You can fit all sorts of creative spaces into a home.
For some, the space is a compact crafting nook. For others, it's an underused garage transformed into a yoga studio. But for a young family in a Seattle suburb, the creative space is a roughly 300-square-foot room where STEAM — or science, technology, engineering, art, and math — activities flourish.
"The space is meant for the kids and adults to do all things creative, from Legos and sewing, drawing and painting, to 3D printing and modeling," Amanda Brooks Welch explained via email. Welch, the founder of Brooks Vale Design in Woodinville, Washington, remodeled both the library and the STEAM space for this residence, relying on patterned walls and custom shelving to realize each room.
Here's how Welch made the STEAM room work:
Be consistent with your patterns

Welsh incorporated just two patterned elements into the room: speckled black-and-white carpet and a splash of geometric wallpaper along the back walls. Although the prints are different, their muted colors offer variety without distracting the room's users from their work — or any visitors from the finished projects on display.
"The patterns are consistent throughout the room and create cohesion," Welch explained. "The larger-scale pattern of the wallpaper works with the all-over smaller pattern of the carpet."
Incorporate a variety of workstations
To accommodate family members of different ages and heights, Welch paid close attention to both seating and work surfaces.
"The space is laid out so that there are multiple workstations for the family to craft and create," she said. "The large central table has comfortable desk-style chairs, and the table adjusts from seat height to standing height. The perimeter work surfaces provide plug-ins for electronic devices, such as a sewing machine or 3D printer. The cabinetry allows for ample storage."

For artwork, embed focal points into your shelving
Equipped with plenty of room to build Legos, these homeowners needed display space. So, Welch lined the walls with custom cabinetry and industrial-style shelving, integrating a variety of shelf sizes to suit projects large and small.
"The display of Legos and other projects are front and center in this space," she noted. "The shelving was designed to blend in with the walls to highlight the pieces of art. The large scale of the display area makes the area a focal [point] in the space."
The paint is dramatic but neutral enough to promote focus
While there are subtle spots of color on the wallpaper, Welsh pointed out, the space is "mostly neutral." But the neutral in this case has some personality in the form of a flat charcoal gray, with a lighter hue on the ceiling brightening up the space.
"This allows the space to feel moody while also allowing the art to be ... on display," she detailed.

Specify useful lighting (and plenty of floor outlets)
With dark paint on the walls and floor, purposeful lighting was essential, so Welch selected options that felt "decorative while also being functional for tasks."
"The arms of the central light adjust, and can lights around the room dim," she explained. "Adjustable lighting creates a flexible environment for crafting or relaxing. Floor outlets are placed under the table to plug in equipment while sitting at the table."