Natalie's Craft Room

We head to Athens, Georgia to tour the serene and organized craft room of papercrafter, Natty Michelle.

Photography by Kaitie Bryant Photography (http://kaitiebryant.com).

I love the natural light that streams through the big window on the far side of the room, which is highlighted by the walls that I recently painted white. Natural light in a craft room is a must!

Tell us about your space

My craft room is based out of my home in Athens, Georgia. We’ve lived here for about 4 years.
Since I work from home (by myself), my craft room is one of the two spare bedrooms we have upstairs. We’re expecting our first little one this December, so I’m going to have to be creative in how I double-up the guest room or the craft room for his arrival! I haven’t given it much thought just yet, so I have a lot of planning and rearranging to do from now until then. I am fortunate in that my craft is also my full-time job. My stationery shop, Natty Michelle Paperie, keeps me busy with custom art projects, invitations, cards and other paper goodies. I mainly work on custom art, like maps, home portraits and pet portraits. My desk holds everything I need -- my laptop, watercolor pencils, erasers, pens and pencils. It’s nice to have a big desk to spread everything out and still have room to create.

What have you done to make your space cosy, beautiful or inspiring?

I have little framed prints and photos that inspire me and shelves filled with all of my styling goods, rubber stamps and resource books. I try to keep things neat and tidy, because a chaotic space tends to ruin my creative vibe -- I start to feel anxious and overwhelmed. Of course, that’s easier said than done. I think most artists will agree that chaos comes with the territory!

How do you keep organized?

I have cubbies with baskets behind my desk that hold all of my supplies and stationery goods. My closet is where I keep my shipping supplies and excess product. It’s rarely tidy and always a work in progress.

Any tips & tricks for organising supplies?

Baskets and drawers are helpful in keeping things organized and out of sight. I find that keeping a monochromatic color scheme is nice on the eyes and isn’t so distracting -- a nice way to keep the calm in a creative space.

Which are your favourite possessions and are there any of your own creations on display?

My favorite possession in the room is my vintage mail sorter behind my desk -- it’s a vintage piece that I scored in Atlanta at the City Hall East sale in 2010. It was $45, but I worked for it! It was super heavy, so after waiting over 2 hours in line to pay for it, I had to hire a guy to help me get it back to my apartment in one piece. It’s made of wood, sturdy and holds all of my supplies perfectly. I don’t know what I’d do without it!

How do you organise your inspiration and ideas?

Pinterest is my favorite tool for inspiration -- I’m always thinking of new ideas for designs as I’m scrolling through my feed.

Where do you look for inspiration?

Vintage postcards and greeting cards, nature and my family and friends -- they are always coming up with ideas for me to illustrate. Some of my favorite designs were born from their creative minds!

If you had three wishes, what would you do to make it the dream space?

I am always hunting for well-priced letterpress drawers -- they would be great for storing paper and other flat items. I’d also love a wooden desk -- I haven’t found one that I love yet, but I know one’s out there for me waiting to find it. My ideal desk would be vintage and made of wood, big and sturdy -- maybe even something industrial. But until then, my little ol’ desk will do just fine!