Last year, I moved! It wasn't a far move (it was literally moving from the second floor to the first floor) but it meant I became a home owner which freaked me out. It also didn't help that about a month before I bought the house, I was laid off from my job of nearly 7 years. I felt many emotions all at once and in waves. But I also saw a chance to really figure out my future. I was fortunate to find a new job quickly and in the gaming/miniature space. All while learning a completely new job, I built my dream studio space.
Most people would use the largest room in their apartment as a TV room or entertainment space. I knew that I would be spending the most time creating. That meant the TV room became my studio. As I stood in the empty room, I was like holy crap this is the biggest space I've had to just dedicate to art and making. In my head, I laid out where I wanted everything. Where to place the book shelves, work tables, display cabinets and most importantly storage for art supplies.
I did need to make a trip to IKEA to get a few more things to complete the space. Two storage cabinets and a metal drawer to store all my drawing supplies by my drafting table. Its funny to be an illustrator in the miniature space, I've gotten more illustration work off of showing my miniatures than displaying my drawings alone.
A few pieces were donated to me like this large glass cabinet that my older sister left for me. She inherited a larger cabinet herself from my grandparents and I knew this would be the perfect way to display my miniatures. I also like that its the first thing seen when walking into the house. (My dog Scooter makes some appearances)
Another cabinet was found for FREE off the internet, my twin sister saw it and gave me the directions to pick it up one day after work. This is where I display all my warbands and old warhammer miniatures. It’s not in the best condition but the lights work and it’s the best price which is free.
I personally prefer to listen to physical media when working. I like hearing the grain in the sound and using large speakers to fill the space. The stereo was my Dad's when I was a kid. For the past two decades it lived in a cabin where I rescued it to for listening to my cassettes. Over the past year or so, I became collecting Dungeon Synth cassettes as a wall to support the artists directly and have a new way to enjoy music. On the shelves, I store all of my game books that includes my lifetime collection of Dungeons & Dragons as well as an entire shelf of indie games that I’ve collected over the past 15 years. On top of the shelves, I have random figures I’ve collected as well as more storage because I could never have enough zines.
I do not consider myself to be organized which is why I like having these cabinets to hide my mess. I promise there is a small bit of organization! Like all the model kits are together, paper, extra minis that are stored away, spray paint and all that jazz that I wouldn't want a kid or animal to get into. I also have a large cabinet with many drawers for storing miscellaneous supplies. This includes popsicle sticks, random pieces of wood, marbles, and other small do-dads. On top of the supply drawers, I’d like to keep some of my favorite figures, including some vintage Yu-Gi-Oh! figures, my small collection of the beholders, and some of my kitbashed Miniatures. Oh and of course dinosaurs you can’t go wrong with dinosaurs.
Next, we have my work table, which is where I spend most of my time in the studio. I would like to say that I always work neat and tidy, but I absolutely cleaned off the table before taking these photos. I usually have things stacked all around me, lots of different projects because I never working on just one thing at a time. I always keep my tools within quick reach on a small cart. This cart also holds all my miniature paints. It’s nice and easy to tuck away when I use this table to host games. All over the walls, I have art and figures that I’ve collected over my whole life. This includes some original drawings as well as many prints and a few signed pieces of artwork. I find that Having lots of inspirational objects around me, fuels my creativity. 
Overall, I’m very happy to have my own studio and be able to share the space with my friends where we can work collaboratively and host games. While most people wouldn’t dedicate the largest room in their home for their art, I find that it works perfectly for me.
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