dining/hobby room ideas please...

[Annpan]

Can I pick the collective 'ish brain please?

My dining room/ hobby room is in a bit of a state, I have a mismatch of furniture (none of which I particularly like- except my table and chairs) It has become the dumping room for any number of glass bottles and jars, old curtains, broken microwaves and my 'to be freecycled' collection. The floor is wonky and the book cases don't sit well, they can be quite wobbly

I want to take one of the modular bookcases (IVAR from Ikea) upstairs to be a wardrobe, with some nice fabric curtains and some fabric pockets down the side.

Now, I will not be buying any new furniture but I need storage space and to make the room look nice and be able to tidy it. I want to be able to use it more as both a hobby and a dining room - at the moment we squeeze onto one end of the table and the sewing machine (and associated crap) is permanently on the other end.



Anyway, can anyone think of ways I can make more nice storage without spending money (and preferably without needing a car)

I have loads of lovely fabric and wool but I just don't have the inspiration. I was thinking of some drawstring bags and a cover for my sewing machine, but that doesn't give me much practical storage... what I really need is more shelves or a big cupboard, or an extension

Any ideas?

Oh, I also have bits and pieces of 3x2 and 2x2 wood and some plaster board, and I am quite a capable joiner, so if any of you have ideas around that too...

[Green Aura]

It's really difficult without having any idea of size shape and space in room.

But, if you've got plenty of wood you could maybe make a work surface/ shelves using your 2x2 and another Ivar unit (dismantle it and use long pieces with your 2x2s) along one wall. If you've got room to make it deep enough you could leave a kneehole area for sitting and have permanent room for your sewing machine with shelving underneath for fabrics etc, all hidden behind curtain "doors". I suppose almost like a built in desk.

Sorry, that's a really crap description, but if you're good at joinery you could make it to fit your wonky flooring and be a really good feature in the room, as well as somewhere to hide all the stuff you're going to do something with "one day".

And when you've finished that maybe you could come and do one for me - oh my do I need one!

[Thomzo]

If you have a spare table or could make one, and prop up the legs so that it's not wonky, you could put a book case on top of it. That would give you somewhere for the sewing machine etc. Sort all the "stuff" into cardboard boxes under the table and into nice storage (covered boxes, tins etc) on the bookcase.

I just googled "homemade storage ideas" and came up with loads of websites. This was the first on the list and has some ideas that you might find inspiring. http://www.diynetwork.com/diy/cr_storage/

Another possibility is to use the remaining IVAR unit(s) in the way you have already described but in the dining room. Fix one of the shelves at table height so that you can put the sewing machine on it and then hide everything away behind a curtain. If you have enough plasterboard you could put that down the side(s). Fix the unit on the wall so that the uneven floor isn't a problem.

A very quick and easy solution would be to use the timber to make a screen. Just make up three "frames" like picture frames, as big as you can. Then use hinges to fix them together and hang some of the fabric in the middles. Pile all the junk in one corner and pop the screen in front of it. Doesn't help with the sewing machine problem but for special occasions you could put that away behind the screen.
Zoe

[snapdragon]

Best of luck Annpan - my dining/hobby room is in a similar state, I'm planning shelves in the alcoves, and a pocket wall (large piece of curtain fabric with pockets sewn on like an hooge advent calender) for yarn as it's spun, and fleece ready to spin. luckily my old sewing machine is in it's own table and most of my fabric lives in the bedroom (I have very few clothes).
I'm planning to do all this when the early retirement happens next month

[prison break fan]

So pleased to read that someone else has a room like mine! The computer is in here, the telephone, my daughter's jewellry making, my dolls house i'm building, my wool, (two trunks full) a sofa bed, a jigsaw puzzle table, two bookcases groaning away, clutter galore! I love it! pbf

[Annpan]

Best of luck Annpan - my dining/hobby room is in a similar state, I'm planning shelves in the alcoves, and a pocket wall (large piece of curtain fabric with pockets sewn on like an hooge advent calender) for yarn as it's spun, and fleece ready to spin. luckily my old sewing machine is in it's own table and most of my fabric lives in the bedroom (I have very few clothes).
I'm planning to do all this when the early retirement happens next month

Yes, I had thought of this myself, but since the room is our dining room too I wasn't sure... I was looking around in there this morning and I am finding I have loads of empty boxes so not sure if that is the kind of storage I need but I like the idea of it

The room is quite big and I love sewing stuff on the big table, for some things it is great to have the space to spread out (curtains and mei-tais specifically) and I am an 'elbow room' kind of person, can't be doing with sitting at small tables I think...

I fancy now maybe building a side board out of 2x2, covering the sides and top with plasterboard (I have no sheet wood), fixing it to the wall (like zoe's idea) under it I could have space for boxes and bags of material - of which I have far too much - I could do curtains across the front and then I would have a suitable dumping ground... also might be a good plan to have a large 'current project' box so that when it is dinner time the thing I am working on can go into the box and put aside, rather than cluttering the table.

I think, to be perfectly honest, I could do with getting my arse in gear and just tidying the damned room, instead of faffing about on the internet all afternoon Then I might actually be able to see what the heck is in there

[snapdragon]

.....................I think, to be perfectly honest, I could do with getting my arse in gear and just tidying the damned room, instead of faffing about on the internet all afternoon Then I might actually be able to see what the heck is in there

nod nod, I think that sometimes - then I can't work out where to put anything, in order to tidy the rest so it lands back on the table or chairs
my plan(ish) was to create the pocket wall on the rest of the window wall (4ft) and make curtains in the same fabric, sounds wonderfuel - but - although I'm happy to sew things with fiddly patterns - costumes, toys, posh frocks etc I'm not confident in my ability to sew a long straight seam for things as large as curtains

[Thomzo]

I'm not confident in my ability to sew a long straight seam for things as large as curtains

Don't worry about it Snapdragon because:

1) practice makes perfect. Do a few test runs on scrap material
2) you actually won't notice a slightly wonky seem
3) you can always unpick it and do it again (that'll help you get it right next time)
4) use the guides on the sewing machine. Many sewing machines come with a little attachment that you can fix in place. If not, stick a bit of masking tape to the machine and use that as a guide

Annpan - how strong is your plasterboard? I would be worried about using it as a top on which you are going to store things. Can you beg some timber off freecycle (or the builders)?

Zoe

[Annpan]

The builders aren't here yet - if we don't get a move on, they may never be
It is 12.5mm plaster board, which is quite strong over small spaces but I wouldn't actually store stuff on top of the 'sideboard' more just gives me the space underneath for big piles of crapolla. I have a 'day off' tomorrow so if it is raining outside (which it has been for a week) I might get on with it ..........um, I still haven't tidied in there, my problem is just the same as snapdragon says plus I have cycled 7 miles this morning (cold, windy, wet, hilly + toddler) so I am putting my feet up until I can feel my legs again.

Snapdragon - Curtains are easy, just put your foot down and keep the hem straight as Zoe says. Never be too afraid to try, and as long as you use quite a long stitch they will be easy to fix. You'll be in your element making tabs or what have you for the top .