Dream Scrapbook Desk and Hutch

I just had a rummage sale to finance my new scrapbook area. It's in my guest bedroom. My space is about 8 feet (along one wall).

I've searched everywhere online to find just the right furniture for me. I'm very organized and need something with lots of storage. I also want it to look nice and not cluttered or mismatched (because it is a Guest Bedroom).

I found that there aren't a lot of companies that make "well organized scrapbook furniture". You know the kind that had lots of 1" to 4" drawers.

I looked at the Hobby Hideaway--it's really nice but way to expensive (over $2,000). I'm thinking about a Desk and Hutch from Chandler Creations (for under $1000).

The second one has tons of 1", 2", 3" drawers (with inserts). This way all my scrapbook stuff would be concealed. The only problem is, they don't have white, which is what I really wanted.

So any way, if you could buy any craft desk, table, hutch, armoir, or station of your choice, for under $1000--what would you buy?

I've not been able to find one big enough. I just made my own workspace using a table and I have two of those sheliving units (I got them at Target) that have open squares that are 13x13 so my Cropper Hopper paper holders fit perfectly and then I got decorative baskets to hold the other stuff. The shelving units line one entire wall of my room.

Good luck searching. It's a huge dilema isn't it!

I'm thinking of going "custom" with my room at the beginning of next year.

I have rolling carts for my papers (one for 8.5x11 papers and one for 12x12's) that I want to incorporate into my future design.

You really have to look at what you want and how you scrap. What's your flow. What blocks your flow.

For me I need lots of table space. I've looked at and tried various layouts. I think I'll just go with a modified U-shape configuration. Short side facing door will be my computer station. To the right my embellishment station (where mats, stamping, glittering, etc take place) then to the side of that will be where the pages are put together. There will be shelves on the walls and on the back side of the table will be all my rotary organizers with my most used stuff/tools. Then on the long side of the "U" will be my Sizzix, punches, and larger tools.

My problems is where to the scanner and printer. I'm thinking of making a cabinet with heavy duty slide mounted shelves for scanner, Wishblade then printer on the bottom.

Still working out the details.

How often is your guest room used?

IKEA has some very cool desks for hobbies! I love the glass top ones! They'd be much easier to clean than a wood top one (I'm pretty sloppy)! And you can even mix and match different legs and tops!

My guest room is only used a few times a year--I would really like to get rid of the bed, then I would have all kinds of space. But my husband thinks I should keep it as a spare bedroom. So that really limits my scrap space.

When our dd moved out I immediately took over her room as my craft room. We have a separate family room and living room. Since we hardly used the family it was really a catch all and the few times we had guests stay over night, we rigged something up for them. We have two very nice air mattresses that we will fill with air to the guests' preference and comfort.

Then dh started to work from home. He's an online programmer. Took half "my" room. Eventually moved out into the family room. It's funky shaped with a fireplace in one corner and entrance in the opposite corner. I'm still playing with different configurations but I think I have it down.

We have guests stay with us once or twice a year. Not worth having space set up for just that, in our opinion.

Just something to consider. Sell the bedroom furniture for proper/better sb furniture?

Just call me the enabler.

my hubby built me a table and a shelve unit if i had more space he would build me more. so i would not have to look around so i have no idea what would work best for u.. i just wish i had more space so i could spread out some and have more work space he thought he was building something that would give me that but man he did not realize i had so much stuff and it keeps growing

In this hobby/craft/obsession, there is no such thing as enough room!

OK Vivian, your are too funny and an enabler. I have come to a compromise on the guest room. I suggested to DH that we sell the queen bed and get a twin. He thought that was fine. I'm also going to sell the dresser. That should give me quite a bit more space.

I mean, after all, if I'm going to scrap, I need room to breathe and move, right?

Exactly!!!

I'd have opted for a futon or day bed so people could sit there while I forced them to look at my albums.

• Lady Vivian Said:

That was going to be my suggestion too. That way if you have friends over scrappin' with ya, there's a place for their patooty.

I would get a pull out couch, you know the one with the bed in it. That way when you have guests they can use that. But when you don't you will have somewhere to sit and relax.

See, Sherry, you've come to the right place.

• Lady Vivian Said:

I was going to suggest the same thing. A futon, is small, but when folded out it can be a full or queen sized bed.

Also, your dh can hang out on the futon while you are creating.

We're going to build a house when my DH retires in 8 years. I'm going to have a fairly large (15x15 at least) scrap/guest room. I want to make everything a /guest room so the grandkids (I hope it's plural by then) can come stay. I'm going to have lots and lots of built-ins. (I'm living in this house until I die so I don't have to worry about resale value. <g>) I want a double or queen size Murphy bed that pulls down from the wall. When it goes back up, then I want a table that props up on the wall side of the bed. Not the only table in the room, just an extra one. The built ins will have a ton of shelves and drawers.

When my 25 year old daughter heard we were going to build a house, she thought we should buy a piece of land with her. We could each build a house and then we could build a third house together that would be the Craft House. I like the way she thinks! Her dad didn't think it was such a hot idea. <g>

• much2learn Said:

A day bed is great since it is a twin with antoher bed under it. Plus it pops up to make a kings bed when you need it!

I think the futon is a great idea. It's very practical; keeps your room looking like an office but easily adjusts into a queen size bed. I have a daybed in my spare room that I've had since I was 12. While I love it and the space it saves, I think it works better in an actual spare bedroom than a room you want to use more as an office. I always used to do my hw sitting on it in high school, but it really isn't as comforable as sitting on a couch or futon.

For my scrap desk, DH and I went to Home Depot and got kitchen cabinets (the kind that sit on the floor) and countertops. We made an L-shaped desk in the corner of our bonus room. The cabinets are spaced about 3 feet apart and the center one (center of the L) is a huge lazy susan cabinet. I'm pretty sure it was all under $1000. I love it!

Futons, daybeds, and pull-out couches are all great ideas. But the main reason I want a regular bed is because of my Mom. I have always kept this room for her when she comes to visit.

She had a heart attack this year and had to have 4 bypasses. If it weren't for her I would probably go with one of the other options. But I think those fold up beds might be uncomfortable for her--you know--sometimes they don't lay completely flat.

So anyway, I appreciate all of your suggestions, and I am going to sell my regular size bed and get a twin. That will give me enough room for now.

My scrap room is currently in a corner of my bonus son's room. Even though he is ony with us a few months a year, i still keep it as his room. Once we have a house, I will have half a room, as the other half will be a joint office with DH. We both want to be in the same room for my scrapping/crafts and the office.

Anyway, the small version of my scraproom is in my gallery. When I have half the room to take up, there will be an additional tall shelf piece as well as a couple of shelves that span over top of the table, thus getting the stuff off of the table creating more of a work space. There also are longer shelves that can connect into this grouping as well. These are from Container Store. We got mine for free when DH's company moved to a new office and their boss said "all old furniture goes home with the employees and none to the new building". The things sitting on the floor under the desk will be moved to shelves once we have the entire unit built. I've started making my own matching storage containers as well, those pictures are in my gallery too. Here is my work area and it takes up one corner currently.

http://www.scrapbook.com/myplace/index.php?mod=gallerie...

http://www.scrapbook.com/myplace/index.php?mod=gallerie...

That is so nice that you're going to keep a "real" bed in the room just for your mom! How thoughtful!

I have a daybed from when I was a kid and it's a actually a very beautiful "real" twin bed. A daybed is simply a twin size bed with 3 (instead of 2) surrounding boards (headboard, footboard, and sideboard). The bed I have is all wood and the sideboard arches up a bit. The great thing about a daybed is that it's more comfortable to sit in since you have a place to lean up against instead of the wall. I think that's what the other ladies were trying to explain. Daybeds are "real" beds...they're just more decorative and multi-functional than a standard twin bed with just a headboard and footboard.

Good luck with your furniture hunt! Hope you find everything you need/want!

Thanks for explaining that for me. I guess I really didn't know what a daybed was. It sounds like something I should look into.

that sound really cool..