Thought of years ago, planning for over a year, and working on it for four days now, with more to go, the key was fitting studio downtime into my schedule. I have minimal opportunity to be “closed”. Six years ago this week, I opened the barn studio. The space has always been good—but it could be better. The budget was what it was when I built it, so I made choices that worked at the time: a shiplap backdrop and a floor I could afford. It served me well, but it was never a finished project.
The barn board made a great backdrop, until I didn’t want to use it. The floor looked good, but it was a color I shouldn’t have chosen. Together, they were limiting. Clients loved it, because it looked nice right from the start, and I did too, but that did not mean it was the best choice for a studio. Moving to a more neutral type of space opens up creative options. There was also a lip—a shelf over the foundation dividing the wall—that made sense during construction, but never fully felt right, and a line in the back that was constantly being worked around. Now I have the chance to fix it, so I did.
The floor is out. I will be adding a new one soon. A corner that drove me insane with reflections gone. The ceiling will be removed and painted white. I built framing for the two clean walls that now replace the barn board. Soon, a finished paint job will turn this into a beautiful, neutral canvas for me to play with. I know better now what I need than I did when I had to make the decisions the first time. Growth is good.
tr/trp
