It was a mess! A 3-car garage space with no drywall, bare bones foundation and framing without much else. This project has consumed a huge chunk of my life and even more of my darling husband, Jayme's life. His personal projects have been on hold for months to get this studio up and running for me and for that I'm eternally grateful.
Well finally, after about 6 months of grueling labor, tears, headaches, blisters, and about three times as much money as we'd planned on, we finally have it to a state that's almost finished. There are some details that still need doing. The A/C will be installed next week because we had a hard time finding someone to help with that until now. The outside walkway leading up the door is still unfinished, and a few minor touches like lights and backdrop rods still need to be installed. But it is a fully functioning studio that I have put to use quite heavily in the past couple of months.
Each client who comes in gets an apology about the lack of A/C and an "excuse the mess we're still working on it." So far it hasn't been too terribly hot, however, so I've been lucky.
So without further ado, sit back, and take a look around. I'll tell you a little about this space as we go.
First of all, if you didn't click over (because most of us are lazy that way) here's a little before photo:
Can you say "Wow, that's a lot of crap." And yes, we did find crap, literally, and hornet nests, and strange large bugs that looked straight of a horror book, and random broken objects. In fact the pile of crap we pulled out was impressive:
Once we had it cleared out, it was time for a nice washing so we could paint the floors. We also put up insulation and enclosed the attic space with drywall. That was probably the most grueling part for my poor husband.
One part that was beyond us was the installation of the windows to replace the garage doors. We had to hire out to get that part done. But we sold the doors and made a little. It was nice to see money coming in instead of going out. That feeling was short-lived, however when I got the bill. Sigh indeed.
Once the windows were in we could finish up the drywall. Jayme had to frame and separate out a section for the dressing room and storage room. Then it was time to start the painting. I, fortunately, had some help from the kids on this one.
The sitting area was painted to match the wallpaper that I found that I love. You'll see that in a bit.
For the dressing room I chose a hot pink that looks so sexy! I took one of my favorite boudoir albums into Home Depot and asked them to match that pink.
So now, without further ado, take a look at the "after" photos for my amazing studio. There's a pole up right now because I photographed a pole dancer in the studio right before I shot these. It is removable, however and can be pulled out whenever I need it.
And get a look at some of my pin-up wardrobe! The rest is in the storage room when I'm not having a pin-up party.
Here's that swanky velvet wallpaper I told you about. I've been eyeing this wallpaper for years and I'm so thrilled to have it. It's the first thing people comment on when they come in. It's classy! And so is the rest of the greeting area. It's the first thing clients see when they come in those French doors.
And I can't say enough about the windows and French doors. I love the light!
I've had a few models in to demonstrate the look and feel of the space. I'll be sharing those a little at a time on Facebook and on a future blog. I'm excited for the future of this space. We also have an acre of clear, clean land to start working on. Stay tuned for how we will transform that space into a photographer's dream in the coming years. But first, Jayme gets a well-deserved break. And a standing ovation.
Lisa On Location Photography
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