A Girl Can Dream

Last night I had the most vivid dream that we bought a new house and on the property was a 19th century school house that I was going to convert into my new workshop. It had old hardwood floors, 15ft ceilings, huge windows, the perfect amount of space. I was so elated...and then I woke up.
I'm currently doing all of my furniture work in my basement workshop. The ceilings are pretty low, it's a bit musty, and everything that needs to be sanded, photographed, or sold, has to be hauled up the 10 basement steps and through the hatchway. It is not, by any means, an ideal space.

When I go running in the evenings I like to peek in the windows of all the abandoned factories (My town was once the number one producer of bells in the world) and dream of a studio/workshop in one of those big, sunny, cool, and slightly creepy spaces. Then again, I'd also be very happy buying a house that had a huge barn or outbuilding and using that as the workshop. That way I could keep up my habit of late night polyurethaning. Either way- it would be an upgrade from my basement dungeon. Here are some pics of other barn and warehouse studios.

I love the how open and bright this space is. I would be terrified to work on furniture in here though, the gorgeous floors would be paint splattered in a matter of minutes. 

Another really cool bright workshop. 

With a few more windows, this would be perfect. A cement floor so I can make a mess guilt free. Its a big open space 

Stunning barn conversion. I'm amazed there aren't more barn conversions in New England. These 19th century barns are everywhere, and lots of them are still in remarkable good shape. 

They turned this barn into a jewelry store- it would have been equally awesome as a furniture gallery. 

Beyond gorgeous. Look at the subtle diamond patter on the floor, the matching enamel topped work tables, that huge antique cabinet. 

There's a factory in two that looks a lot like this on the inside. It needs to be cleaned up a bit but definitely has potential. I love the texture play between the painted brick wall in the back and the chipped paint on the beams. 

Well, if I ever win the lottery, I'll get myself a space just like this for my workshop. I don't frequently play the lottery, so it's a long shot.