Closets by Design made an awesome crafting room for one Birmingham mom. Here’s why she loves it.

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Sheila McCallum and one of her mom's quilts in her Closets by Design sewing room.
Sheila admiring one of her late Mom’s award-winning quilts. Photo by Hannah Chambley for Bham Now

Back in the Summer of 2017, Bham Now’s Sheila McCallum found herself in need of a new crafting room.

Two weeks after she called Closets by Design of Central Alabama, she had exactly what she wanted.

If the name Sheila McCallum sounds familiar, you may have snorted your coffee while reading her hilarious Bham Now newsletters.

We chatted about what made her multipurpose craft room so fabulous. Here’s what she had to say.

Why’d you reach out to Closets by Design for a crafting room?

Sheila now has a place to store her Mom's sewing treasures in her Closets by Design sewing room.
Sheila with some of her Mom’s treasures. Photo by Hannah Chambley for Bham Now

Sheila suddenly found herself with a bunch of new-to-her stuff and no real place to put it:

My mother had just passed away. She was an incredible seamstress and crafter extraordinaire. I inherited her sewing machine, quilting frames, and mountains of fabric and lace.

She had a bumper sticker that read, “The one who dies with the most fabric WINS.” Trust me, she WON.

I just threw stuff in an empty spare room. From time to time, I’d peek in there and do an about-face because I didn’t know where to start attempting to organize and store it all. 

Sheila was longing for someone to help impose some kind of order in the chaos, and she thought Closets by Design could do the job.

What was it like, working with Closets by Design?

More treasures in Sheila's Closets by Design sewing room.
More treasures. Photo by Hannah Chambley

Closets by Design of Central Alabama sent out designer Naomi Morrison. Armed with all the tools of a designer’s trade, she showed up and listened to exactly what Sheila wanted. But at first it didn’t go according to plan.

The designer had her work cut out for her, because I shot down her first suggestion! Politely, of course. But I firmly said no, that’s not what I had in mind.

What I needed was a large, clean surface with good lighting so I could spread out and sew. Or scrapbook, sew on a button, work on Christmas cards, or write.

Prior to this project, I did everything at the dining room table, which was the first thing people saw when they walked in our front door.

I also wanted to be able to look out my front window as I worked so I could see the world outside.

There's room for crafting in Sheila's Closets by Design sewing room.
Ah . . . crafting . . . Photo by Hannah Chambley for Bham Now

All worked out well in the end, though, once Naomi and Sheila were on the same page:

Naomi had a lightbulb moment and design #2 was a go: a stand-alone, custom built work table with built-in shelves and drawers underneath to store all of my treasures and tools of the trade. All custom-built on site.

Sheila has spots for all the things in her Closets by Design sewing room.
There is literally a place for everything. Photo by Hannah Chambley for Bham Now

How has this multipurpose creative room changed your life?

Best in show in the Closets by Design sewing room.
Best in show. Photo by Hannah Chambley for Bham Now

I wanted to store my mother’s treasures with care and respect, not in cardboard boxes stacked against a wall.

This workstation is the focal point of the room now, not the clutter in the boxes.

The first thing anyone does when they come over to see it is run their hands over the smooth surface and imagine all of the projects they could do there too!

It invites creativity and hides the messy parts.

There's a nice clean workspace in Sheila's Closets by Design sewing room.
A nice, clean workspace . . . Photo by Hannah Chambley for Bham Now

Not only does Sheila now feel like she’s winning at adulting, she has the perfect place to store—and make good use of—some family treasures.

If you want to see what Closets by Design of Central Alabama can do for you, give them a call at (205) 777-4000.

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Sharron Swain
Sharron Swain

Writer, Interviewer + Adventurer | Telling stories to make a difference

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