where's your workspace?

[jeanie353]

I'm drooling!

Me too! I was happy I'd recently moved my office/candle/B&B area back downstairs in the LL exposed basement since I have lots of room and patio doors... until I saw those pics....lol. Now I want cabinets and a floating island.

[Kitn]

We just moved to a brand new house, I will be using the kitchen for now, we will be building a soap room this winter..This is a great thread.

[redraider]

I am glad to see the bar is open, lol. I have to admit at times during the busy season my husband gets to missing me and brings a refreshing beverage or 2 out and watches.

[ATTACH=CONFIG]24502[/ATTACH]

OK - I'm spoiled but just happened. When we purchased the house it had an old canning kitchen in the basement. My neighbor remodeled their kitchen and gave us the old cabinets so we remodeled our basement kitchen. We used this kitchen as our main kitchen when we remodeled the upstairs kitchen. Now it has racks along the end wall filled with valuables. LOL

[Karen M]

I remember the days of kitchen candle making, not pretty. But now have everything in our basement, not set up like I want, but it sure beats the kitchen mess. I plan to start making CP soap in my kitchen soon though, until hubby gets my craft room in basement done.

Work in progress that's the story of my life, LOL!

[JJCandlesCrafts]

Hope this thread isn't dead, but I just found it. I stopped making candles about 7 years ago and am trying to get back into it. I have started the transformation of my (now) ex's office. I had a nice long kitchen that I used to use, but it is galley style, so not very wide. I moved my workbench upstairs and am in the process of moving everything around. At this time I think it will end up being:

- 5' work bench surrounded on back and right side with pegboard walls (yes, I'm actually brave enough to hang 2 presto pots on peg board... )

- 5' x 3' desk just to the right of that which will be my pouring/curing station (the peg board wall separating the workbench from the pouring station will hopefully keep down drafts from a window to the left of the work bench).

- 5' x 5' 'L' shaped desk behind for more pouring/curing if needed, plus actual "day job" work when needed

- A bookshelf along the Right wall to hold molds and glassware

- A Kitchen hutch-like...thing behind the bookshelf for more storage.

I believe this will be a tad "full", but am hoping for a very functional space that will allow for a versatile space, even with the negatives of this room.

(I know some of this may sound weird, but there are, sadly, reasons why I had to go this route to make it work).

~Joe

[franu61]

sounds like you've got it well thought out jjcandles..nice to have a plan. If i ever get to make my own workroom I am going to come back to this thread and use all these great ideas

[escentiallysoy]

I started out in my kitchen as well, then I moved to the basement. Not a great workspace there yet either, currently use a couple of old tables one for pouring and one for measuring and melting wax. However, we are finishing the basement and I am finally going to have a nice space down there to work with. I will be putting in some cabinets and probably looking for some remnant granite (got to find it cheap), so I can set my hot pour pots directly on it and just wipe any wax drippings off of it. I feel your pain with the stuff all over the counters and what not as I have been there.

[classiccandle]

Much to my wife's chagrin I converted one of our bedrooms into my office/laboratory/storage facility. It's typically pretty messy and it drives her absolutely crazy.

[franu61]

I'm bringing this thread back to life...After 3 years I finally got my own workspace! YAYYYYY It's so nice to have everything handy and I can leave my stuff on the table now and no one messes with it. Pictures to come.

[franu61]

Here is a kind of panoramic view of my set up.  I  have 3/4 of the room. Lots of storage but still not everything, some overflow supplies in the pantry, but it is sooo nice to have everything I need in the same room.  I'm thinking each work surface will have a different function, the desk for m&p soap (microwave coming soon) table for candles, top of blue cupboard for shrink wrapping. Yay!

 

(Sorry if this is TMI...I'm just so happy to finally get this   )

[topofmurrayhill]

Congratulations!

 

(Judging by the luggage, I assume you got this space by being thrown out of the house.   )

[puma52]

I'm bringing this thread back to life...After 3 years I finally got my own workspace! YAYYYYY It's so nice to have everything handy and I can leave my stuff on the table now and no one messes with it. Pictures to come.

  Good for YOU! Your own dedicated space is just so wonderful!

[Guest]

okay mostly venting here..I just finished a large (at least for me) order of candles. I started at 9:30 this a.m., and what with only three metal pour pots and a couple glass measuring cups it takes a while....The only place I have to make candles is the kitchen, and there was literally not an empty counter while the candles were cooling. My "home from college" sons got all pissy cuz they could not fix anything to eat. Blah blah.. I wish I had my own workroom...some place that my candles could cool without SOMEONE coming in and moving them...before they are ready to move. Any one else still working in the kitchen? How do you all cope when having to share space?

I work in my kitchen - my boyfriend and I have a large condo, but certainly not as big as a house.  I don't sell candles, just make for myself, freinds, and family.  Orgainization is the key.  I have everything separated and orgainized in appropriate sized cardboard boxes -wicks, fo's, containers/jars, scales, etc., and arranged on one long shelf in the laundry area.  I do all melting and pouring in the kitchen of course, but I always put them in the oven for cooling until the next morning - this keeps them out of the way, off the counter top and table.  Then I trim the wicks, lid them, and on the shelf they go - usually stacked (tins) in a cardboard box. Even the glass apothecary jars go in the box they originally came in.  However, I have also dedicated a an upper kitchen cabinet that is now filling up.

 

I don't do 'production', have only been doing about a 10-15 every other weekend, but if I needed more space, I would 'find' some - like my sweetie's closet shelves, lol. 

 

Adding shelves to any existing closet or cabinet would help, and its fairly easy to add them.

 

[Jcandleattic]

Good for you franu61!! 

 

I remember getting our basement finished and me moving in down there about 7 years ago. Best thing that ever happened. I love love love having my own space to do what I love...It's my sanctuary! 

[megandgarr]

Mine is all over the place and it is a pain. I pour on my kitchen island, which requires pulling out the plastic coated tablecloth (for protection), lugging out the big ol heavy turkey fryer and setting everything up. I print labels, store product and put packages together in my office/guest room, and my oils are kept in a large armoire in my great room. But, my hubby will be working on building a custom shelving unit for me so that I can keep all of my finished product in containers on shelves for easy access. Can't wait..... Once that is done I should be able to rearrange a bit to try and get more of my process into one area. 

[grama]

We built a large room unto our house about 10 yrs ago for me.  I have a stove and sink in it plus a room for storing supplies & junk!  Sure was an improvement from working in the kitchen having to clean everything back up each night and storing in a spare bedroom.