The town where I live is old, with ancient cobbled streets and buildings that have stood for hundreds of years. It is a bustling, lively old market town with a great atmosphere and a thriving high street. There are a good number of independent shops, pubs, restaurants and cafés occupying the old buildings that line the streets, and visually it's a really lovely town. Mellow and charming.
I walk these streets daily as I go about my business, and am very familiar with what's at ground level. I know the shops and cafés well, and am often in and out of a good number of them. But it's not often that one thinks to look up is it? What goes on above these shops and cafés? What's behind those first and second floor windows? This was the question that began to occupy my thoughts a few months ago, and I found myself looking upwards a great deal. Because I had an idea and I was beginning a Personal Search.
My idea was quite simple....I wanted to find a room. A room that would give me space to create and work, to surround myself with beautiful things, with colour and pattern, with yarn and books and buttons and crochet. It would be a room I could perhaps open up and share with others too, a place for me to invite like minded souls to come and spend some happy, creative times. It was my dream really. I've always dreamed of occupying such a space, and had often chatted to my hooky friends about it. We fantasised about it often. How lovely it would be! We could run classes! We could have Open Studio sessions! We could create, teach, share, inspire!
At the end of January, I found it. I walked down the street one day and I looked up and saw those first floor windows and I wondered.....I wondered what went on up there? I wondered if there might possibly be an empty room inside that freshly painted, stylish grey building. This is a newly opened local café bar a little way out of the town centre, an old building given a new lease of life by two enterprising and dynamic ladies. And as is so often the case in this small friendly town, I very soon found out that these lovely ladies were in fact friends of friends, and that's when it all began to rollercoaster. Phone calls were made, a meeting was set up and so began one of the most exciting adventures ever ever ever.
Would you like to come inside with me? Come on then, lets pop in and take a look......
On the ground floor, there are two rooms. The first room is where all the action is. It's where the scrummy homemade cakes and pastries are baked, where the delicious fresh coffee is made, and where the scrumptious food is cooked. There are tables and chairs here, and there is much banter and chatter and comings and goings.
The second room is just off to the right, and is light and lovely and a little more peaceful. The whole place has an exceptionally welcoming atmosphere, and it's a real pleasure just to be there really. You can bob in for a quick coffee to take away (which I had often done in the past), or you can sit down and enjoy a slice of cake with your drink or perhaps a lovely lunch with friends.
Anyhow....more about the café in a bit. I need to take you upstairs now. Come on, follow me......
.....up the very old wooden stairs....
.....admire the gorgeous old stained glass window on the landing.....
....turn right and walk down the little corridor to the old wooden door at the end. Push it open........
.....and there is indeed an empty room sat waiting.
It's old, as you can see. Old wooden floors, and old beamed ceiling, deep skirting boards and a delightful old fireplace.
It has recently been replastered and rewired, but the floor is in a dreadful state and it is dusty and dirty. Yet the room has an incredible feel to it. On this cold February morning, the sunlight streamed in through the front window, and well, I felt like I had just opened a most precious gift. Space. A light filled space. So very, very full of potential that I felt like I wanted to dance a jig right there on the spot.
I was not on my own here I might add. My very good friend Tracy was with me, as I had decided when I first began my search that I would love more than anything to be able to share. To perhaps recreate a little of the fun that accompanied my art school days. Much more fun to share, I thought.
And so we began. We began to work very, very hard at making this precious room shine.
The first task was to deal with the floor. Years of grime, paint and plaster had to be scrubbed and scraped away and it was back breaking hard graft.
We started in one corner and gradually worked our way backwards. It was slow and laborious and took many days as we both had to fit the work in between our family commitments. A little bit here, a little bit there. An hour or two each day when we could manage.
But as we scrubbed and scraped and wiped and brushed, Tracy and I talked over all our plans for this room and we shared the excitement of it all.
Slowly but surely we made progress and we could see that the hard work was beginning to pay off.
The floor boards began to look quite presentable once they were clean and dry.
The final stage was to give the floor a good rub down with some Danish Oil....
....it restored the tired, thirsty wood and made it look quite beautiful.
With the floor done, it was time to get painty. We both agreed that it had to be white, a great backdrop for all the colour that would surely come from both of us! As with the floor, it was a slow process due to the limited time we could escape there child free.
But as with the floor, we gradually began to see it taking shape. Several coats of white on all the woodwork....
....then two coats of brilliant white emulsion on the walls and ceiling.
We finished the decorating four days ago, and oh my, it was such a fantastic feeling! After many weeks of dirty work I couldn't wait to clear the room and prepare for the Fun Stuff!
We spent Saturday afternoon tidying all the messy stuff away, giving the floor a good sweep and filling some jugs with fresh flowers by way of celebration.
During the weeks when we were cleaning and decorating upstairs, we began to make our presence felt in the café downstairs. Right from the very beginning, the owners were very keen for us to bring our distinctive creative vibe into the café, so we told all our yarny friends to come and join us. Come on down we said! Tell your friends to come too! Come and join us every Friday morning for some great coffee, delicious cake and some sociable creativity! It has been a huge success and now on Friday mornings, the café is filled with much chatter and laughter and lots of crochet, knitting and stitching. It's wonderful.
As you might expect, the past few days have been mega exciting for Tracy and I. I've had trouble sleeping cos my mind is so buzzy and full of ideas, but in a really great way. We both of us have Big Creative Minds you see, and they have been working on overdrive now that the studio is ready for us. We are both on a tight budget, and will be doing things gradually. Repurposing, recycling and re-using. We are searching out pre-loved furniture in local second hand and charity shops, picking up unwanted bits and pieces from friends, scouring eBay, and even rescuing unwanted items from being thrown into landfill (more on that a little later). So it's an ongoing process, and we'll have to be patient with it, adding little by little to the room as we work out what we need and how we want the studio to work.
But it's already taking shape. It's taking shape rather beautifully........
This picture was taken at the weekend when my first bits of furniture were moved in. An old farmhouse table bought on eBay. An old kitchen chair given to me by a friend which I painted a most gorgeous blue colour. A vintage wicker bin found in a charity shop. An old stripy jug bought from the collectors centre down the road (daffies from the market). And a fabulous old Lloyd Loom chair snapped up at a bargain price from the same place as the jug.
This was Tracy's end at the weekend as she also started to bring in some bits and pieces. An upcycled chair bought from a charity shop, old step ladders painted to use for display. Some old wooden boxes from the collectors centre, and a notice board made from an old picture frame.
And this is how my space looks right now. A little more colour has arrived!
I am beginning to feel very at home in this room....it is making me sooooooo happy :o)
My lovely prettified inspiration board will be put up on the wall above my desk, and I've painted up three wooden shelves to go on the wall too. Need to get J to come and do that for me as I am shamefully hopeless with anything that needs man tools. I just stick to what I am good at and Insubstantial Prettifying is my thing remember.
The framed pictures will soon be hung on the wall too, and my lovely wire veggie rack will soon be filled with yarn.
There is lots still to do, but I am really, really looking forward to doing it, that's for sure.
Tracy has also made herself at home. She brought down an old kitchen table to work at, and her amazing painted printers tray filled with all her sewing threads.
Her style and colour palette is a little different to mine, but I think we compliment each other very well.
It's been lovely to see her settle so easily into the studio, and her table is already filling up with work in progress. I confess I am a little jealous of the time she is able to spend working there already (her boys are older than mine and are both at school), but I know my time will come soon enough.
For now I'm enjoying the delicious task of making this studio of ours a wonderful, inspiring place to be in. A place that feels like home.
In the future, we hope to be able to run creative classes and workshops here, and to open our door every now and again for folk to come and see what we do. I will of course keep you posted, I'm going to very much enjoy sharing this new journey with you all.
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ps please do pop along to Tracy's blog Patchwork Chickens to read her tale of our studio. She is far more direct and less waffly than me, and she takes beautiful pictures too. She's a great Studio Buddie to have x
bonjour
joli endroit, propice à une création joyeuse,
je suis curieuse de savoir avec quel produit vous avez nettoyé si bien le parquet ?
hello
beautiful location, ideal for creating a joyful,
I am curious to know what product you have cleaned the floor so well?
hop ! dans mes liens.
hop ! in my links, thank you. Tine (Provins/France)
Posted by: Tine | July 30, 2014 at 08:15 AM
I AM THRILLED WITH ALL YOU have posted, so I will be following and learning from you, the Mistress of Crochet and Bread!!
Oh, gotta go! I gotta get my bread started!! Have you seen my "J" crochet hook anywhere? Hugs from Texas, USA!
Posted by: PENNY | March 20, 2014 at 04:59 PM
Congratulations Lucy!Thank you for sharing your dreams and future plans with us. I love"peeking"into
Attic 24 time to time. I love the colours you put together, you inspire me. I am hoping to visit the yarndale festival this year, and hopefully meet you in person. I have just finished a stack of crochet granny triangles for my 3 yr old grand-daughter's room. They look great! I would like to crochet the pattern of the terrace houses. We now live in similar and I have painted mine PINK!
Thank you for reading this,look forward to a link to the pattern.
MANY THANKS Lucy from Linda in Cornwall. PS You are always welcome to visit me if you are down this way.
Posted by: Linda | March 12, 2014 at 10:45 PM
Hello,
It is inspirational, both your dream of a studio and your excellence at your craft
Posted by: Beryl Drake | December 12, 2013 at 08:59 AM
Hi Lucy,
I only discovered the attic a very little while ago, but I pop by every day for my colour therapy and inspiration.
Anyway, I was intrigued by your studio and how you came by it and so I find myself here today. I've not long left the Job Centre after speaking about business start up support because in my head is a craft cafe, bustling with activity. It looks like a living room but with bright airy windows, full of colour & inspiration, it has sewing machine workstations and local crafters work adorning the walls, furntiure and floor. It has wonderful yarn & craft supplies for purchase, free wifi for the kids and partners so they don't feel left out. There are craft lessons going on most days.... But it is still in my head!
Your story of the Attic 24 Studio has inspired me so much and I would really love for my dream cafe to jump out of my head and into reality within the old town of Rochester and so my journey begins... But where?
Thank you Lucy and Tracy for sharing all your yummy skills and most of all sharing your dreams.
Faye
Posted by: Faye Lamb | December 11, 2013 at 03:05 PM
How lovely is your place! I enjoyed all the photos with bright colors sitting on the couch on the lovely morning! Your town is so beautiful. Hope to visit it sometimes in my life!
Posted by: Avni | July 10, 2013 at 04:18 AM
sounds lovely, an inspiration to us all
Posted by: jacki ward | July 03, 2013 at 09:03 AM
I'm a little behind but I love it! What a wonderful space. So happy for you both! Looking forward to being inspired by your new creations in your new space.
I just subbed to your partner's blog as well. Love it.
-Bridget
Posted by: Bridget | April 24, 2013 at 06:31 PM
Hello there!! I've been away for a while but what a FABULOUS story to return to! Congratulations!! You completely and utterly deserve it!! I cannot wait to see all the marvels that come form this very special, very quaint and "oh so you" space!! ♥
Posted by: Angy Braine | April 17, 2013 at 06:39 AM
What the 2 of you made out of this room is just incredible and wonderful! As many before I wish to have such an opportunity too and am lucky for you to be able to create all that handmade somethings in such an inspiring setting. The atmosphere of these English houses and buildings is simply perfect for all kinds of creativity and I really wish to find something similiar here in Germany. Let your creative minds run wild up there! Congrats.
Posted by: Karolina | April 16, 2013 at 06:53 PM
LOVELY studio! so happy fro you and Tracy! This is really wonderful idea! Keep it up :)
Posted by: Anna | April 08, 2013 at 11:07 AM
I just love your basket full of yarn. Everytime I see your posts I find your beautiful blankets so so tempting. I would love to make one. Can you please let me know which yarn to do you use?
You are doing a gr8 job!!
Thanks!!
Ranjitha
Posted by: Ranjitha | April 08, 2013 at 08:50 AM
Congratulations, it is such a lovely and cozy looking studio!
Posted by: Joan | April 05, 2013 at 10:13 PM
Oh, what a beautiful little place! I am so pleased for you both. It looks wonderful already. May you have many many happy hours there! And how lovely to have each other for company. And as for workshops....another reason to travel back up North and visit one of my favourite towns again! xx
Posted by: Naomi | April 05, 2013 at 08:02 PM
Congratulations, I check your blog every day. Im happy for you and tracy, you guys are very creative and your idea is very beautiful and peaceful. maybe one day I will visit Yorkshire all the way from Kuwait and come up to your studio to do some hooking.
Posted by: Abeer ALQattan | April 01, 2013 at 08:04 AM
This is so wonderful and inspiring to read. Me and my friend/fellow crafter were talking about such schemes and dreams only last week. Its so lovely to think that it can happen! It looks stunning!
Posted by: Little Dotty Bird | March 29, 2013 at 09:19 PM
I have just read through your post...this is so exciting and now I am going to pop over to patchwork chickens and read Tracy's post.
Posted by: Lindsey Toms | March 28, 2013 at 08:54 PM
Happy studio days to the pair of you! :)
Posted by: idiosyncratic eye | March 28, 2013 at 06:21 PM
I am so happy for you! Your energy and creativity are astonishing. I wish I was closer so I could come visit. I wish you many creative hours in your cozy new space, and yes, you will have more time to spend as your little ones grow. :)
Posted by: Joanne | March 28, 2013 at 04:45 PM
Ooo I am so jealous! I'd love to have my very own creative space for all my bits 'n' bobs. It's looks wonderful!
Posted by: Jennifer | March 27, 2013 at 12:58 PM
Hi Lucy, thanks the book was a bit of a slog at times but always something I planned for my retirement, when GMC asked me to do it a year ago January I was shocked but so excited too.
I see congratulations are in order for you too, I remember my first work shop and how excited I was.....you must be thrilled to bits about it all?
Hope you have as much success with your new venture as I did with mine many moons ago.
Hugs, Sue x
Posted by: Sue | March 27, 2013 at 10:58 AM
Oh exciting! I'd like to visist your studio but i lived so far away. Thank you to share the creative process of your studio.
Posted by: pelusa | March 27, 2013 at 04:40 AM
I've come a bit late to the tour, but thank you for sharing! For those of us who are not currently in a position to have our own creative hide-away, reading about the process of cleaning, reclaiming and decorating brings a fair measure of joy. I look forward to more photos, and the projects that will no doubt be produced in such a cozy, colorful nook!
Posted by: Shannon | March 26, 2013 at 09:52 PM
Congratulations on your sweet little yarn & art shop ! I too have had that very same little dream of having a sweet little spot to meander and meddle my days away with yarn,friends,and of course sweet treats ! You both have done an amazing job fixing it up. I look forward to reading more about your little shop adventures !
Posted by: Tami H. | March 26, 2013 at 07:53 PM
Wow! I want to get on a plane straight away and move to your small town and have a cup of coffee and cake in your cafe and soak up all the knowledge you have of knitting and crocheting! You are a lovely writer and I am sooo enthralled with your little studio! I wish we had a place like that where I live! Please do not stop blogging!
Posted by: Carol Bratt | March 26, 2013 at 03:52 PM