Tuesday, July 27, 2010

Getting to the Finishing Touches.....

Life has been moving along in “Studio Renovation Land" at Leyden Glen Farm with barely a camera out and available. It’s down to the wire for my first class of 2010 this coming weekend. I haven't had a minute to breathe nor blog. I’ve finished painting the studio – almost. Lovely ten foot ceilings but boy, I haven't been up on a ladder in years and lately I've been spending my days on a really tall one. Have to finish bits and bobs on the doors, windows, nooks and crannies and painting the stairs.


We’ve had a bit of a hold-up on the flooring for the studio. I have gone really functional with Armstrong’s VCT line (vinyl composition tile). It is available in some lovely bright colors, along with all the almost invisible colors you see in every supermarket, hospital and school you visit. Somehow I knew this wouldn’t be easy. Order 10 colors and hope they are all in stock. I wasn't in the yarn biz that long to know I was asking for trouble with inventory! I’m driving my brother-in-law David nuts, along with the distributor of the the tile in eastern Mass.


I chose 9 colors and plan to make them into a random colorful patchwork floor. Eight colors are here in our farmhouse but the Screamin' Pumpkin is on a truck coming from the Midwest somewhere. I'm hoping it arrives so we can get the floor down before Friday..... I guess I could do the floor w/out the pumpkin but I just love orange. Sounds like a giant patchwork quilt or book project, doesn't it?

My electrician Dave and his lovely wife Marsha were here all day Friday getting the lights and plugs in the studio going. They are just the nicest people and get here very quickly. It's hard to believe after all the horror stories you hear. They always check with me so I get exactly what I like. I love the overhead lights I got. I was looking for that industrial factory feeling but with a bit of warmth. These lights are "brushed nickel" looking but were really reasonable. Nine of them - wow! We don't have any rooms in our house with this much overhead lighting - not a one..... The wiring isn't quite done yet but we have made progress.

I am currently obsessing about the bulbs. Any ideas anyone? Dave says I should get the fluorescent/ daylight which I am testing out. Any experience in crafting/art land there anyone? "Wattage?" which isn't really wattage on these things new fangled lights? I'm looking for a light that simulates daylight - sort of like the OttLites do for nighttime painting.

14 comments:

Anonymous said...

The studio is looking fabulous! Lisa Call is an amazingly thorough textile artist, she has a 3 part series on lighting she chose when she built her fabulous studio. Here's the 4th post that has links to the others
http://blog.lisacall.com/2009/05/studio-lighting-part-iv
hope this helps!

twoloops said...

I love the tiles, but I really hope range makes it in time.

Melissa (meliabella) Sibley said...

Wow what a beautiful space! I dream of a studio like that!

I dropped my fleece off in CT! So excited to spin wool from Leyden Glen Farm!

I Love Pretty Little Things said...

The bright colors are Great! I love, love, love the green door!

Kar said...

Not sure about the light thing. But I do love the fixtures and all the colors you are going to use in the studio. Gorgeous! And the view you have! To die for. Not sure that I would be on that ladder though. :)

Shan said...

BTW, if you don't have a set pattern for all those tile colors, instead of "patchwork", why not try a Tetris design..?

Meanwhile, the place looks awesome!! And don't worry about us, we can wait.

Patricia said...

don't florence lights cast blue? Check.

Barb said...

I'd go with the fluorescent daylight type bulbs with lots of lumens (the amount of light produced). I've worked in and shopped in yarn stores that were great on a sunny day, but if it was cloudy or later than 3pm all the yarns were in shadow and looked dingey. With 9 fixtures, you don't want to use incandescent bulbs--you'd use a lot of electricity to get enough light, and they give off a LOT of heat.

mascanlon said...

Love the way things are coming together! But oh my, you have such color confidence!, I'd be so worried about using all those colors on the floor but with your color sense it will be amazing.

Susanne said...

You don't want to increase your hydro bill by too much with the new studio but using a "full spectrum" light bulb should help with the "daylight" feel to the studio. I couldn't afford an Ott light so purchased a floor lamp with a full spectrum bulb and it works just great! Check on line, perhaps that would help.
The flooring looks great! I KNEW you would get your colours in there!!! Hooray.

Missouri Gal said...

Oh Wow! It looks awesome! And I love the wood ceiling. Very nice studio!

MicheleinMaine said...

I use "daylight" CF's in my studio and they work well.

Of course you must wait for the 'pumpkin'! I would.

The studio is shaping up so well!

Anonymous said...

Your studio looks wonderful. I covet the green door! I hope you are able to wait for the pumpkin floor tile. May this space be a place of inspiration for all who use it and all of us who will enjoy the projects which come from it.

JennR said...

Rather than using daylight fluorescent bulbs in my basement workroom (they're quite expensive, and I find that the light is quite harsh when it's the only light), I went with a combination of the 'warm-white kitchen & bath' and 'slightly-warmer than the workshop fluorescents' bulbs. I find that it's a good color balance without being too bright, and I've begun using that combination everywhere I have tubed fluorescent fixtures (kitchen, gathering rooms at church, etc).

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