Paul Overton of Dude Craft is a prolific crafter, writer and finder of all things cool. His style and personality are reflected in his cozy, yet sleek, studio. He has some brilliant storage ideas (chicken wire, anyone?) and incorporates his personal artwork and inspiration pieces in to the decor. He’s created an inviting, inspirational and functional space for crafting, and we’re excited to share it with you!
Read on after the jump for more photos and a Q&A with Paul!
CRAFT: What kinds of crafts do you do?
Paul: I do all kinds of stuff. I work with paper, draw, paint and sew a lot when I’m in the studio. At home, I knit and do hand sewing type stuff.
CRAFT: Where do you craft?
Paul: My friend Chaz has this amazing record store in town and when I lost my previous studio space, he offered up this little shotgun style room next to his store. It had its own bathroom and an industrial sink, so I transformed it into a workable studio. I really wish I had “before” pictures. It was a wreck.
CRAFT: How do you all your craft supplies organized?
Paul: As you can see in the pictures, I have a chicken wire rack that holds the bulk of the tools I use. All my fabric and books are housed in a couple bookshelves I got from the Goodwill and I have a metal cabinet that houses things like spray adhesive, paint, and other odds and ends. The small stuff is all in plastic bins, organized by activity. I have a jewelry making box, a small woodworking box, a paper tools box, etc. Ooh, and I just got a thread spool rack for all my thread. That was a banner day.
CRAFT: How do you motivate yourself to keep your space organized?
Paul: My studio is really the only place besides my home office that I have any control over. It’s like my dojo. I consider it a spiritual practice to keep it organized.
CRAFT: What’s one organization tip/tool/trick you swear by?
Paul: Don’t have too many “stashes”. If you have a small studio, it’s easy for the supplies to take over. If you have huge yarn, paper, and fabric stashes you may have a problem keeping it all straight. I know people who hoard specialty hardware and tools as well. If you have too much of that kind of stuff, you can no longer mentally inventory everything you have. I tend to only buy or scrounge materials for whatever project I’m working on currently. Having said that, I do have a small yarn problem.
CRAFT: How do you feel when your space is organized? Unorganized?
Paul: Great and terrible, respectively. My studio needs to be an oasis of calm and order. Too much chaos makes me not want to be there.
CRAFT: Describe your dream workspace.
Paul: My dream workspace is about 1200 square feet and is a combination shop/studio. One half would house a woodshop with a full compliment of power tools and a couple of big tables to work on. The studio half would be the more artsy and urbane space, featuring an Eames lounge chair and ottoman (to think creative thoughts in), floor to ceiling bookshelves, maple storage cabinets, assorted work tables, and a bigger sewing area. Ooh, and heat. It would have heat.
CRAFT: How does the way your craft space is organized affect your crafting/creativity?
Paul: I think the flow of my space works well for me as it is. Every work surface feels good when you’re seated there. The colors are warm and rich. The tools are easy to get at. I thought hard about the flow of the space before I put anything in and now it has the perfect empty/full ratio for my style.
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