Make space for your hobbies: ideas for creating your own space at home

There’s always that hobby you want to take up, get back into or spend a bit more time on. It might be painting, knitting, sewing, crafting, photography, journaling or even a jigsaw puzzle waiting patiently in its box. And you might think that to really get stuck into it, you need a whole room. In fact, what you really need is a space that inspires you and helps you keep everything you need close at hand. With a few clever solutions from IKEA, even a small corner of your home can become your own personal creative haven. Start with a surface that inspires you to create A handy desk is often the first step. It doesn’t need to be huge. It’s enough to have enough space to lay out your materials, work comfortably and be able to set aside what you’re creating for a while without having to tidy everything away straight away. A desk can become the place where you paint, write, sew, draw or make small crafts. If space is limited, look for smaller sizes or solutions that make use of a wall and leave more free space in the room. When space is limited, think upwards Walls are among the most underused spaces in a home. One or more shelves can hold boxes of craft supplies, books, magazines, yarn, paints or whatever else your hobby requires, without taking up valuable floor space. At the same time, you can keep the items you use most often within easy reach and store those you need less frequently on the higher shelves. In this way, storage becomes an integral part of the space rather than something you have to hide away. Put each item in its place Paintbrushes, pencils, felt-tip pens, thread, needles, buttons, ribbons and small bits and bobs all have one thing in common: they always seem to disappear just when you don’t need them. Storage solutions, such as boxes and baskets, help you create small ‘zones’ for each category of materials. One box for paints, one for tools, one for fabrics and one for smaller items. If you choose boxes that stack on top of one another or fit onto shelves, you can make even better use of the available space. With a trolley, everything becomes easier If your hobby involves moving from room to room, a trolley could become your best friend. Think of it as a small mobile storage unit: your materials stay organised and you can take whatever you need next to the sofa, to your desk, onto the balcony or to the kitchen table. It’s particularly useful when you don’t have a permanent space for your hobby. When you’ve finished, simply move the trolley away and return the space to its everyday use. Create a space that changes with you You don’t have to decide that one corner of the house will forever be ‘the art corner’ or ‘the knitting nook’. Our hobbies change, and with them, so do our needs. A versatile desk, a shelving unit with boxes and a trolley can accommodate different activities over time. Today they might hold yarn and needles, tomorrow paints and canvases, and next week a large jigsaw puzzle. Keep everything you really need close at hand A little trick to help you spend more time on your hobby is to make getting started as easy as possible. If you have to open five cupboards, rummage through three boxes and move things around just to find your scissors, you’re very likely to say, ‘I’ll do it tomorrow’. On the other hand, when the basic materials are organised and within easy reach, it only takes a few minutes to get started. So, keep the items you use most often on a shelf or in a box, and store the rest higher up or further away. Don’t forget the lighting The right lighting makes a big difference, especially when you’re working on fine details. Whether you’re painting, doing crafts, sewing or knitting, a desk lamp can illuminate exactly where you’re working, whilst a more general light helps you see the whole room. And there’s something else: a well-lit space feels more pleasant and makes you want to spend more time there. Because a hobby isn’t just another chore. It’s your own time. Create space without losing the rest of the space The most important thing is to remember that you don’t need to sacrifice an entire room to make space for the things you love. A corner of the living room, a small spot in the bedroom or a section of the dining room can be transformed into a creative space. After all, making space for your hobby isn’t just about finding a few extra square metres. It’s about giving a little more space to something you enjoy. And that’s always worth a place in our home. Find creative solutions for all your creative pursuits at IKEA stores and online.