The spaces where we work hold a powerful influence over our craft. Learning how to design a creative workspace is an investment in the quality of our work and, ultimately, our livelihoods. So, it is crucial to get it right. 

 

I have just completed the renovations on the workspace Amity Worrel & Co. has been occupying for the last four years or so. If you’ve been following along, you know our team currently works out of a 1901 bungalow we‘ve been restoring along the way. I love all its nooks and crannies, from the Farrow and Ball paint colors and wall paneling to the vintage lighting and original pine floors. I feel inspired every day because no matter what direction I look, the space is beautiful and interesting.  

But, this chapter in our little bungalow is soon coming to a close. Our team is growing well past its 100-year-old walls. So, I’ve found a new spot to house the studio and our work lives. (I’ll touch on that a little more later on.) As we’ve been reconsidering our space, I’ve been thinking more and more about what goes into a creative workspace design. And I’ve concluded that we all fall into two camps. 

There are Two Kinds of Creative Workspace Designs: Which are You?

Beautiful spaces produce beautiful work. And I believe this is even more true for those of us in creative fields like interior design, advertising, or studio art. If we want better work, we must invest in creative workspace designs that inspire while meeting our functional needs. But what makes a creative interior? For creatives, the unifying factor is stuff, specifically the tools of the trade and objects of inspiration. However, the true divide between us is how we like to organize and display all that stuff that goes into the job. Do you like it all out on the table, or do you prefer a clean slate? 

 

For me, seeing inspiring things— art, objects, fabric, lighting—makes me feel creative. The more stuff in front of me, the better! I am a stacker, piling up everything that could lead to my next creative thought on my desk. If I tuck it away, I will forget it exists, so I keep everything I’m working on in view. 

I have creative clients who feel the same way and want their workspaces to feel layered and resemble the creations they are working on. However, others simply want a blank canvas free from visual distractions that will allow their creative mind to run wild. It comes down to whether you receive your inspiration externally or if you come up with all your creative ideas from your mind’s eye. 

Examples of Creative Workspaces We’ve Designed

Here are some examples of workspaces we have created for clients. Some are for clients who consider themselves creative, and some would probably not describe themselves that way. However, they all wanted a place that felt centered and met their needs, whether that meant plenty of seating for collaboration, easy tool access, a nap space, visual stimulation or lack thereof, and a sense of personal space for work.

How to Design a Creative Workspace (That Fits Your Work Needs and Style) 

There are two simple steps to start thinking about what type of creative space will best serve you. However, if you’ve ever embarked on a creative project, you know these will splinter off into a thousand different directions. 

Find What Inspires You 

First, find what inspires you and your work. Here are a few questions to consider: 

• Do you work better in messy chaos or need a clutter-free space? 
• Do you get inspiration from seeing beautiful things or by cutting out distractions? 
• Do you work better in a high-energy environment or something more relaxing? 
• Do you like peace and quiet or a more lively space?
• What tools do you need on hand for the job? How do you organize them?
• Where do you do your best work now? Out on the patio? In a library?  

And Then Design Accordingly 

Then, simply design according to your needs. Here are some key design elements of creative spaces: 

• Lighting: Dim or bright? Remember to always consider the necessary task lighting. 
• Storage: Hidden or exposed? Are you a stacker like me, or does everything need a place?
• Furniture Layouts: Do you do your best work solo or in a group? Can you do research at an upright desk, or would you prefer to curl up in a reading nook? 
• Work Surfaces: These are your tabletop needs. Do you need everything on the table or to force yourself to be organized and keep a clear workspace? 
• Location: Do you need to separate your craft from your home life, or are they intermeshed? Some may prefer an outbuilding to house their studio, whereas others can get even more done at the kitchen table. 

Moving Into a New Space and The Next Chapter 

While we love our bungalow, we’ve realized it’s time to find a new space for our Austin interior design firm. Our little studio just doesn’t have the function we need now for our growing business. We spend too much time shuffling things in and out of the storage building, and all the charm comes at the price of natural lighting and meeting spaces. 

Earlier this year, I decided to stop investing in the space I love and find a new home for our offices. I found a very different type of creative space from our quaint, crowded bungalow. 

It’s a 1955 workshop that’s lived a few lives as a stone-cutting yard, metal shop, and sports marketing firm. The building itself is cinder block construction with concrete floors and a flat roof with lots of massive casement windows and tons of natural light and parking. What a world of difference to our current home. I love it.  

 

It will provide more storage spaces, a more functional fabric and materials library, storage for client purchases in the main building vs. an outbuilding, a screened porch for gathering, lots of break-out spaces, an adorable kitchen, two bathrooms, a presentation room, and a private office that I will occupy but share as needed for when the team needs a space for more quiet work.

 

Of course, I will add a lot of charm to our new home over the coming months and years, and I hope it will serve our purposes indefinitely! I am sad to move out of the space we have been in, but I’m excited to see what creatives take it up and what they produce within its walls. 

 

With that, it’s time for me to get to work designing our new creative space.