Before & After: A Sweet and Cheerful Studio
See how one blogger transformed her studio from grungy and grimy to cute and cheerful—all while keeping an eye on the bottom line.
Photo: The Sweet Escape Creative
With a tight budget and a barren studio, Melissa, of The Sweet Escape, was not only undeterred but inspired! Her new studio a blank canvas on which to depict her vision, she knew colour, character, and accessories would shape the creative space. See her how she cobbled together a bright and airy kitchen as sweet as her recipes.
Photo: The Sweet Escape Creative
Why did you decide to renovate this space?
I was beyond excited to move into my own studio space. It was in pretty great shape with amazing bones—high ceilings, wood floors, and big windows—but it had zero personality. The challenge was to make it colourful to match my aesthetic, functional to match my needs, and budget-friendly because it's a rental.
Photo: The Sweet Escape Creative
How did you decide the style direction you went in?
My style direction was to match my Sweet Escape brand, which is bright and colourful with a nod to vintage. I wanted to keep the studio mostly white as it's the best backdrop for all the creative projects that happen in the space, but I wanted the kitchen to be the one colourful focal point. I did this with some simple colour blocking and lots of great accessories from Wayfair with a few thrifted pieces thrown in for extra character.
Photo: The Sweet Escape Creative
Where did you choose to splurge vs. save?
I didn't have a big budget, so the project overall was very budget-friendly. But I made a point to really save on the tiles and shelves because it's a rental space. I splurged a bit on the accessories, since I can take them with me when I leave.
Photos: The Sweet Escape Creative
What was your biggest challenge?
The biggest challenge was definitely doing the tiled backsplash. I've got a few tile projects under my belt now so it wasn't too bad, but it's not my kind of fun to get your hands dirty with that stuff. I'd much rather style kitchen shelves!
What was it like living through the renovation?
Because I don't live at the studio I was lucky that I didn't have to live "with" the mess. It took a bit longer than I planned (doesn't it always?!). The studio wasn't in bad shape so as much as I was dying for some colour and to pretty up the space, however, it wasn't the number one priority. Plus, I did all the work on my own, which means that things got done in between working and deadlines. It's so nice to walk into the space now and feel inspired and not just look around and see a half-finished project.
Photo: The Sweet Escape Creative
What do you love most about your new studio?
My favourite part of the new kitchen is definitely the bright wall colours. And I absolutely love the tray from Wayfair that brings out those fab colours and adds so many more!
Photos: The Sweet Escape Creative
