5 Things to Consider When Designing a Family Craft Room
Crafting is a wonderful hobby for families to enjoy together. From simple arts and crafts projects to more advanced DIY pursuits, having a designated space for creativity and making things with your hands can be extremely rewarding. If you're looking to create a family craft room in your home, there are several key factors to consider in order to make the space functional, inspiring, and tailored to your family's unique needs and interests. In this article, we'll explore five essential things to keep in mind when designing your family's ideal craft room.
1. The Location of the Craft Room
One of the most important decisions when planning your family craft room is choosing the right location. You'll want to select a spot that is easily accessible to all family members but also provides enough separation so noisy activities don't disturb the rest of the household. A custom summerhouse, such as the ones from Lugarde, located in the garden can be ideal, allowing your family craft sanctuary to exist in its own private world. If an outdoor structure isn't feasible, aim for a spare bedroom, converted garage space, or finished basement that can accommodate storage, seating and all the necessary craft supplies and tools.
2. Craft Room Size
The size of your family craft room will impact the types of activities and number of people the space can accommodate. Consider how many family members will realistically use the room at one time and go from there. You'll want enough space for multiple workstations or zones and room to safely navigate around furniture and supplies.
3. Multi-Purpose Vs. Specialised
Some families prefer a craft room that can flex to suit different interests, while others like stations dedicated to specific crafts. If your family's hobbies are diverse, opt for large multi-purpose worktables, comfortable seating, and modular storage systems. Families who craft together regularly may appreciate specialised tools, materials, and workspace for hobbies like sewing, model building, jewellery making, etc. You can also design zones for different family members' craft favourites.
4. Safety Considerations
When multiple generations are crafting together, safety should be a top priority. Store hazardous tools, adhesives, and materials securely out of reach of young children. Install smoke detectors, fire extinguishers, first aid kits and good lighting. Use child locks, corner cushions and rounded edges to prevent injuries. Having a sink, eyewash station and good ventilation are smart additions, too. And remember to go over safety guidelines and rules with the whole family before using the craft room.
5. Storage Solutions
Between materials, tools, works-in-progress and completed crafts, storage is necessary for keeping your family craft room organised. Dedicate plenty of bins, baskets, shelves, cabinets, and drawers for storing supplies based on how frequently they're used. Label storage clearly so family members can easily access what they need and put things back in their proper homes. Use pegboards, racks, jars, and other vertical storage to take advantage of wall space. And don't forget a clean-up station for quick post-project tidying up.
Creating a craft room tailored to your family's unique interests and needs takes careful planning and consideration. Keep these key factors in mind as you design a creative space that will provide hours of quality time, learning, fun and memory-making for years to come.