Recreating Martha's Crafts Room

On the third floor of Martha's home in Bedford, New York, there is a work room like no other. With light from both North- and South-facing dormer windows (eight in total, each with its own window seat) and outfitted with custom-built storage units and work surfaces, Martha's crafts room is a quiet refuge devoted to creative pursuits. It is accessible only by a narrow staircase that climbs up from the second floor and Martha's cats are the most frequent visitors to this very personal sanctuary.

 

But Martha loves to share and to teach. In the September, 2007, issue of Martha Stewart Living she revealed her crafts room in a feature story that demonstrated simple organizational systems for a room devoted to creative work; a space that is filled with small supplies that could easily become lost if not properly stored. Below are images of Martha's Bedford crafts room. It was designed with Shaker-style cabinetry that Martha had painted in her favourite shade of green. There are four principle work stations, plus a central work table for general projects. There is a sewing and knitting station, a printing station, a station for paper crafts and a station for scrapbooking. Each work surface is topped with a pressed-linseed material that is soft enough to absorb nicks and scratches. Each station, too, has its own vintage metal office chair, which Martha had stripped down and reupholstered with grey leather. Their wheels making moving around the low-ceiling space effortless. As you can see, each drawer and shelf holds specific items for specific projects. It is a marvelous room, and one that you can recreate!

MARTHA'S CRAFT SPACE COLLECTION AT HOME DECORATORS

 

Several years ago, Martha partnered with Home Decorators - an exclusive home-décor brand with The Home Depot - to provide several lines of furniture for living rooms, dining rooms, laundry rooms and crafts rooms. The Martha Stewart Craft-Space Collection is by far the most popular of her product lines with Home Decorators and one that is sincerely enjoyed by craft enthusiasts: most of her merchandise with this line has received top marks in customer reviews, and it's easy to see why. Last year, the line greatly expanded to include 46 pieces. New storage units designed specifically for craft-supply storage are made from durable, scratch-resistant woods that are sturdy and designed to be long-lasting. Below are some examples, shown in ''Rhododendron Leaf'' - a classic Martha shade. The pieces shown do require assembly and also come in several other hues, such as Sequoia, Cement Gray and Picket Fence making them easy to coordinate with any style of home décor.

 

WHAT I LOVE:

 

I love that the pieces were virtually modeled after Martha's own custom-built craft storage units at Bedford and that you can, to some extent, recreate that environment in your own home at a relatively affordable price. I love that the materials are sturdy and durable: made to last. I love the colour choices and how simple it is to combine and coordinate the pieces to create one functional space. I love the wooden magazine file folders, the wall-mounted magazine rack and the cork-covered cupboard. Each piece was carefully designed with thoughtful details that accommodate very specific storage needs, such as keeping spools of thread organized. Click here to see the entire line and find out all of the specific details for the items shown.