1. My shop has two benches along with a center island workstation. The benchtops are made from unfinished oak flooring that was leftover from my parents’ house. After sanding the benchtops, I applied three coats of a water-soluble poly product to seal the wood. If I were doing this again, I’d probably use an epoxy to coat the benchtop to better fill in the gaps and crevices.

2. My sitting bench is 30 inches high. It houses my soldering station, a small drill press, and my double Foredom flex-shaft stand. Since venting in a cold climate is not easy, I invested in a Quatro Gold Vault Extractor, which filters both the soldering side (left) and the flex-shaft side (above) of my bench. I have a foot pedal that turns the system on and off.

3. Floor choice was a big deal for me. My previous shop had a vinyl tongue and groove floor over concrete. It was very cold. This shop is heated with electric in-floor heat. It was installed when the cement was laid. Last winter, it easily kept the shop 70 degrees all the time—that’s a big deal in Minnesota!

4. When designing the workshop, I specifically planned the size and location of five windows. Working in natural light is a luxury, and I wish I had included more! Eventually I’d like to install some type of blinds or window shades, but, at this time, my only thoughts are on adding more tools to my collection.

5. Under the bench I have two cabinets that sit on wheels. The small one holds my soldering supplies while the larger black one holds silver. The wheels allow me to pull them out, which makes it easier when I have to dig around in the drawers for supplies.

6. At my soldering station, I have a row of ceramic tiles that protect my benchtop from the torch as well as the flux. My pickle pot also sits on a tile, as it gets pretty hot when it’s on all day.

7. My standing bench sits 39 inches high and houses my Jool-Tool, band saw, tumbler, belt sander, polishing lathe, and rolling mill. I had electrical outlets installed every 3 feet above and below the bench.

8. The green cabinets under my bench are MasterCraft cabinets. They are designed to hold heavy items and the drawers slide easily no matter what is stored in them. I use them to hold larger tools, including heavy mandrels. They were expensive but well worth the investment. In my previous shop, I tried a few other storage options, such as RubberMaid chests, but they lasted only a few months and fell apart.

9. I have a large mirror hung on the wall in my studio. In addition to helping me check the look and fit of pieces as I’m making them, it helps close sales. I will occasionally host a jewelry exhibition in my studio and I’ve found that customers prefer to try jewelry on and like the benefit of seeing the whole picture.

10. There’s an island workstation in the middle of the shop. It’s 48 inches2 and 36 inches high. It allows for four work areas, and each area faces the bench that it services. For example, all forging and shaping is done facing the storage unit that holds these tools. The side with the saws, blades, and polishing supplies faces the flex-shaft soldering bench.

11. This wooden cabinet is where I gather and store sterling embellishments as well as clasps and some beads I have made.

12. My bench vise is mounted to one of the corners of the island.

13. This MasterCraft cabinet holds jewelers saws and blades along with many, many hammers and other parts for my tools. Fortunately there are still a few empty drawers in each of my cabinets, giving me an excuse to accumulate more tools!

14. I use one area of the island to sit and design. Cabs are stored directly under the bench as are other findings.

15. My studio is L-shaped, and in the shorter end of the L is my “office pod”—a 6 foot by 6 foot space that holds a vintage oak desk. I deliberately made this the office space because it is away from the dust of the rest of the workspace.

16. I participate in a famous art show called The Meander, which is part of the Upper Minnesota River Valley studio tour of artists. I like to display all local art in my studio.

17. Although my shop assistant has an official workstation set up under my standing bench, she tends to work wherever (and whenever) she feels like it. She’s the boss!

18. I inherited this vintage spool chest from my great-grandfather. I store strings of gems in its drawers.

19. It sits on top of an old treadle sewing machine base that I bought at a repurposing shop. It’s very sturdy and ideal for holding heavy stuff.

20. I have a Bose speaker that sits on top of the chest so I can listen to the radio or music while I’m working.

21. I use the small boxes that sit on top of the spool chest to hold a bunch of odds and ends that I don’t know where else to put.

22. My husband bought this antique Hoosier cupboard at an auction. I refinished it and made a few minor repairs. I use it to store books and magazines as well as packing supplies, bags, receipt books, and silver cleaner. Because it’s vintage, I don’t use it as a workspace though I’ll occasionally use it to spread out my finished jewelry prior to photographing it.

23. The television on top of the cabinet is useful for watching YouTube and other instructional videos. It’s also handy for the occasional television viewing.

24. This small chest serves as my photo studio, though I’ll also photograph pieces outside on my patio. The old boxes store my photography supplies. There’s a piece of felt draped across the top of the chest, which helps to reduce glare in my photos.