My friend and I are looking for a place to live with specifically requisite things like dishwasher, washer and dryer, two bedrooms, etc. And of course one of those things for me is a space to work that's either hardwood floored or concrete i.e. a 3rd hardwood floored bedroom or an unfinished basement. We found one place that has everything at a great price! The only drawback is that unfinished basement space is accessible ONLY through an outside cellar door. Here's my internal debate: If my sewing workspace was in an unfinished basement with outside cellar-door access only would I actually get down there even if it was cold or raining (it is Seattle after all). If I did would I be super productive because I won't be distracted by the comforts of home? Or will I be deterred from going down because it's raining, the cellar door is heavy, it will be cold before the space heater can kick in, etc? Or will my I-need-to-create drive kick in often enough to get me over that and put me back in the realm of this being a good thing for increased productivity? What do you think? Could you do it? The space is clean and well lit and the door is only 10 steps from the back door. Or would I still be too deterred to go out of my way?
I guess only you know the answer to that! My office is upstairs, and I spent over a year working in the dining room b/c my elderly greyhound had problems with the stairs. OTOH, I have another author friend (who lives in Minneapolis!!) who writes in an unheated, but adorable, children's playhouse she calls The Wendy House. Yes, in cold/rainy/snowy/mosquito-y Minneapolis. OTotherOH, I've recently made a resolution to use more of my house, as well as incorporate more movement into my day, so I've been using my office AND my basement a lot more.
Did that help?
I'm going to guess that your even asking those questions is a clue to the challenges you already know might get in your way.
For instance, when I was reading your post & I came to "only access through outside cellar door" my first thought was DAMPNESS & how will it affect your fabrics because that would be *my* preoccupation. I don't think that having the opening outside 10 feet away or inside 20 feet away would make much difference to me, but the dampness of the space would. Do you see what I mean?
So think about it: is the mere fact that your wondering about these things clueing you in on what are likely to be your own challenges and if so, do you have it in you to go down there & work productively regardless?
HTH & good luck!
I concur with the others about the dampness and it rains a lot in the Serattle area. Mold and Mildew smell will remain in fabrics for a long time. You will have to store everything in air tight plastic tubs.
Having to go outside just to enter the basement tells me that the house is old. say 100 years old. Then there is the problem of mold in the foundation that sends off a horrid smell.
Good luck in finding a house with basement access from within the house rather than outside.
Good points folks! The house is an older craftsman style home. Probably built in the 1920's. Luckily there seems to be no sign of mold or mildew down there, and has been kept very clean. I grew up in a house with a damp basement (and it was finished!) so I'm very attuned to that smell and I didn't get it at all when I was down there. I keep my fabrics in plastic bins at any rate and if I do come to find too much moisture down there I'll be picking up a dehumidifier.