Evolution of an Artist's Studio

For a long time I've been thinking it would be fun to put up a series of posts that showed how my studio came together...on the cheap.  However, since the work took place between 8 and 10 years ago, I can't offer any real-life figures regarding costs...I just didn't keep them. And I also was not really very good at taking photos...too busy working!  I would say everything came in under $4000, maybe a lot under that amount.  That includes labor and material costs and permits where required.

The space that inhabits my studio is an adobe structure that originally looked like a two door garage, 24 ft square. The doors were the heavy 2 x 4 and plywood type barn doors. The floor was on a slant and was dirt only.

The wall straight ahead in this photo is an adobe mud wall.  The wall to the right is a sheet-rock wall that separates the space, leaving about 7 x 24 feet of space in the back for storing lumber, tools, etc.

Ceiling Vigas

The main reason I could do this on a smaller amount of money is because not all of the work is done to code. The electrical most certainly is, however, as is most of the construction. Basically I did whatever I had to do to make a safe and comfortable work space as well as a space where I could show my work to studio visitors.

The first step: the floor. I hope I can locate some photos before the next post.