Creative Workspaces: The Hidden Studio of Ish and Chi
September 28, 2009 | By
There is a cottage-style house in Australia named Betty. Deep in what's affectionately referred to as her “dungeon,” she provides a private space for her owner Vivian Mansour of Ish and Chi to create the fabric artwork and prints that she sells on Etsy.
Vivian says she began building her studio February of this year, and just finished up in June, coming in just under the $900 budget she had set aside. While she enjoys the process of turning her whole house into a comfortable home for her husband and young son, having the separate workspace was important to her, saying, “It gives me the freedom to create without the hassle of having to clean up at the end of each day.”
Since there wasn’t room in the house to build a studio, she turned part of the garage into a craft space. The dryer was moved to another area and bare grey walls were transformed with paint in soothing colors. Printed wallpaper was also glued onto a large plywood section to cover unsightly holes where nails were removed. Vivian chose functional furniture that combined both modern and traditional styles, including a sideboard she found on eBay where she keeps her packaging supplies.
Beautiful design elements add personal touches and keep this artisan happy and inspired, including a dreamy paper butterfly mobile, framed prints, and a gorgeous mirror given to her by her parents. The bare beams of the ceiling remain, but a visitor would hardly notice, since the space has been transformed in such a way that the room feels both functional and welcoming.
Tell us how you went about building your dream workspace.
I wanted a place that had lots of desk space and would allow me to spread out and make a total mess without feeling as though I needed to clean up constantly, in contrast to what I had to do when I worked from the dining table.
We had most of the materials–paint, Ikea shelves, tables. An electrician friend installed the lighting for us, and my husband helped me with the painting and hanging the wallpaper on the far wall. I put all the other final touches to the space.
Even though the studio is in a dark area of our home, the bright colours make the room feel alive. I get such a buzz working here. My favourite part of the room is the area where I’ve hung the clipboards that I covered with fabric. I hang art here and other clippings that inspire me.
How do you organize your studio?
I’ve organised my fabric collection by hanging them in the wardrobe on hangers. It makes it easy to mix and match fabrics for my work and keeps me organised. The sideboard (whose drawers are lined with pretty, inexpensive wrapping paper) contains my papers and packaging materials and the boxes contain my prints and artwork. Clipboards hung up on a wall are a great way of keeping track of receipts and other bits and pieces you don’t want to lose or that inspire you to create.
What element are you most proud of in this workspace?
I’m proud of the wallpaper panel which I’ve hung prints onto. I’m also happy with the two framed hooks on the door. It was so easy to do. The top hook is for my husband and I to hang our coats and the bottom one is reserved for our son.
What makes your studio so special to you?
I love that I am surrounded by my favourite things. I look around the room and it makes me happy. I don’t work here every day, but when I do I usually spend 2 - 3 hours. I sometimes sit my son next to me in his high chair and he copies what I do, and we chat, sing, play. It’s fun!
What I'm most excited about, though, is that we've created a space out of a previously unused section of our home.
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About Vivian Mansour
Viv is a designer and mum living in Sydney, Australia. She runs an online Etsy store called Ish and Chi (named after the fish and chips she craved during her pregnancy!) selling prints and fabric artwork.
She is also a part-time blogger with a design blog under the same name, Ish and Chi
Visit her Flickr site to see more photos of her gorgeous space.
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Recommended Reading:
Creative Workspaces: Itty Bitty Birdy’s Whimsical Attic Nook
Creative Workspaces: Uppity Girl’s Hideaway
Creative Workspaces: Kitschy Fun with SHOP 66
Creative Workspaces: Shabby Scraps Boutique
Photos courtesy of Ish and Chi.
<--- Go back to the Just for Fun department for more crafty fun!
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Mimi Guethe is a writer, crafter, and former film publicist who lives with her husband and three cats in Los Angeles, CA. Her work has appeared in numerous publications across the country, including The Washington Post and Publishers Weekly magazine. She spends her days dreaming of living by the sea.
Visit Mimi online at the happy honeybee to see her handmade plushies, embroidery, and more. For the most up to date information, feel free to visit her on Twitter at @JustForFunHMN or @mimiguethe.
You may also view this complete list of all Handmade News articles by Mimi Guethe.
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Mimi Guethe isn’t afraid to admit it: her children’s books outnumber her grown-up ones, she has an unfortunate weakness for her own killer fried chicken recipe, and she learns something new everyday on the Handmade News site. Please visit her online at the happy honeybee.
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