The filing cabinet (and unpacking)

21 May 2014

Well, we did it! We are in!

Many crates later and, if I'm honest feeling somewhat jaded, the end is in sight. Moving is stressful and it's certainly not something I would want to do too often but it does have its up side. During the course of the unpacking, (rather than the packing?), an awful lot of sorting out and rationalisation has gone on! 

I think it is true to say that we probably have thrown out more as we unpacked then we did when we packed it. This means that we moved an awful lot of junk! Does everybody move awful lot of junk? My housemate, Mark, who I have to say has been an absolute stalwart with regard to this move, is more experienced than I am when it comes to moving. He has moved several times since I have known him (he is a work colleague and we have worked together for 10 years) and has also moved aged relatives. He said, as we started to unpack and decided that actually we didn't need whatever it was we were unpacking, that in his experience more throwing out happens after the move than before it. 

Last night my attention turned to my new studio space. Everything has just been dumped in the boxes by the Packers. In fact it was a very good exercise because I found things that I had forgotten about, and taking it slowly I was able to create much more order in the old wooden filing cabinet that I use to store quite a lot of fabric and wadding (when there isn't enough to store it on a roll). This old cabinet has been with me for a few years now. I don't actually remember where it came from. I think I just found it outside a junk shop, to be honest I'm not sure about that. For a while it was with my daughter in her flat in London, but when she came home it reverted back to me. At some point, again I don't exactly remember when, it came up from my home to my 'home from home'. 

As a general rule of thumb, filing cabinets are not particularly pretty pieces of furniture. They usually come in metal and in rather drab shades of battleship Grey. This one is wood, not a particularly good wood, it has to be said, but nevertheless it is wood and has a rather trendy vintage feel to it. The drawers make excellent storage because they are so deep. 
 

In fact it could be said, that they are too deep because things get lost at the bottom. However, last night I pressed into service a box that I had been saving for sometime because I thought it was too useful to throw away! This box originally had wine in it. It's not a wine crate, but rather a presentation box that came with some gifted wine that I had one Christmas. Therefore the box is strong and fairly shallow and has a nice finish (by which I mean it isn't rough cardboard, but rather has a laminated shiny surface). It also fits perfectly inside the drawers of the filing cabinet. So I pressed it into service as additional shelves within the drawers, bringing much order to the potential chaos. ( is it only me who has a tendency to stuff bits of fabric into drawers when engaged on a project?) 

Of course, my studio is here at my 'home from home', because that is where I spend most of my time. When I go home a take a particular piece of work with me, if I am working on anything. I'm really excited about my new studio here. We should be in this house for two years, and I'm bursting with anticipation at the opportunity for some good work! 

But first the studio must be completely unpacked and everything put away. 


I'll share piccies when that's done. Meanwhile, here's the garden from the studio French windows. 


9 comments

  1. What a lovely view from your new studio. Glad that you are settling in well.

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  2. I'd love that view out of my workroom! Lucky you ...... enjoy :-)

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  3. What an amazing space! Glad it's all going well. And yes, I stuff random bits of fabric back into drawers without folding or pulling out the drawer fully. Then it either explodes out or falls down the back :)

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  4. What a lovely peaceful outlook from your studio window. When you are feeling overwhelmed with work in your studio, think how refreshed you will feel with just a quick glance out of doors. How beautiful!

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  5. Thank you for your lovely comments! I'm very lucky I know. Still a long way to go with the organising, but I can see the floor, and then I can get cracking on some work!

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  6. Well done for all the work so far. It looks a lovely workspace with the view into the garden.

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  7. Studio views are so important, in my opinion. I had to double check with a friend that it wasn't too weird that of the three otherwise identical townhouses backed up against a wooded area I felt compelled to choose the one with a view of a birch tree. She assured me it was not, since birches are sort of my creative thing. As for the packing thing, yes. In my many moves, there have always been too many things that went in the box with the idea that I might or would surely need it in the new place, followed by seeing it in the new surroundings and wondering what I could possibly been thinking!

    So glad you found a place, are happy with it and getting settled in.

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  8. That is a great idea! Filing cabinets are difficult to match with the house, especially when the interior of your home office is decorated lavishly. Wallpapering a filing cabinet is definitely a great idea in order to make them match your walls. Nice choice of wallpaper, by the way! It's so chic. :D

    Kelly Martinez @ ALB Image

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