it is your place to think through and take your decorating any direction you choose, like each one of us do without undo pressure from strangers. Please don’t feel you need to re-think, you do a beautiful job with tying rooms together. So very thankful for the exciting doors opened in life for the two of you. What a treat to share your lovely home and meet with others…Blessings

    1. I could not agree more! Please don’t be swayed by people screaming they love the wallpaper. As we have seen in the past, when you have changed things, you always make it work in unexpected ways and your home is beautiful! I would hate to see you hinder your creativity just to appease a few people who love the wallpaper. Do what makes you happy!

  31. Everyone is talking about saving the wallpaper and while I agree I am actually so sad about the bathroom!! The amazing design you did in their takes my breath away. I really love that room! Doesn’t it flow with the colors in the rest of the house? Especially the gym.

  32. I am happy to hear you are considering keeping the wall paper. I can envision your painting the cabinets black and possibly changing the wall color. Then I would love to see some natural wood tones with tables and chairs that could be used for your guests or for some of your projects. In other words make the rest of the room a bit more formal yet cosy and taking the emphasis off the wallpaper as you were planning before. Instead of it being the star give it a more complimentary role.

  33. I think the wall color can easily fit in with the rest of the house. That would save you time & money. If you want to change the wallpaper do it. Remember people were upset when you painted over your green cabinets but loved the new color after it was done. You’ve haven’t really focused on that room so now you can get a clearer vision.

  34. Maybe use the wallpaper in what is now the green hallway, or in that bathroom? But one thing I really like about you is that you are not afraid to change a design as things evolve in your life.

  35. Something I want to mention is, this will still be a hardworking space, probably filled with fabric scraps, loose screws, and sawdust if it works at all like my workspaces. Are you sure this is the area you want to open up to people? It just seems like an added stressor.