My precious hacienda. Notice the entrance to my office: pre-redesign, that is.

Ok, here’s the follow up to the re-design of my studio, which is transforming into my office/studio/creative space. Very exciting and it’s happening as I write this….!

The challenge: Too much metal on the walls…see what I mean? Look at the photo below… And, no, not my idea….the previous owners put it up. It was very cool looking and architectural…yes…but definitely not living quality.

Headache inducing actually. I barely used the space. That’s considered a dead zone in feng shui….and it’s not good. Not to mention that this space falls in my wealth and fame area of the Bagua (more Feng Shui). Change is on her way!

Cute, yes, too much metal, also yes!

More on my vision of the re-design:

More light, insulate the ceiling and walls, eco-friendly of course! I even made the journey to Home Depot to see what they had to offer. They did have an option of recycled shredded paper….good….however it was dipped in icky fire retardant…you know with that chemical that causes cancer…Right….No thank-you.

I found the perfect eco-friendly insulation at the fabulous and eco-chic, Environmental Building Supplies showroom here in Portland but you can buy their stuff online anytime.

Made primarily from denim scraps, this itch-free cotton insulation comes in easy to install batts. Yes and very thick indeed. I got the 5.5 inch thickness. I’m going to be warm and creative all in the same space. It also is very affordable. A little more expensive than the toxic stuff but so totally worth it. Here’s a photo of the stuff:

Look….even the baby and his brother are helping their daddy install it!

We women could probably handle that…while we multi-task a million other things…Hip, hip hoorah!

And the fireproofing….yes, cancer free. “It is boric acid, which is obtained from minerals mined in deserts in California and elsewhere. Borates are very low-toxic to humans and other mammals, but they are very effective in adding fire resistance. They also deter chewing insects (including termites, carpenter ants and cockroaches) and various kinds of fungi.”–Environmental Building Supplies. Yeah, eco-baby, you go!

Let the demolition begin! Round 1. Here we go.

Taking down those icky metal walls. And yes, they are being recycled!

Check it out. No insulation! Change is on the way. I’m loving you.

There was a make-shift wall in the middle separating the original space from a storage area. I decided to utilize the entire room as my personal office/creative space. “Take it all down”, I thought. That was a true “aha” moment for me. Suddenly my world opened up and I felt a heavy weight lift off of me.

Ok….so as soon as Miguel and Martin took the wall down, it was like an enormous breath of fresh air gushed in and I immediately knew it was the right thing to do.

I was able to re-locate my wood pile (for my fireplace) downstairs in the basement as well as my paint supply and other tools, etc. As my dear friend Anne likes to say…”Easy, peasy, lemon squeezy.”

I found these incredible double paned full glass sliding doors at the Rebuilding Center in Portland for $150. They are wood framed and are Pella doors which normally cost about 2,000. I’m really in the flow with this one….seriously! Once they are installed, this will be my view:

Looking out of my studio onto this I think….good place for inspiration and…a siesta.

Miguel and Martin will be finished this weekend. I’ll show you more photos and update you as we move along. I’m still deciding on what color I want to paint the walls. The floors are concrete and I’m thinking (for the floor) a shiny deep black color with some red mixed in to keep it warm. Hmm….the muse is speaking… Any thoughts?

Let inspiration reign.