A Pleasant Place to Paint

I have slowly been working on organizing my attic space.  A good part of my upstairs is unfinished.  I call it my attic, but I guess that's not really accurate since there is actual attic space above.  This unfinished space was a major part of the house design and it's a part of my house that I really feel fortunate to have.

Last week I decided that my organization plan for this area was flawed.  I spend many mornings at my paint station.  I have a million (that's only a slight exaggeration) things waiting to be painted.  The first flaw - I had the station set up on the east side.  That's the first side to get hot in the summer.  I have a large bank of windows on each side. The sun was actually coming in too strong early in the morning and I could be blinded by the light if I stood in the wrong spot.  The other flaw - the east side has a beam sticking up from the floor - it was just waiting for me to trip over it while holding a bucket of paint.  I've been told that this beam could be trimmed to floor height without compromising the structure, but I would prefer not to tamper with it.

Once I decided I needed to make a change, I couldn't concentrate on anything else til it was done.  Since it is unfinished space, I could only work comfortably til about 11am on the 90 degree days we've been having lately.  It ended up taking about 3 days to make the change.

I sure am happy with the new location and new setup.

Here's the view looking towards the west side windows.  In this picture you can see that I have a ceiling fan.  There are actually 3 ceiling fans in this unfinished space. Love it!!!

You can also see that I put down some carpet squares.  I had them.  They weren't being used.  Now I have a cushy floor to stand on.  I don't know why I put down the drop cloth.  I really don't care if the squares get messed up.  If I had an analyst, I would ask him/her.  I'm sure it has some deep seated meaning.

Here's a view opposite the windows.  You can see I'm starting to put up shelves on the walls I covered with sheets (to cover up exposed fiberglass) last month.  I have more fans set up.  They come in handy when I prime - my current primer is a bit smelly and I want those fumes out as fast as possible. 

I love this space.  I love having a spot where it's OK to make a big mess.  There's no need to clean it up so it can be used for something else.  I can keep a steady stream of projects underway.

Another major bonus for this space is that it's the one area of our house that is pet free.  I love our babies, but if I tried to paint with any of them around, it could would end in disaster.

Most of all, I love how I feel in the space.  Early in morning, the windows are open and breezes are usually wafting through. I can hear nature sounds just outside.  Painting is slow and methodical and I'm finding it's almost like meditating.   It's such a pleasant way to start my day.

I have linked to these parties:
Thrifty Thursday at Bloggeritaville
Transformation Thursdays at The Shabby Chic Cottage
Get Your Craft on Thursday at Life as Lori
It's Party Time at Pony Tails and Fish Scales