Layout suggestions for square home office / library / sewing room

8 years ago

We're building a new house, and I will have a space for my office / library and sewing machine that's bigger than my current space (which is good). But I'm realizing that I don't know how to arrange things, because the room is almost square.

Our house is modern in style, and I was planning on putting builtins on 3 of the walls, but realized I may have too much dead space in the middle. Also, because the room is bigger than my current space, I may end up with too many cabinets / shelves / builtins. The door to the room opens onto the entryway to the house.

Original idea was to put a lateral file cabinet on the north wall (near the the door, which may or may not be a barn door), with a builtin desktop that would run from there all the way across in front of the windows on the east wall, ending in another lateral file and possibly a 3-drawer cabinet at the south end of the east wall. My sewing machine and related stuff, which tends to be messy, would be on the north wall, out of sight of visitors. My desktop computer would be near the southeast corner, placed so I can look out the window. Then on the west wall (the doorway will need to be moved over a bit) would be cabinets that run the length of the wall, up to the height of the counter, with open shelves above (I do have a lot of books). I currently have one armchair that I would put somewhere on the south side of the room, along with a side table, for reading.

This seems to leave a lot of wasted space in the middle. I thought about having a desk area jut out from in front of the window, but seems awkward, too. Help!

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Comments (4)

Jennifer K
8 years ago
I'd put a nice big cutting table in the middle of the room. 36" tall so your back doesn't cramp when you're laying out patterns. 6' long and 2-3' wide. When you're not using it for cutting, it's a terrific spot for laying out paper files, wrapping presents, doing a craft, etc.

I don't have a dedicated sewing room, but I configured my kitchen so that the island is an excellent cutting table. It's wonderful not to have to bend over a table!
lexma90 thanked Jennifer K
Bev
8 years ago
I have a dedicated sewing room. How much sewing will you be doing? I would want a good, sewing machine table and plenty of space to iron, cut out fabric, and sew. If you do a lot of sewing, like I do, you will need plenty of storage as well for fabrics and notions. Here are some sewing room suggestions:

Guy Hill Basement · More Info

I also quilt and have a dedicated long arm quilter that is mounted on a large table so I can sit down and quilt.
lexma90 thanked Bev
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Emily Jowers
8 years ago
You could put your desk in the middle of the room back to the bookshelves, facing out the windows with the reading chair in the southeast corner and the sewing machine on the north wall. You would need to be a little crafty with your cable management, but it would fill the space nicely.

Few examples of floating a desk in front of shelves.

Dimora di un architetto · More Info

Contemporary Custom Home in UP · More Info

Ретро-квартира в сталинском доме · More Info

A Colorful Home · More Info

Or you could float a chair or two in the middle of the room against the bookshelves like this to fill in the middle.

Bailer Hill · More Info

Portfolio · More Info

Or it's fine to have empty space. It's a luxury few can afford.

Planung und Realisierung eines 2-stöckigen Penthouses/Taunus. · More Info
lexma90 thanked Emily Jowers
lexma90
Original Author
8 years ago
I had been thinking of a cutting table (as opposed to the kitchen table or the floor), but had been tentatively planning to buy a folding table, which I could use as an end table when not needed.

I sew on and off, primarily quilting, but I am more of a dabbler, and don't have a long-arm quilter. I do have a lot of books, so need the storage for them. tpp.

I guess I should still consider floating a desk, but will still have the one wall for my sewing. The other item is that unlike all those pretty pictures, I have a desktop computer with a good-sized monitor, and actual desk items that I use. But those pictures still helpful to show how my chair and shelves would look.