This project started off just like any other project. Blake, my trusty carpenter, and I were at a clients home to talk about ideas for adding storage to a craft room/home office space. The loft that this space was located in had a small footprint so we needed to get creative about how we designed it.
This client wanted lots of storage that would completely hide all of her craft & office supplies when she wasn’t working. And seeing as though the loft was completely open to the rest of the home & was the first thing you saw the moment you walked in… that was a necessity.
She also spent a lot of time on the floor crafting because she didn’t have sufficient workspace. So in addition to including lots of hidden storage, we also needed to add a large flat surface for her to lay items out to work on.
We had our goals & we were talking through ideas when our client stepped away. That’s when her husband approached us with the idea of surprising her with a craft room/office makeover while they were on vacation this weekend.
When he asked if we could make it happen – I looked at Blake, he looked at me. We nodded our heads “Sure!” and then Blake added “As long as we get all the pieces we need ordered in time, it shouldn’t be a problem”.
PAUSE. This is the part of the story literary folks call “foreshadowing”.
We took a few measurements, and talked about a rough design plan that Blake would sketch out that evening. We’d send the proposed design over to our client & as a long as she liked it, her husband said to move forward with the makeover.
Easy peasy, lemon squeezy. (As my 5 year old says)
So here’s the thing…although the 3 of us (Me, Blake & the husband) were well aware of our tight timeline…the client wasn’t. So we sent the sketch over and hoped for an immediate response… But instead we got total and complete radio silence. Does she hate it? Did she even get the sketch? She’s traveling so maybe her phone is turned off or she’s on the plane?
And then finally a response – she likes it. But she seemed hesitant to move forward. And she really needed to find out what to do with her existing furniture in the space.
And in literally ANY OTHER situation, we don’t mind waiting. Not one bit. We go at our client’s pace. If you’ve gotta think it through, talk to someone about it, look at more photos. Whatever you gotta do, you have allllll the space to do that. BUT if we were going to get this done in the literal 4 days we had left, we REEEAAALLY needed to get started.
So we 911 reached out to the husband – we cannot get a reading on the client, does she like it? Not like? Do we move forward? Wait? Ahhhh the pressure!!!
Well thankfully, he stepped in and reassured us that she DID like it and we should move forward. FULL STEAM AHEAD.
Ok, so step one is to MOVE ALL THE STUFF. In the midst of our “OMG-we-have-to-hurry-move-all-the-things” we never really got a decent before photo. This is about 1/2 way through the moving process…
We went with an L shaped desk configuration with the idea that the short end of the desk would serve as computer space and the long end as workspace. She could literally lay out pieces she was working on without having to get down on the floor. In order to maximize storage, we added shelves to the bottom of the desk. We could put other machines down there or storage tubs. Leaving them open allowed for the most versatility. And from down on the first floor of the home, you can barely see this area.
Things were moving along quite nicely with the custom desk when Blake went to purchase the cabinet for the faux built-ins…and that’s the EXACT moment disaster struck. The cabinet was out of stock at the first Lowes he went to. So we called the other Lowes in town. Also out of stock.
Hmm ok, I have doctor’s appointment scheduled in Nashville for the following day, so I’ll just order the cabinet at one of the locations by the hospital.
I found the cabinet online. Placed the order and went about my life. And then I got an email from Lowes, they couldn’t fulfill the order because the cabinet is OUT OF STOCK.
Ok, let’s try again at the other Lowes by the hospital. They have 2 left. Add 1 to cart. Done.
Lowes called. Guess what? OUT OF STOCK.
We were on a SUPER tight deadline. This cannot be happening.
The Lowes in Hopkinsville says they have 1 left. I ordered it, expecting that within the next few hours I’d get a call/email telling me it was actually out of stock. But then I swear, the clouds parted and I heard the angels sing – I got the notification that my order was ready for pick up!!
With the cabinet safely in our possession, Blake needed to finish assembling the cabinet and cube storage and then begin building the base, and adding the decorative moulding for the faux built-ins.
The last day of the project included a TON of painting, and reorganizing. Finally, we needed to rearrange the existing decor, add in some new decor and a rug to finish off the space.
We finished this project about 1.5 hours prior to our client and her husband arriving home from their vacation. Just in the nick of time!! And best of all, my client & her husband LOVED the results.
I’m so incredibly proud of the hard work that was put into this project, my only regret being… I never got to say…
I guess there’s always next time, right?