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  1. As a lampwork artist, one of things we have to deal with are fumes and other undesirable things that could enter our lungs, so ventilation is a must!  In my laundrio, I had an overhead cooker hood, but it was ugly and noisy, and in my new studio, I would need two, as I wanted to have space for another torch.

    I took inspiration and advice from Julie Fountain of Lush Lampwork, who'd created a beautiful studio.   

    Her studio had ventilation under the worksurfaces and then out through the wall. It was beautiful and discreet and didn't spoil the look the studio!

    I did the same with vents in the worksurfaces, joined onto a powerful fan (hidden behind the far right bottom unit), and then out through the window.  It would have been better to go out through the wall, but we felt we didn't want to damage the walls incase we needed to sell the house!  I never shut the door to the studio when I torch, the house is large and open plan downstairs, and should hopefully provide enough return air.

    Lampwork studio renovation

    (Excuse the poor photo!).

    Lampwork studio renovation

  2. One of the problems I had to deal with was the worktop - the problem being that to buy a ready made worktop, was a) expensive and b) they weren't wide enough!  I needed the working area to be much wider as I didn't want to be too near the wall with the torch, especially the hot head torch as it produces a much larger flame.

    I decided to make one for myself - I got some chipboard and cut it to size, I had to join it in the middle as I couldn't get a really large piece in my car (I have a Toyota Tarago, which has been a godsend in getting wood etc. home!)

    Lampwork Studio renovations

    The next issue was making the worktop burn-proof, as it has to deal with hot bits of glass etc.

    It was fortunate, but when we built our home, the builders always leave any spare tiles etc. behind.  They'd obviously over-ordered the tiles we have in our kitchen and we had tons of them in the garage....

    Lampwork Studio renovation.

    So, after covering the worktop with plasterboard to give a good tiling surface, they, along with some aluminium sheets became the burn-proof surface I needed...

    Lampwork studio renovation

     I used some pine strips to finish the edges!

     

  3. Of course, I needed a floor that wouldn't burn!  So after a visit to Ikea, some hard work (I hate laying laminate boards!) the floor was done!

    It was a job I wasn't looking forward to! My DH and I layed the same flooring throughout the downstairs of our house when it was new - the family room, games room and in the hallway - what a nightmare job - if we ever need to replace it, we will get someone in!!

    Anyway, it wasn't so bad, the room was relatively square and not too much of a problem....

    Here are the shelves I'd put up, with new files and a bit of organisation...

    You can also see my lovely little display cabinet for my beads - from an earlier visit to Ikea!

     

  4. So here I am in the study.  The room is not normally this messy - I have been sorting out and clearing out stuff that I don't need.

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

    The first thing I need to do is organise some shelving for all our household stuff, bills etc.  So while hubby was away, I got on with it after a visit or two to Bunnings (our local DIY store!).

     

     

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