Hobby Haven

Seamstress extraordinaire, creative crafter and doting grandmother J.J. Davis always has a project pending, but space to implement her ideas was in short supply in the North Little Rock home she shares with her husband, Jerry. In seeking a space where she could sew costumes, cut patterns or play with her grandsons, the solution was simply a few steps away, in the couple’s unfinished basement.

When they built their home seven years ago, the Davis’ included a walkout basement on their hillside lot, yet used it merely as a storage space with sheetrock walls and concrete floors. “I decided the area could be put to better use,” says J.J., who envisioned a multi-functional room that “would be a nice place to spend time sewing or crafting, a place where the grandkids could go to watch television or play games and hang out.”

The Davis’ called in Chenal Restoration to upgrade the walls and add flooring, relocate a water heater, add light fixtures, and even install a ventless heat and air conditioning unit. Next came customizing the room, and J.J. knew exactly what work surfaces and storage spaces her sewing and crafting required. “Multi-purpose was the concept,” she says, “with a work surface for a computer, a drop-down table for cutting fabric or crafting, wire storage drawers for visibility, a space for a sewing machine, shelves for boxes and bins for holding notions and patterns, and open areas for keeping paint supplies handy.”

With the help of Closet Factory, J.J.’s concept came together as two wall units wrapping around a corner of the basement and including abundant storage and work surfaces. Nearby, a shelving system from The Container Store became an entertainment center for her grandsons, Jack and Charlie Homan, paired with desk chairs with wheels, which the kids can roll in place to watch television or move out of the area to play games. “Keeping everything moveable gave us more flexibility,” adds J.J.

With the walls painted Sherwin-Williams’ Bathe Blue, the basement shows no signs of its former storage space beginnings. “This room just makes me happy now,” says J.J. “I find that I’m here all the time.”

Design Resources

Contractor Chenal Restoration, Little Rock

Accessories The Container Store, Little Rock

Cabinetry, storage system Closet Factory, Little Rock

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