Yesterday, I decided to stop focusing on what I don’t want to do and the tasks that I dread (i.e., cleaning up the studio, putting things away, and organizing things), and concentrate on the rewards of getting those undesirable tasks done. I know that many of you encouraged me to tackle this job in 30-minute increments, but because this process needed to be (mostly) finished before I could move on to task #2 of the four tasks that I want to finish before the end of the year (i.e., finish painting the walls and ceiling in the studio), I really needed to just dive right in and get it done as quickly as possible.
The room was a complete disaster before I started. I don’t think I had put away a single tool or paint can since I started working on the studio months ago. ?
The entrance into the room from the breakfast room had dwindled down to a corridor about three feet wide after I rolled this shelving unit over there to make room for the scaffolding.
My work tables had gotten piled higher and higher with stuff — everything from tools to paint to art supplies to wallpaper to trim and more.
I can’t even remember the last time those tables were cleared off enough to actually use them for a project.
Ever since I bought the scaffolding, the room has felt even smaller as I’ve tried to wheel it around the existing clutter. I was able to use it pretty easily in the back entry, but it didn’t take long for me to realize that there was no way I could wheel it around in the main part of the studio to get the walls and ceiling painted with the room in its current state.
I have several boxes that have been moved from room to room ever since I packed up our original bedroom to turn it into our new bathroom. Those boxes have been pushed from one room to another as each room has been remodeled, and now they’ve ended up in the studio. Most of them are in the storage closet off of the back studio entry, but a couple of them have spilled out into the main room. And then I’ve added several new boxes (mostly from IKEA) filled with things I still need to finish the studio cabinets.
My long countertop was still covered from end to end with the various paints that I had used on the paint swatch cabinet.
So while I am naturally a very messy person, and working in a messy, disorganized room generally doesn’t bother me at all (much to the chagrin of many of you ? ), it had really gotten to the point that even walking through the room was a challenge. And no one (not even I) can work like that.
When it gets to that point, obviously something has to be done.
So yesterday, I got focused, and I got busy. And I even surprised myself at how much I was able to accomplish, and how motivated I felt to get the job done!
I didn’t actually finish the job, because this was much bigger than a one-day task. But it’s starting to actually look like a usable room again!
What’s funny is that I had actually forgotten how big this room is. With it so much stuff filling up the room, it had started to feel smaller and smaller over time. Now it feels huge again, and I still have so much more stuff to clear out!
While I did move all of the paint and several of the boxes from the office corner, this area is still looking pretty cluttered. But it’s so much better than it was!
And now that I’ve made so much headway on clearing off the work tables, I’m anxious to get that finished so that the clutter isn’t what draws the attention when someone walks into the room. I don’t want that clutter stealing attention from the mural wall. But I got quite a bit of it put away. I’d guess that I put away about 2/3 of the stuff that was piled on those tables, so that’s a very good start.
Now that so much of the clutter is gone, you can really see just how piecemeal the paint job is. ? Like I said before, I’ve been tackling the painting of the walls and ceiling only as needed in order to work on other projects, like installing cabinets and wallpaper.
But I almost have things in put away and organized enough so that I can finish up the painting rather easily. And that will feel so good to have that huge job behind me! I love the tall side walls and high ceiling in this room, but I don’t love painting them. I will be so happy to have that job finished in the very near future.
Another thing I’m so anxious to see is the view of the finished cabinets in the office corner from the kitchen and breakfast room. Finishing those cabinets wasn’t on my list of the four main tasks that I want to finish before the end of the year (you can see that list here), but as soon as those four things are done, those cabinets will be next. But at least the view is a little less obstructed now, and I can look in and dream about and envision the finished cabinets while I’m working in the kitchen.
I’m really very proud of myself for how much I accomplished yesterday. I was dreading the task before I started, but once I began, I got really excited about how quickly I was making progress. And I was even more excited about the fact that a clean(er) and less cluttered room means that I can finish up the painting very soon! I may get more accomplished by the end of the year than I had originally planned!
Addicted 2 Decorating is where I share my DIY and decorating journey as I remodel and decorate the 1948 fixer upper that my husband, Matt, and I bought in 2013. Matt has M.S. and is unable to do physical work, so I do the majority of the work on the house by myself. You can learn more about me here.
