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Inside the Creative Studio: Inspiration and Ideas for Your Art and Craft Space

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Embrace your space! The professional organizers and editors of Studios magazine give you the tools to create your own one-of-a-kind artistic environment in this best-of compilation. Learn how to find space in your home, whittle down your stash, and get tips on maximizing your storage and organization. Experts will also show you how to repurpose furniture, recyclables, and vintage items to establish a space with function and personality. Inside the Creative Studio offers imaginative and unique solutions for every lifestyle, regardless of money, time, or space. Artists and crafters of all types--quilters, fiber artists, mixed-media artists, jewelry makers, sewists, painters, and more--share their stories, tips, and images of putting together their customized creative spaces. From spacious oases to cute and compact retreats, each studio offers countless inspirational ideas. With some of the best articles and creative inspiration from Studios magazine, Inside the Creative Studio offers everything you need to know to spend less time making your studio work and more time actually creating.

160 pages, Paperback

First published November 1, 2011

16 people are currently reading
63 people want to read

About the author

Cate Coulacos Prato

4 books3 followers

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5 stars
38 (29%)
4 stars
38 (29%)
3 stars
44 (33%)
2 stars
9 (6%)
1 star
2 (1%)
Displaying 1 - 19 of 19 reviews
Profile Image for Pam.
1,646 reviews
February 1, 2014
This book gives the reader an in-depth look at the studios of numerous artists-painting, drawing, collage and fabric artists primarily. Because all the artists covered deal in "clean arts and crafts", all of the shops are clean and pretty places. As a result many artists and craftspersons will not find ideas for their spaces. I wish a subtitle would have been added to explain this. On the positive side, each artist discusses his or her space and why they designed the space as they did. I was disappointed that it was often unclear what medium the artist worked in and few artists included examples of their work. With lay out drawings for each studio, it was easy to understand the photographs shown. The author, Cate Prato, did a great job picking up how different personalities deal with their spaces and how it influences their creativity.
Profile Image for Tracey.
2,744 reviews
September 6, 2016
adult nonfic: decor/crafting. Compared to the glossy magazine-ready pages I've been looking at lately, this was a huge disappointment. Most of the featured spaces are downright ugly and there is much better inspiration that can be readily found on the web. Yuck.
Profile Image for Gail Richmond.
1,876 reviews6 followers
October 18, 2020
An interesting source book that includes checklists, plans and organizing techniques for creative spaces, whether newly built, redesigned, or parts of larger spaces such as a corner or an alcove of a dual- or multi-purpose room. Lots of organizing plans and some actual floor plans...
1,150 reviews3 followers
June 5, 2023
Such a fun book to read and look through. Perfect for the short attention span that accompanied the fevers and chills of my second shingles vaccination. Someday I'll have a studio spot/room in our house and this will be the perfect book to go back and look through for ideas.
Profile Image for tin_foil_tinnu.
371 reviews
May 2, 2023
A few suggestions interested me, lots of nice pictures for inspiration. Most people in this book seem to use fabric and stamps.
Profile Image for natalie.
99 reviews3 followers
August 5, 2023
I skimmed this book for creative inspiration but wanted to leave a review since it was lovely.
126 reviews4 followers
May 7, 2012
I have never read Studios magazine so everything in this book was new to me. I loved it. I think this is one of the better books on artists studios that I have read. Instead of being a simple glossy book with a mainly photographic tour of studios, it actually goes in depth into the artists' vision for their creative space, what they feel they need, how they went about conceptualizing and building their studio and how they made the space work for them.

The book takes a look at the studios of more than 20 artists, and there are chapters devoted to storage and organization (101 excellent tips and plenty of other suggestions for storing tools, trims, fabric, paper et cetera); ideas for repurposing flea market finds and personalizing one's work space; working with small spaces; lighting and color scheme.

If you're familiar with Studios magazine, this book may not be so useful to you. Otherwise, you may like me find it a good resource for ideas and advice on things to consider in building your own space for your creative endeavors, whether you have a whole basement or a barn to work with, or just a corner of your living room. There is plenty in this book for different types of artists with different needs. I also like the details of some of the photos, which give an insight into the tools and materials some of these artists use.

Among my favorite sneak peeks: Tim Holtz's shelves and shelves of stamps (OMG!!); Wendy Vecchi's vintage library card file cabinets which she uses for storing supplies; and Kristin Krause's chalkboard painted walls that acts as a changing drawing board, as well as her doodled decorations. Talk about creativity!
503 reviews2 followers
September 16, 2020
Delicious pictures, great ideas. It features a variety of artists profiled: weavers, painters, quilters, mixed media (ideas for my scrapbooking friends), shared spaces, new and refurbished spaces, private and retail + work spaces, small and large. There is balance between those who prefer to see their supplies as part of their creative process and those who who need serenity to create-and hybrids. Through the library I'm going to recommend it to friends who have studio space and those contemplating it and wouldn't be at all surprised to hear later that they buy it.
1,035 reviews24 followers
June 9, 2012
This book had wonderful ideas, including lots of pictures, of studios as small as a closet or as
large as a warehouse loft. Many were part of homes, additions, outbuildings, and separate locations. It was interesting to see that many people are inspired to cretivity by lots of ideas around and some need a 'clean' space. I would prefer clean, but live in clutter (organized clutter). One thing I noticed was how much of the furniture and storage was vintage suitcases, boxes, cupboards, etc. Lots of great ideas.
Profile Image for Hollis.
381 reviews9 followers
August 16, 2012
Beautiful photos with some lovely ideas and explanations of how each artist arrived at their perfect space.



Sure, they weren't all new (pegboards, purging, muffin tins for smaller things) but some/most were new to me and photographed beautifully ( all blue studio with blue concrete floors). Many ideas for smaller spaces.

My favorite by far was the "doodled" studio.
Profile Image for Erika Mulvenna.
531 reviews25 followers
October 16, 2013
What I like best about this book is getting a glimpse into working artists studios and seeing what works best for them in terms of storage and work space. There are also several good storage and organization tips included in the book. Great for someone who needs help organizing a space or is looking to create a brand new sewing/crafting/art work space.
Profile Image for Isa.
18 reviews
February 25, 2012
This book is a good resource for inspiration. If you don't know what sort of organization you might need to set up your home studio, the very clear and colorful photographs make a good launchpad to begin laying out your own space.
Profile Image for Maggie.
175 reviews1 follower
March 14, 2012
I'm definitely inspired to clean up my art room and get back to creating things after reading this book. I enjoyed all of the images of each space, it was neat to see how other artists use their spaces.
Profile Image for Mandy.
1,185 reviews
March 16, 2012
Oh yes, my pretty. Once I get the new place bought.....THIS WILL BE MY REALITY. hopefully. Maybe.
Profile Image for Paula.
Author 1 book18 followers
October 13, 2012
You will find ideas to apply to your own work space, but you will also find yourself green with envy at the converted barns and custom-built freestanding studios pictured.
Profile Image for Taylor.
83 reviews
August 26, 2013
I love looking into people's workspaces, but this includes the floorplans! Dream come true. It's also a great reference for organization.
Profile Image for Deb.
259 reviews
June 11, 2014
This book has so many amazing ideas about how to create your own "creative" space. Lots of beautiful photos. If you need some inspiration, here it is.
Profile Image for Marisa.
1,589 reviews
December 31, 2015
Library Request, very inspiring book it had a great number of inspiring ideas in home studios.

Displaying 1 - 19 of 19 reviews

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