annette1952

The dumb waiter sounds like a great idea. There are a lot of pros & cons to both ideas but if it were me I would build a she shed. The reason I say that is because that is what I plan to do. It will be a pain to go out in the winter but if it is close to the house & the walk was shoveled it won't be too bad. Good luck with whatever you decide & let us know

nancyw

I have a bedroom for my sewing room and another one for my cutting room. someday I hope we can build over the attached garage. Then I'd Have all my stuff in one place. Right now I have my fabric, books and magazines down in the basement.

Karamarie

I don't know your age but steps become a liability as we age. I am 70 and 5 years ago we added a main floor bedroom, bathroom and laundry room. The whole upstairs (5 rooms plus a bathroom) is now my sewing, etc space and I'm fortunate to have that. Yes I have steps but is no problem yet and is actually good exercise. When either of us gets to the point where we can't do steps, I think it will be time for us to move off the farm for reasons other than just doing steps. I like the suggestion about using your current space for guests and have your sewing space within the house.

maviskw

When I built my new garage in 2001 (right after 911) I made it handicap accessible. There was an 8 inch drop from the level of the house to the level of the garage. The garage was 10 feet away from the house, so I built a beautiful breezeway with a 10 foot ramp to access the garage with a wheelchair. It has been never been used for a wheelchair . . . yet! and I don't see a wheelchair in my future, but it pays to be prepared. It's so nice to be able to walk to the garage, in bare feet sometimes, to retrieve something or put something into the car so I won't forget it.

If I had a sewing room in another building, I would never go there. I need to be near what's going on in the house. I do use a timer to remind me that I need to stop sewing now and get ready (for something ? ? ?) to "stir a pot" and just be nearer my hubby, even if we don't really talk for a few hours at a time.

ManiacQuilter2

I totally agree. I can understand the problem with the stairs but many quilters don't have a dedicated sewing room. Is there a way to make a covered passageway to the garage?

lfletcher

I have a nice sewing room in the house, but when I got my long arm, it wouldn't fit. My husband enclosed our back porch and that is where my Gammill lives. My husband loves to build things and has offered to build me a stand alone quilting studio that would be large enough to hold everything. However, I like being in my house. I can start dinner and then go back and forth between quilting and cooking. To me there are numerous advantages to being in the house. Put on a load of wash, dust a bookshelf, pay a bill, check what's going on at the quilting forum, etc.

fivepaws

I use a spare bedroom. That being said, I would definitely go with an addition. Especially in NY where it gets really cold. That way you would have the heat from the house, you could be on the same level without stairs and make it as roomy as you wanted or needed.

mommaB

I'm going to assume you have a pretty good sized sewing room if it is over a two car garage, much larger than any room in your house. And you seem to be very happy with it. So I wouldn't trade a room in the house and send the guests to the garage (especially if there is no bathroom). I'm not convinced a shed, even custom built, would be cozy in winter with 4 walls exposed. Whether or not the cost would be recouped in sale depends on how long you plan to stay there - if you plan to be there forever, who cares? An addition on the house is OK, IF you want to be that accessible to the house (and occupants) when you are sewing. I am in the house and find I am easily and often interrupted.
I would be more interested in adapting the current space to your needs. A personal elevator may be in your budget, or a dumb waiter, or stair chair, or a set of stairs not so steep. And if you don't currently have a washroom, I would definitely see if it could be arranged! That way you never have to be in a hurry to get to the house! If you love the space and want to stay, there are lots of improvements you can do to make it even more perfect, and you don't have to pack and move or miss much sewing time!

Roberta

I agree with Dunster. You would still have to brave the elements to get out there and I'm thinking Stanley, NY must be in upstate where the winters can be horrid. My vote would be to add onto the house and put lots of windows in the addition for lighting.

Luv Quilts and Cats

I think I would go with the addition. You would be connected to the house, but still in your own space. And you can close the door when you don't want to be disturbed. In an addition, you would probably have 4 straight walls. In a she shed, two of the walls might not be tall due to the pitch of the roof. I do love She Sheds. I live in New Hampshire and I am not sure I would want to leave the house in the winter to go sew in the shed. That's why I would go with the addition.

I thought just crossed my mind. Is it possible to build an enclosed walk way from the second story of the house directly to your room in the garage? If possible you could put a sliding glass door in the second story room of the house, or french doors, and have a walkway to the garage. You would probably want to enclose it some how to avoid the wet weather and snow. Just a thought.