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How do!

I feel I should apologise for the thread title, but I’m not gonna.

Anyways, having now moved into my forever home and got rid of knackered excess furniture, I’m now in a position to starting sorting out a proper, proper PROPER permanent hobby room. Not just for wargaming projects, but also my other periodic artsy fartsy whimsies and that.

The room itself is a reasonably sized second bedroom. See pic. Hopefully the game boxes will serve as some kind of rough scaling.

My plan is to have my work desk up by the window. Not only is the radiator there (mmm, toasty legs), but it’s west facing with no large buildings opposite, meaning I get lots of decent sunlight. But…desk. What desk? I don’t have a desk.

I did have a desk, but it was dreadful. Much too shallow to be anything but shelving. And too big a gap between shelves to be decent shelving. Hence it’s off to the great skip in the sky.

And so to start construction of my grandest hobby vessel? I’m looking for recommendations. Room’s width is around 8’ 10”. And I wouldn’t say no to a desk that filled that width. Open to custom built if anyone can make such a recommendation too.

If you want a simple, no fuss desktop that you can evolve your hobby space around, then I'd recommend checking out what Ikea has available. I've got 3 Ikea desks, two of the plain white sort and one an older glass desk (which I'm not sure they make anymore) and they do my just fine. They're high enough that you can stick a cabinet/drawers underneath them and maximise your un-utilised floorspace and both long and wide enough that you're not lacking in desktop space. I've got good sized cutting mat/painting area as well as 5 paint/tool racks and my computer screen w/mouse & keyboard and still have plenty space left over for a plate of food, cup of tea, other random detritus, etc.

The great thing about ikea stuff is that even if you don't like it long term/permanently, it's cheap enough that you're not gonna pauper yourself if you decide to upgrade in a few years time, or if you randomly find some that suits you better.

I'd second Ikea for cheap and cheerful, that you won't get too worried about knocking over a full pot of Nuln Oil over on it.

If you want something fitting across the width of the room you could look for drawer units at a suitable height for you (you're quite tall, if I remember rightly) and then stick a piece of counter-top, well, on top.

Oh, and lots of shelves for your kits / supplies / finished display models!

Oh shelves can be attached to the walls. My little kingdom, no penny pinching landlord to moan about trivial things.

I have found a rather fetching 240cm x 80cm one made from reclaimed wood.

Cheap it is not. But it’s a local company *cue Tubbs and Edward*, and this is a proper Forever Investment. So gonna give it careful thought.

As for spilling Nuln oil? Not a problem if I go for the onyx colour

https://www.therusticgrove.co/products/computer-desk-with-square-frame-legs?variant=45577731801377

Are you going to need the window space for a vent hood? Any of your toys/tools spray or outgas toxic stuff that needs the space?

Natural light is nice, but is not consistent. There are times of the day I can’t hobby due to the glare at the wrong angle.

I’m spoiled with a giant table my mom used to use to cut mats for framing artwork. In addition to the desk, give some thought to hobby organizers for tools/paints/etc. if you don’t alreasy have a nice setup.

Anything smelly or whiffy will get done in the garden, which this looks out over. Granted, not necessarily doable in the poorer weather, but that’s largely a matter of proper planning.

I do have a small spray booth with an extractor, and the pipe for that can be temporarily positioned out the window.

When I need consistent light, I’ll have posable lamps.

If you have the spare space it can be nice to have spots for everything so you don’t need to bother setting up and breaking down. Spray, built, paint, photograph, display.

Remember:

The floor is just a really low shelf.

Just measured up. 240cm x 80cm desk would fit nicely.

Shame it’s…..71cm clearance.

71cm. Now, I know I’m above average height like, but that’s titchy. Maybe if I kneeled, sure. But it’s way, way too low.

Congratulations on the move! and on the forever home!
I always wanted the 2 Husky Workbenches with a lever that you can raise it up or down for my room but never had the money for it.

So made my own table at the height I wanted. One long table from wall to wall.
Three 2X4s X12ish across and a thin sheet of plywood on top, that is it. Hope this gives you ideas.

Congrats! I'm in a similar position with a new house and a spacious garage to make my own art studio.

Still unsure how many workstations I will have/need, since I have other art mediums priorities BUT..,. If your main thing is painting minis, I think the first thing you need to plan is where will your collection of paints will sit... Visible? On shelves? Tucked away in a drawer?
It's your choice but the volume of paints you have (usually 200, 300 pots) and where will they be, will help you figure out desks, furniture and wall shelves around that.

Hope it helps and good luck Sir.

I think this Ninjon video is pretty good for thoughts to think. It was a while back I watched it , but from memory, he went for kitchen units with a big worktop all the way across.





Automatically Appended Next Post:
Also if you have an FDM 3D printer (or a handy friend with such), then Ikea Skadis wall thingies allow all the flexibility

Kitchen stuff could work! And as I’m only leaving here in a box? Might even go marble.

Yes. Marble. For the fanciest of hobby spaces.


Automatically Appended Next Post:
On my meanderings earlier today to get a new tyre for my car? Noticed a neighbour just up the road is a carpenter, due to the sign on their fence.

Reckon I’m gonna chap their door tomorrow and see if they can spare a few minutes to measure up and offer at least a rough quote.

Won’t be a big job for them, natch. But remember, Tradesmen! Cash Is Tax Free!

Not a tradesmen meself, but I can’t imagine designing, making and installing a work desk 8’10” wide and *wait I need to measure that other dimension* deep is gonna be a work of Hercules.

Plus I find people knowing I’m well clever and informed in financial complaint matters tends to make them quite well disposed to you!