Nearly three years ago, I published my first studio tour (seen above) on YouTube. It was a peppy, jazzy jaunt through my all white studio, filmed entirely on my iPhone. After a few weeks, it started to go viral, and it's currently my second most viewed video on the channel. The space was presented as cozy, minimalist and bright, and it certainly was all of those things.

But I'll let you blog readers in on a little secret: it had some major problems.

As the channel grew, I needed more storage, and the dresser I was using was both clunky and insufficient. The drawers didn't open properly, they didn't store very much, and the top of the dresser became a dumping ground for supplies. 

The shelves above the desk were also poorly installed (by yours truly) and starting to pull away from the walls. I was using wood shims slipped between the bracket and the shelf to try to make them appear level, but even that couldn't keep up with their slow collapse. 

Worst of all, my lighting was giving me a headache. Not only were my videos coming out either over or underexposed, but I felt like my white walls were bouncing too much light reflection into my eyes and onto my paintings. I wanted to create more talking head videos, but every time I filmed against the white backdrop, everything looked washed out, and I scrapped most of the footage. 

From Light and Bright to Dark and Moody

At the same time, the dark and moody trend was making the rounds. Aha, I thought, this will surely solve all my problems! So I painted my accent wall dark, added a cabinet for more storage, and thought I was brilliant…

…until I filmed against it and realized it wasn't actually any better. My tutorials went from feeling too white and bright to too dark and heavy. My videos on YouTube began performing worse and worse, weighed down by a (somewhat depressing) dark background.

People may love a dark and moody transformation reel, but they sure as heck weren't digging the vibe on my channel. 

And truthfully…neither was I. As much as I secretly wish that I were moody and mysterious, I'm really not. So there was a disconnect between the look and feel of my space and who I am as a person, which isn't terribly conducive to creativity. 

From Dark and Moody Back to Light and Bright

Fortunately, another design trend wandered along…Light Academia. Academia is a broad definition for interior or fashion design that celebrates a love of learning and intellectual pursuits. Think books, tweeds, antiques, plants, old wood, etc. Light academia is the softer, gentler version of its cousin, dark academia. Light academia focuses on the joy and positivity of learning, through a pale color palette and lots of sunlight.

That's the direction I decided to take the studio in with this most recent redesign. Even though I'm still figuring out its quirks and how to work with it as both an active working space and filming set, I'm much happier with the vibe and how it makes me feel.

Oh, and the issues with the lighting? Turns out there was an easy solution to that. I cover all of that in the video. 

I designed the new space to feel like somewhere that you'd want to wear a cozy sweater, pour a cup of tea, and sit with me while we chatted and painted. And that's exactly what I want my channel to feel like. I want all of my future painting tutorial videos to feel warm and inviting, because I want to put you in the kind of glowing mood that inspires you to create.

You can see it below, or keep scrolling to read about how to makeover your own home studio space. 

What is light academia?

Before we go deeper into how to makeover your studio, I'd like to talk about my inspiration of light academia.

Light academia, in a design context, displays a love for books, art, and intellectual pursuits, but unlike dark academia which is all moody and serious, light academia is typically expressed through a soft color palette and a happier, romanticized view of scholarly life.

This is an example of The Vibe: this is one of the first things you need to consider. Let's get into it.  

How to Makeover Your Home Art Studio - 3 Tips for a Successful Redesign

1. The vibe: how do you want the studio to feel?

This is a difficult concept to express, but the vibe is basically the energy of a room. It can also be used to describe a person's energy, or how you feel when you're around them. 

If you're the kind of artist who likes to relax while they're working, your room is going to have an entirely different vibe to someone who is more utilitarian. Someone who wants cozy and comforting may want candles, soft fabrics, and little personalized touches, while someone focused entirely on utilitarian use would only care about eliminating friction in the workspace. 

Similarly, if you're a dark and moody kind of person, then the dark wall would be right up your alley and would lend itself to who you are and your work. It would likely also showcase your content beautifully, especially if you're presenting it on social media. 

The best way to figure out your vibe is to think about what kind of energy or spaces you feel drawn to, then isolating some variables. Is it the wall colour? The lighting? The decor? See if you can figure out what it is about that space that brings you joy. 

2. Plants and lighting can MAJORLY improve your home art studio

Regardless of what kind of vibe you have, plants and good lighting will look good with everything. You can also have the world's most beautiful studio, but if it's poorly lit, it could look like a hospital room or corporate office instead of a creative workspace (unless that's your vibe). 

You really can't go wrong with this one.

3. It's okay to change your mind and your vibe

Did you paint your studio wall a color that you actually wound up hating?  Just get rid of it. Were you going through a maximalist phase and now you want to go minimalist? Cool, get rid of your junk. 

Your space should evolve with you, and not hold you back. So if you are feeling like your space is no longer serving you, you need to upgrade it. 

If you're unable to paint the walls (maybe you're in a rental and that's a hard no from the landlord), can you hang a piece of art that inspires you? Add another plant? Or just try moving some furniture around? Play, experiment, and don't feel like you have to keep things the way they are just because that's how it's always been. 

In psychology there is a term called sunk cost mentality, which is when you continue to invest time and resources into something that is no longer beneficial, simply because you've already spent so much time and energy trying to make it so. Sometimes, you just need to start over, and a fresh makeover can give you an entirely new outlook on both yourself and your art practice. 

Have any questions about designing your Home Art Studio? Leave me a comment below!