Craft room ideas – 10 ways to create a practical yet stylish space

Well-thought-out craft room ideas are handy for those that enjoy pursuing creative passions. Whether you're a professional painter or budding potter, having a dedicated space away from the hustle and bustle of the home, which is kitted out with all your crafting tools, is the perfect way to keep things organized and to get into the creative zone.

Whether you're planning a crafting area as part of an existing home office, or embarking on an entirely new room design, these craft room ideas and handy tips will help inspire a practical yet stylish space.

Craft room ideas – 10 beautiful schemes to inspire

Craft room ideas are becoming increasingly sought after as we seek to make more time for mindful activities at home. When it comes to designing a craft room or home office setup, practicality is a priority, but equally important is making the space an inspiring place to be. 

'While my work space is a place to get things made, it's also a source of inspiration to me,' says block printer and fabric designer Molly Mahon. 'Make sure your studio is a place you long to head to, a special sanctuary for you and your creativity only,' she adds.

The key to organizing a craft room is to ensure that there is a dedicated space for everything you need to store and do, so before investing in furniture and creating a layout, do an inventory of the things you need and be clear about what tasks you will undertake in the space. 

1. Turn a summerhouse into a craft space

Set away from the house, a garden room or she shed idea makes the perfect creative space to escape the chaos and get stuck into some mindful crafting activities. Available fully insulated, double glazed, wired and plumbed, these self contained spaces are ideal for whiling away the hours all year round.

When choosing craft room furniture consider freestanding pieces as these will give flexibility over your room layout. Choosing lightweight, portable pieces such as folding tables or storage trolleys on casters means the room can easily be reconfigured, which is handy if you are working on a big project, or if your craft room doubles as a multi-functional space. 

2. Consider lighting in a craft room

Ample home office lighting is essential when doing detailed crafting work, so be sure to position your desk or work table near a window and to factor in plenty of task lighting. 

'An overreach floor light or clip light can provide an immediate solution to illuminate targeted areas for the performance of specific tasks or activities,' explains Charlie Bowles, director of lighting company Original BTC. 'Easily moveable, they can transform your lighting scheme without any installation costs or need for an electrician.'

3. Mix closed and open storage

Good home office storage is essential when it comes to organizing a home office and craft space, to maximize every inch of space consider made-to-measure open shelves floor-to-ceiling which can be fitted around your architecture. As well as being practical, the storage ideas and office wall décor you choose should help create an inspiring environment to work in, explains fabric designer and block-printer Molly Mahon.

'I like open shelves as I like to have everything accessible and on view in my studio, so things are easy for me to locate. It also makes me feel happy and inspired to see my wooden blocks and mugs of paint brushes, or pots of lovely colored paints.'

However, having some closed storage is handy for concealing clutter and eye-sores. For a fun way to brighten up closed storage, why not give the doors a colorful paint idea? 'Perhaps paint the name of the item inside, too – this keeps things ordered and adds charm,' says Molly Mahon.

4. Choose a swivel chair

Craft rooms are spaces where we may spend long hours sitting at a work table, so be sure to invest in comfortable, ergonomic home office seating. Swivel chairs that have an adjustable seat are handy as they allow you to easily manoeuvre around your workspace, plus, like they can quickly wheeled away to make space for large projects. 

For fabric designer Vanessa Arbuthnott, 'a really comfortable swivel chair,' is a must-have in her craft room, but it also needs to be stylish, too. 'I love recovering vintage office chairs from online auctions, which I then reupholster with a strong linen for durability,' she adds.

5. Create a crafting corner 

You don't need a separate room to get crafting, if space is at a premium try creating a creative space in a bedroom, or even a shed office. If you're considering a bedroom layout with a desk, position it by the window to make sure there is plenty of daylight. 

For the perfect sewing craft room, a desk or table set at the right height and an adjustable chair are both essential purchases. Factor in plenty of storage for fabrics folded on shelves and make sure there is enough height to house large rolls of fabric. 'Boxes covered in fabric to hold remnants and scraps for crafting, are also handy,' adds Vanessa Arbuthnott. 

Small haberdashery items like ribbons, pins and buttons can easily go amiss, so be sure to factor in small desktop storage for them. Small filing cabinets work well, alternatively clear jam jars will allow things to be seen at a glance.

6. Hang an inspiration board

No craft room is complete without a noticeboard to pin up inspirations that spark creative ideas. 'I like to use my inspiration board for tear out pages from magazines, hand printed wrapping papers, greetings cards, photos and scraps of fabric – in fact anything that catches my eye,' says Vanessa Arbuthnott.

There are all sorts of designs available, from craft room pegboards to wire designs to eye-catching padded fabric boards.

7. Consider your color scheme

When it comes to selecting home office paint color ideas for craft rooms, think about how you want the space to feel. While creative spaces should be inspiring, it's also important that they allow you to focus and are not overwhelming.

Decorating with white is a perfect neutral base for experimenting with color, plus it will make small home offices and craft corners feel brighter, alternatively, a soft pastel will provide a hint of color and personality without feeling too dominating, or decorating with yellow will provide an energising space.

'Soft Pinks such as ‘Dorchester Pink’ and ‘Confetti' provide warmth to a space whilst remaining light and airy. They are not too serious and often make us feel uplifted and calm,' explains Ruth Mottershead, creative director at Little Greene.

8. Add in vintage furniture

Bearing the patina of age, vintage home office desk ideas and cabinets are a wonderful way to bring character to a creative space. With multiple drawers and compartments, this old glazed haberdashers unit is great for keeping materials stored and organized while allowing you to easily see what you have and where.

9. Consider window treatments

Choosing the right window treatment can really enhance a craft room. While plenty of natural light is essential, sometimes the glare from the midday sun can make for an uncomfortable working environment, so it's worth fitting blinds to help control the light levels. 

'When getting creative in your craft room, it’s likely your window treatments will suffer from a little wear and tear, so opting for roller blinds with an easy clean finish is the most practical choice,' says Hannah Cooley, product manager at Hillarys.

'Roller blinds are also very versatile, coming in lots of shades and textures, so they can be used as the final touch for transforming your craft room into a space of color, electricity and creative inspiration.'

10. Make a creative space under the stairs

It can be challenging to know what to do with under stairs spaces, as they are often small with awkward angles – why not make the most of them by adding a desk and transforming it into a little writing nook? Opting for a desk with drawers will give extra storage and make sure the small craft space is well lit with an adjustable desk lamp. 

What are must haves for a craft room?

A sturdy desk, adjustable chair and plenty of versatile storage solutions are all must haves for craft rooms. Lighting is also key, and any craft space will need good levels of natural light as well as layered task lighting.

Custom-made cabinetry and shelving tailored to your space, and integrated with a variety of storage solutions designed around your needs, is a brilliant way to maximise storage and keep a craft room organized.

'The big advantage of bespoke furniture is of course that it can fill the space and cope with any idiosyncrasies. It is amazing how much storage you gain by going high up the wall, and if you make it no deeper than it needs to be your room will still feel spacious,' says Simon Tcherniak, senior designer at Neville Johnson.

When designing storage a combination of open and closed is also often favourable. 'Seamlessly integrated storage means unsightly cables, stationery and messy papers can be hidden away easily. While open shelving allows for some decorative flair to showcase your favourite possessions,' adds Simon Tcherniak.

Freestanding and lightweight pieces of furniture are recommended if you want flexibility over your layout, plus units on casters are handy as they can easily be wheeled around the room if it needs to be reconfigured.