Pinewood Forest is a sustainable, pedestrian-oriented, environmentally focused hometown. Its town planner and architect, Lew Oliver, sums up the philosophy simply: to provide a new town for makers and storytellers. So when Deb and Pete Rector came to him to design their new home, Deb's request for a craft studio at first struck him as outrageous — he'd never heard of someone wanting to invest this much in a craft room and entertain in it at the same time.

But as Deb explained her passion for paper crafting and how she loves inviting friends over to join in, Lew came around to her vision of bringing people together. He thought it was wonderful — and started to wonder why he didn't see more craft-studio requests in the homes he designed.

“I think it's brilliant to be able to entertain and do crafts together, which really bonds people and creates a much more lively social scene.”

— Lew Oliver, Architect

Deb Rector has been a paper crafter for years, starting as a scrapbooker before evolving into a card maker. When she and Pete were planning their new home, she knew she wanted a studio with room for her supplies and room to share her passion with others. She didn't begin with a grand space, though — her very first “studio” was the kitchen table. With each step up, she learned to craft a little more efficiently.

Another essential ingredient was a place for her husband, Pete. After 30 years of marriage, the two are still best friends — they have their own hobbies and plenty they enjoy together. Giving Pete a spot to relax means the couple can chat or watch TV side by side while Deb crafts.

The whole layout was designed with entertaining in mind. A guest can relax by the fire in the sofa area, grab lunch in the studio's kitchen, or settle in to work at the 12x12 U-shaped desk. Creating the space was a long process, and through all of it Deb kept community and friendship front and center.

“I wanted to create a space that would be difficult to leave — where people would say, ‘I'm ready to move in, I have my bag packed.’”

— Deb Rector

Crafted Spaces Series 3 takes you on a tour of Deb's studio and the passion she has for building a bond of community and friendship through her paper crafting. We hope you'll find ideas to bring into your own space — and feel inspired to build relationships through your craft.