Sewing room ideas for small spaces are crucial to getting you started with your personal projects at home. Tiny spaces not only allow little room to move and store your work, but they can also get messy fast. A few things here and there can already make it look cramped and littered.
Having a small sewing room cannot be helped if the room has never been in your plan when you had your house built or when you moved to the place.
Here are a few tips that will hopefully help you transform a small room into a working sewing area with storage:
Start Small
If you are not a seamstress by trade, then you can afford to start small. Buy only the most essential pieces. With fewer items, it is easier to keep each item in its proper place. While little is good for a time, eventually, you will need something bigger. Start planning out for that expansion. Observe how things go every day you are in the sewing room, and accommodate changes according to these habits or tasks.
Start with the Logistics
Think about what is practical, first. How would you move around? What will make you comfortable in the small space? If you put open your folding iron while at work, where should it be? The logistics for each person can be different. It will depend on what is comfortable and natural to you. You don’t want to be moving about awkwardly in your own space.
Here are things that you need and cannot do away with:
- A place to sew (chair, table)
- A place to iron
- A corner to store all your tools and materials
- A mirror
- A sitting place for someone else who may come by (a client or a family member)
Invest in Storage Space
In any type of room, storage space is key to keeping things tidy. Check if your room can take some built-in storage. This way, you can keep some storage close to the wall and away from you. Opt for tables that can accommodate and hide organizer boxes underneath. Tables with drawers should also help. Make sure your little tools and materials also have appropriate organizers and storage units. Be aware of new tips and tricks in keeping fabrics lined up nicely in your wardrobe. The wardrobe itself should have plenty of drawers and dividers as not to let your materials mix messily. You may also opt to separate different types of patterns.
Go Vertical
If horizontal space is not much, you may also go vertical. Tall wardrobes and organizers can provide you with more storage. This way, you can move about the room more quickly, without bumping on furniture here and there.
Display Only Often-Used Tools
Just because you are sewing for the first time does not mean to say you have to announce it loud and clear. More likely, you will be the only one going to and fro that room. So, store items that are not in use. You may want to display often-used tools to provide the appropriate ambiance for your room. Even then, they should be adequately and neatly laid out on your table. Have them arranged as if you are about to take a picture of them for Pinterest?
Buy a long table
Having a long table in the room seems counterproductive, but it is necessary. With a long table, you can neatly lay down your daily sewing necessities. A long table is a storage in itself, as long as you divide the surface with organizers. It would be helpful if the table has drawers, as well. A long table will also provide you with enough support when you are trying to straighten a piece of cloth. There will be no room to maneuver with smaller tables.
Go for Multipurpose
One of the best sewing room ideas for small spaces is to pick multipurpose furniture. An example of such are ottomans that double as decorative and storage pieces. They can also help you get those tired feet up at the end of the day. Tables that can be folded up to the wall can be a great addition to your small sewing room. However, that will mean having a smaller table to display your tools. Choose whatever is better for your space.
Repurpose!
Old items do not need to be discarded. After all, you have invested in these items. For example, leftover fabrics do not need to be thrown. You can just add them to your mood board, for example, or use it to upholster your furniture.
Have Things Upholstered and Sassy-Looking
Speaking of upholstery, add it on your ironing board and other surfaces for that extra stylish zest in your sewing room. Use patterns that you like. By using them, you tack your personality on your items. Do not use busy patterns, though, because they may make your room look chaotic. Go for patterns and tones that work well together.
Go with Monotone
Because we are talking about keeping things clean and bright in a small space, monotone is the way to go. Pick colors that complement each other. For example, you may go for shades of green: mint, lime, pistachio, and something else. There are other lights, calming shades such as pinks, blues, and yellows. Some color combinations can be overwhelming and busy, and you don’t want that in your small space.
When in Doubt, Go for White
If you don’t want to mix shades of the same color, you can go for white. Your furniture can be painted white. Of course, make sure that the room does not end up looking like a hospital ward. There should be other shades, such as cream, pearl, and alabaster.
Choose, Sharp Clean Lines
Furniture with straight lines will provide a cleaner look. Go for tables and chairs that provide minimalist styles.
Post a Mood Board
A mood board will be a way to showcase your style and designs. It can feature some of your ideas that you are just waiting to put into action. This is where you can add your sample fabrics to boost your imagination.
Keep Things Safe and Secure
Of course, sewing rooms may harbor some dangerous tools, such as rotary cutters, scissors, and the machine itself. Make sure that children and pets cannot access them easily. The machine, for example, should be on a shelf with a door. If it is high up, then children cannot reach them. Cats, on the other hand, can leap and bound over to it. The rest of your sharp tools should be kept in organizers or drawers. They should not be out in the open, tempting the children.
Go for Wide Windows and More Light Sources
If you have a choice at this point, go for a room that has wide windows. The light streaming in will keep your room bright and airy. Yes, you want to make the room appear to have more space. At the same time, you want it to be adequately ventilated.
Add Full-Length Mirrors on the Walls
You need a mirror there, somewhere. A full-length one bolted on the wall saves spaces and creates the illusion of more space. You need one so that you can check if a garment fits you nicely. The mirror also creates an extension of your horizon, providing the appearance of more space.
Make Everything Magazine Worthy
Just because the room is small does not mean it cannot be magazine worthy. Keep the area clean and nice. Take photos and check what it looks like in a photo. Is it something you are willing to share on social media? It does not mean to say that you are not sharing pictures, anyway, that you can make it look like a pigsty or a ho-hum room. Don’t think about who is about to see it. You will see it everyday that you are there. Make it look good so that you can feel good about it, too.
Have other sewing room ideas for small spaces?
Of course, as you become more familiar with your sewing room space, you can pick up a few more tips from here and there. Take pictures and show what you have to friends. If they have a sewing room or any small room in their house, ask them for extra tips that work. Share your own with them.