Short and sweet! Here is the drawer unit worktop come to life. It might not be pretty as a picture, but I am quite excited about this little space. I think this corner of my home will become one of my favourite spots. It will offer flexibility to the space in which I plan to make many, many things, and will hold all the tools and materials to bring such creations to life.
In my previous post I finished up with an exciting little clue as to what I was building next, yet when I was met with identical confused reactions from 75% of my readers, (Thanks Mum & Baby Potato*), I realised that interest was minimal and thus deemed a more demure reveal would be more appropriate.
In short, I have spent the last two afternoons building the rough shell of my Tiny Making Station… (yes, I agree, the name need’s some work). Essentially, it’s a set of drawers on wheels that will function as a home for my tools, colouring pencils & general making supplies, but also will double as a tiny work bench. Tiny, being the key word here, but it certainly will be better than relying purely on my dining table/desk. Although the unit is far from complete, functionally it’s come together better than I anticipated.
* My darling sister
The initial idea was sparked when my Uncle offered me some drawers he’d salvaged from an old wardrobe, and so it was these that dictated the design. Though having seen better days, with a good sand, (see the top drawer), a slick of oil or stain, and some fresh handles, I think they will scrub up well.
Here I am sitting on my couch, the pencils at perfect height for easy access.
Due to a lack of castors at Bunnings, (Covid-19), I had to mix and match two different styles of wheels. After much indecision I ended up with these, purely because they measured at equal overall heights. Not as easy as it sounds.
As this is a piece of function, not finery, (and a piece that will likely see a fair bit of wear), I've used offcuts of pine and plywood to create the frame.
I wanted to be able to store my drill and driver underneath the unit for it would take up too much space in a drawer. I therefore ensured that as the unit is wheeled in an out, it would clear the case.
I worked from the bottom up to decide upon drawer heights. I'm not sure if I am 100% happy with what I've got, so may rejig this at a later date.
However, the best details are in the upper half of the unit, which is yet to see fruition, so I’ll need some drawings if I am going to do my idea any justice.
In its normal state, the countertop of the drawers will allow me another work surface; whether that be as a laptop standing desk, a wrapping station, (very niche, but I’m sure we have all experienced the anxiety of wrapping on the carpet of the lounge room floor), or even some more bench space for the occasional over-ambitious kitchen venture. The wheels offer such flexibility, but more importantly, I can roll the unit over to my living area and desk and have easy access to my set of colouring pencils WITHOUT cramping up my desk space!
The second aspect of the top, shown in drawing 3, is that it will be split in two, with the front halve flipping over to reveal a rimmed surface. Why? As I want to line the wall to the left of the drawers with paints, brushes, tape, ribbons etc, and the back wall with smaller hand tools (pin board style), it would be useful to have a form of taking them over to my desk without having to carry armfuls of supplies back and forth. The rimmed edge would allow me to stow these items without the risk of anything rolling off.
The back half will be a bit more complicated, see image 4. The idea is that the lid will open to reveal a small woodworking station, by which I am thinking a vice and some sort of set up for sharpening my tools with my wet stone, (because if it’s already set up, I am far more likely to do it). To access the space, I would just need to wheel out the unit, spin it around and park it facing the other way. I also see potential to slip in a bit more storage behind the drawers.
And finally, if none of that made the slightest sense, here is a rough real life mock up of the wood working station. At least, the idea of what it could be.
See the space behind the drawers, I think there is some potential here.. Oh, and the drawers are so greatly spaced because the items they will hold are pretty sizeable.
The alcove to the left will feature a number of shelves and along the back wall I am thinking of installing some form of peg-board to hang my nicer looking hand tools.
Without a doubt I should have composed this post on Saturday, or even Sunday, as I basked in the pleasure of complete victory. The triumph of completing my bathroom door. In a single day.
I was proud as punch and happy as Larry, and it would have been a jolly read…. if only I hadn’t been so exhausted from all the success. So, whilst I write this in no seriously lessened spirits, it is with the distance of days, and thus all the bright ideas and realisations of such accomplishment are a vague remembrance.
Alright, if we are going to be pedantic, I should note, that the door remains in its rough state. Undressed and unpolished, at least until installation is nigh. (I have learnt, thanks to my own carelessness, that pieces will inevitably suffer as they are shuffled about awaiting installation.) Nevertheless, structurally the door is sound, and if I hung it tomorrow it would function as advertised! I far outstripped even my own expectations for I’d been envisioning a week of work ahead. Yet, I underestimated the value of a concentrated effort; thanks to the unexpected surprise of having the entire day to myself, AND, the blessing of experience. It is no longer inconceivable for me to conjure up an idea and just know how to execute it, WITHOUT preliminary research, or trial & error! I am also happy to report that I can more easily recognise where I can take short cuts without detriment to the integrity of a piece- handy when one is feeling less inspired to delve into the time hungry world of fancy joinery.
In short, I was quite pleased.
Oh ho, what do we have here? Unconsidered possibilities.
Now, that, is exciting.
Birthday Treat
Afternoon, Tuesday 8th July 2020
For my birthday, my lovely Mother gifted me a voucher to the local craft supply store remembering that I had been hoping to pick up some small lengths of fabric to play with during my visit home. Delighted, I made a particular visit to town yesterday, hoping to acquire the fabrics that would bring to life my Little Women inspired curtain. This wouldn’t be for a regular window, but rather, the large skylight directly above the living/bedroom area. An addition of comfort and cosiness, more than privacy and shade. (That said, I will likely back the curtain in a thicker material to assist in the latter two requirements.)
With careful deliberation I made my selection and happily collected together several prints, purchasing a 30cm strip of each. Whether I shall use them all or just a handful, I’m not yet sure, but my thought is to hand-stitch them together into a curtain that I could imagine adorning the windows of the March sisters, the Burrow or Ratty’s riverside home.
The Marches' extreme do-it-yourself approach extended to every facet of their lives, often out of necessity but sometimes out of sheer entrepreneurial spirit.
– Little Women, The Offical Movie Companion.
I could well imagine this on the 2005 set of Pride and Prejudice.
A small injection of red, without stepping into Christmas territory.
Little Women - The Offical Movie Companion
Simply a lovely shade of green.
This reminds me of the Folio Society's Wind in the Willows illustrated by Charles van Sandwyk.