# Help me design my new weaving studio



## featherbottoms (May 28, 2005)

I now have my own building for all my weaving stuff. 

The building is 14 x 24 an we had it built without any windows. All I have is one 3' entry door. We bought windows yesterday off craigslist and I think they will work great. So.... I'd like your ideas.

The building sits east to west (short sides on the east/west ends) with the door on the north side, on the east end. That leaves me a lot of interior wall space to work with.

I have 5 30" wide by 7' tall windows, 1 24" wide x 7' tall window and 1 3' wide x 4' tall window. (you take what you can get sometimes  ).

My original idea had been to take the south side and put about 15' of window, however, I had not anticipated having 7' tall windows. I need shelf and wall space, but I also want to have good natural light.

I am in the SE corner of NM and we have hot summers with good light/sun/heat.

I am kinda thinking about putting 2 of the 30" wide windows on the southwest side of the south wall and one of them on the southeast side of the south wall. That would give me almost 8' of 7' tall windows on the south side for natural light (the big loom is going on the west wall so would take advantage of the 2 southwest windows). 

The entry door has 9 panes of glass so there is light there. Where else would you recommend I put these windows? 

And for a bit more to think about, we bought 2 of these 14x24 buildings and a 30' rv. We have them in a U shape with the other building north of the weaving studio and the rv sitting in the center, forming the middle of the U and on the west side of the buildings. We also found cl windows for the other building which is going to be a kitchen. So the north side of the weaving studio is inside the U and is a bit protected from the wind by the other building. I would really like windows on all sides, so I can see out, but I wonder if that's really necessary with the 3 big windows on the south side. I don't like to feel cooped up and I don't like not being able to see outside.

If you were building a studio from the ground up what would be essential? I have natural light, overhead light, shelving, a ceiling fan and a swamp cooler on my list.


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## 7thswan (Nov 18, 2008)

For me, I 'd like to have the corners with windows on each side of the corner. So I could put a loom,spinning wheel ect in the courner and have real light comeing in onto the work. Summer the south wall might be too hot, so it would be nice to have a retractable awning of some kind outside. Maybe even an arbor where plant growth gives you shade in the summer. Grapes grow very fast.
Paint everything white, I made that mistake in my work room. Painted it a sagie green, I had to repaint it white to see true colors.


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## featherbottoms (May 28, 2005)

I like the idea of the windows on the corners. I have enough to do that on the south side, but the other corners would just have one window. I think I can live with that. We got the windows at a real good price so we're going to work with what we have and not buy anymore. 

I am thinking about weaving some open textured cloth to use as window coverings in the summer, but I can also see growing some honeysuckle up an arbor - grapes wouldn't do well on the south side here.

And I hadn't thought about painting the entire inside white but that's a good idea. Between the natural light and the white walls the colors would show better.


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## MullersLaneFarm (Jul 23, 2004)

White walls or if you must have color a very, very soft grey. Colored walls will cast a different light in the room and on your yarns. 

Agree with the awning, not only because of the heat, but you don't want to fade your yarns from sunlight.

Have you considered putting some of the windows high and sideways for natural light and a couple well placed windows to see from. This would allow more shelf space on the walls.


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## Marchwind (May 10, 2002)

Featherbottoms are you in Minnesota or New Mexico?


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## weever (Oct 1, 2006)

Following, as a new weaving studio may be in my near future. I would have not thought about the white paint idea, so I've already learned something.


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## featherbottoms (May 28, 2005)

Marchwind, I am in the southeast corner of New Mexico.


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## Marchwind (May 10, 2002)

I was confused because you posted about stuff for sale in MN and then in this post you said NM. I was just making sure you hadn't just transposed the letters. Carry on


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