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Feeling Crafty in a Former Sitting Room
March, 2019 - Issue #174

"I have three boys," says Whelchel. "I started really loving all the bright girly colors here; it was my first real chance to use them! It was like decorating a teenager's room. I would have had these colors as a kid and my mom would have said, 'No, not that color!' It has turned out to be something I love."

So many Santa Claritians can relate: What's the point of a sitting room, anyway?

Says homeowner Shelly Whelchel, "Our sitting room ended up being a place we put our extra furniture that didn't really fit anywhere else. It wasn't special, it wasn't used often. It ended up just being a lot of wasted space."

That was true for the Whelchel home - until the Great Craft Conversion.

"I was wandering through the house trying to complete a project," says the artist, "and found myself pulling materials out of every nook, crevice and drawer from just about every room. Nothing was accessible. It wasn't pleasant. I realized that I really needed a space where my tools could be kept in one place."


Homeowner and artist Shelly Whelchel uses her craft space for a variety of applications, including painting, jewelry making, hand lettering, scrapbooking, making succulent gardens and weaving dreamcatchers. Having her tools, trinkets and inspiration all in one spot makes it a joy to create.

That "place," it was quickly obvious, was the under-used sitting room located in the front of the home.

"I told my husband," says Whelchel, "I have an idea and I think you're going to like it! But... we have to take the dining room apart!" They began gathering shelving and furniture that would be better purposed in this space - and an old dining room table that brought sturdiness and sentimentality, to the room.


"I knew I wanted to use my old dining room table. I wasn't finding anything out there that you could rough up, that would hold up. The room revolves around that one piece," says the homeowner.

The craft room grew - both in size and utility. "At first it was just a few cabinets, then it was an art gallery filled with family photos for inspiration. A TV's there now, not to watch shows but for cool videos. Extra seating was added because now it's a fun place to sit and chat with friends," says Whelchel.

"We were lucky that this space was available. It was a do-nothing room and now it's a favorite," says the homeowner.
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