Well… it has only taken 6 months and a global pandemic to finally find the time to post about my studio set up last year in August. My studio is in reality a detached garage within a large warehouse complex in Coburg North. Until recently it was being used as a mechanics workshop, and as you can see, was pretty grim. I was also 20-weeks pregnant at the time, so relied on A LOT of help from family and friends to get this place up and running. I really wanted to be making as soon as possible, with the aim of having stock ready for Christmas!

My lovely Dad scrubbed this place to remove all the mechanics grease, acid washed the floors and then painted the walls and floors. Thanks Dad!

As the studio was set up on a pretty tight budget and I love to repurpose items where possible, I jumped at the offer of these shelves from my father-in-law that were otherwise destined for the tip. He did an incredible job painting the frames and replacing the old warped shelves with new. A pair of plan drawers were salvaged from an old school building courtesy of my uncle! Dad plumbed in a second-hand sink and my brother built a simple frame that offers some additional storage.

I bought a brand new wheel – what a treat! The wheel to the left is a Shimpo Whisper T – it is practically silent and it is so smooth! Very different to the first wheel I ever owned which was a 30+ year old monster which must have weighed 100kg! “Bessy” the big blue kiln was purchased second hand and she is an almighty beast! It took me 6 weeks of making full-time to fill her up with pots! The set up cost for the kiln was by far the most expensive thing. It was quite the investment, but worth every penny! Kilns themselves are expensive, plus there’s the additional cost of transportation and installation. I was really lucky in that, as a former mechanics workshop the studio was already set up with three-phase power, saving me thousands of dollars!

I am really happy with how it has all come together and it’s a really great space for making. While I am currently on maternity leave, I am really looking forward to getting back here as much as possible in the near future with my new studio assistant in tow!

I will soon be back in the studio full time and will be offering wheel class of either one-on-one or two-on one. Times can be flexible, so if you are looking for a weekend or evening class, simply get in touch!