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How to set up your own studio

Dan Van Benthuysen

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Some advice for setting up a home studio from architect Michael Macrina, 34, of St. James, who has been designing custom homes on Long Island for 12 years:

Garages and old barns are favorites among artists for conversion to studios. As Macrina points out, "Even if you have the money to build a separate structure, the zoning in your town may not allow it."

Every artist-client he's had wanted a studio attached to the home, if possible. "Something [that's] part of the home but segregated - easy to get to, so you don't have to go outdoors to get to it in cold weather, but separate from the main part of the house with a door that can be closed."

Depending on the activity for which the studio is being designed, consider the most utilitarian kind of floor, such as sealed concrete.

Most artists want a lot of diffuse light. So Macrina recommends high ceilings, where possible, with transom-style windows on the north side to avoid the harsh direct sunlight that can strike from other directions. Transom windows can be used to provide lots of light while providing generous wall space below for display of work.

Include a slop sink, if only for cleanup.

Don't overlook acoustic considerations. "You don't want to be working on your masterpiece and hearing the television that's on the other side of the wall," Macrina says.

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