Re: OT - looking for design ideas for a new perfume studio / work room

[Guest guest]

> Hi everyone. We're adding a new room to our house as part of an addition and

it would be a huge help to hear from you folks regarding how to best design it

for use as my perfume studio / work room.

Hi Sharon:

That's wonderful! I wish I could add onto my house, but I have

two huge heritage oaks in the back, and there are further limits

due to my drainfield. However, I did have a room in my house

open up for reuse since my mother has moved to a nursing home.

So, I am facing the challenge/opportunity you are!

> The room will be 10x16 with a bank of three windows on one long wall and a

door and single window on one short wall. So far, I've been planning for some

cabinetry with counter space, a sink and overhead storage, and the contractor

will build a perfume organ, shelves / counters, etc. I'm not sure whether to

leave my perfume fridge (full size) just outside this room or bring it into the

room, but it's tempting to leave it outside so that it won't take up work space.

I say leave the fridge outside. Not great for ambiance.

> Does anyone have ideas on how they would design a perfume space or experience

of what has worked well for them? Or lessons learned? I've been struggling in

limited space that does double duty for other uses, so it's been very hard to

make good use of my precious and very limited perfume time, especially for tasks

like bottling and packaging.

First I consider the aesthetics before the function. I want mine

to be modern, maybe all white with splashes of color. I think

the colors of the aromatics look more beautiful against white. I

have learned to have the organ no more than an arm's reach high.

The organ I had built is way too high, and I have to stand up to

retrieve about half my aromatics. Long and low is the way to

go. Plus, the ones on the higher shelves are hard to see, the

labels are so small. Don't make the working bottom shelf more

than about 12 " wide. That's all you'll need for your scale,

bottles, etc.

I'm drawing up plans for an organ that has a roll-type closure.

Not from the top, from the sides. This will help with dust and

light problems.

Have an " L " -shape tabletop built off the organ. You can use this

for packaging and shipping.

You can have plenty of drawers built in below the organ and

tabletop. You'll need bookshelves, and free-standing cabinets for

extra materials such as tinctures, shipping supplies, lab

equipment, etc. I wouldn't keep glass in overhead cabinets, just

because I'm a klutz, but YMMV. That's why I recommended the

free-standing cabinets. I have a number of them, 6' tall by 4'

wide and 2' deep. Before you start, you might want to check the

building and zoning codes. You may need a floor drain, for

instance. The sink may have to meet certain specs for commercial

purposes.

Anya McCoy

http://AnyasGarden.com

http://PerfumeClasses.com

http://NaturalPerfumers.com