A vintage storage solution for the studio
Bringing warmth and character to my workspace
Over the past few months I’ve found myself increasingly turning to vintage items when I need a storage solution for the studio. Sometimes I find these in local antiques shops and auction houses, or sometimes on Etsy, but it’s become a lovely way of adding character, warmth, and a bit of extra cosiness to my studio. Amongst the IKEA art carts, metal cabinet and the ubiquitous ALEX chest of drawers - all of which I love - the vintage pieces add a lovely contrast as well as helping to make the space feel a little more unique. In the future, we’ll be talking more about studio storage, but today I thought it would be nice to share my latest acquisition with you.
I’ve found that my desk is often cluttered with the current watercolour palettes I’m using, alongside paint swatches and dot cards I need for future videos, and numerous other odds and ends. I’ve also been working with acrylic gouache quite a lot recently and I’ve been putting together specific colour palettes for a series of paintings I’m making. Because I need to remember exactly which colours I’m using, these have been piled up on the desk or on the floor, so that they wouldn’t become muddled up with all of the other tubes of paint. I needed a storage box that I could use to organise all the materials I’m currently working with, and that I could keep within easy reach on the chest of drawers beside my desk. I found this little beauty on Etsy; it’s an old wooden box/crate with two compartments, and the fact that it’s open with no lid means that I can quickly and easily find what I’m looking for while I’m working.
It has been waxed on the inside and painted in a beautiful teal blue-green colour on the outside by the seller. It’s perfect for what I need it for, and it’s another step in getting my studio and materials completely organised this year! Do any of you have any favourite vintage finds in your workspace? I’d love to hear about any of your clever storage solutions too.
See you soon!
Natasha x
Hello Natasha! Thank you for sharing with us your beautiful vintage box as a storage for your art materials while working on your projects.
Here’s one of mine.
Sometimes I feel like working in watercolors, and then I use paint from deliberately curated palettes (metal boxes) containing pans, or half pans, filled with watercolors from tubes. I keep the remaining watercolor tubes in a discarded, empty cigar box I obtained from a smoking shop in my town, for free. In the past, shops like these used to pile their empty cigar boxes by the shop entry door, for anyone interested to help themselves. Now they want money for them, but sometimes you can find a good deal. I have several gorgeous boxes like this gathered over the years. Some are made of wood, some are lacquered, decorated, or even carved - they are beautiful! Some are very simple, made of raw wood and those I can even paint their exterior to my liking. Decorated or not, the cigar boxes that I own make great storage for different odds and ends in my studio. Ciao!
I have recently begun repurposing some of my mother’s old jadeite and other vintage pieces as art supply containers and I’m loving it. This box is lovely and perfect for the purpose.