How to Use a Storage Unit as an Artist

All My Sons Moving & Storage offers full-service moving to businesses and families across roughly 90 locations in the United States. Are you an artist looking for storage space to help with your creative business? Here are some tips from the moving and storage pros on how to make the most of your storage space as an artist.

From sculpting to painting, your artistic pursuits bring a tremendous amount of joy to both you and the people who enjoy your art. Art requires abundant space for materials and creations, and some artists don’t have that space at home. Whether you’re just starting your artistic journey or you’ve grown your art business beyond the confinements of your spare bedroom, a storage space can help you keep organized for your next projects.

While high-ticket fine art is typically on the list of items you should not store, if you’re a hobby artist or budding professional then your materials and pieces could be securely stored in a self-storage facility.

The first thing you should do as an artist looking to rent storage is evaluate your own needs. You have a lot of options in the world of storage and you should carefully consider the best custom plan for you.

Here are some storage options that you should carefully consider as an artist.

• 24-Hour Access: Late night art shows? You might want additional access hours to ensure you can get in and out of your unit at a time that’s convenient for you. Most storage facilities have designated access hours to keep the area safe at night. 24 hour access might be available for an additional charge, ask your storage facility’s manager about access times before you move in.

• Drive-Up Units: These units are a breeze to access. You can drive right up to them in your vehicle, open them up, and load or unload in record time. The downside to these units is they are often not temperature-regulated, so your art and materials inside would be subject to the whims of the weather outside.  

• Climate Controlled Units: Temperature control is a must for anyone storing art. Extreme heat and extreme cold can easily damage canvases, prints, and sculptures. If you are storing precious art pieces then make sure you choose a unit that is climate-controlled to help keep the piece in a consistent environment during its stay in storage.

• Full-Service Storage: Artists who want a hands-off storage option should look at Full-Service Storage where labor and packing is handled entirely by professionals. When you want your items back, you can request their delivery. If you are someone who wants to access your items often and on-demand, then this option might not work best for you. 

Once you have reviewed the available options, you can start searching for the storage facility and unit that will meet your needs.

Renting out a traditional art studio can be quite pricey, but you need to get out of your own garage somehow. Is using a self-storage unit as your art studio an option for you?

The answer is maybe, and it depends entirely on the facility where you’re looking to rent and their own rules and regulations. While a storage unit may be a highly affordable option, there are some universal restrictions that might make working on your art in your self-storage unit difficult.

• Most storage facilities do not allow you to run a business out of a self-storage unit. This means that you can’t sell art pieces in your storage unit and you can’t use the storage facility as your business address. This might not restrict your ability to use the unit as a creative workspace, but you should always ask your facility’s manager if this is allowed ahead of time.

• Self-storage units are typically not well-lit. Natural light is hard to come by in an enclosed self-storage unit, and the unit’s artificial lights might not provide the best light for you to work with. 

• Storage units are not connected to basic utilities like heating, ventilation, and running water. The restrictive airflow might make working with items that produce fumes like paints or glues highly uncomfortable or dangerous. If you require water to wash or mix materials then a self-storage unit might not work well for your purposes. 

For some artists, the trade-off for the affordable dedicated workspace is worth working around the restrictions. 

Regardless of whether or not you use the unit as a workspace, storage options can definitely help artists keep their artwork and supplies safe.

You’ve chosen the unit that will work for your art collection, now what? Some extra time organizing your self-storage unit can save you the headache of having to hunt through your unit for certain supplies or pieces later. 

Here are a few ways to keep your art inventory organized well.

• Label Boxes and Bins: Supplies like paints and glues could go into plastic bins or boxes, but always make sure to label items so that you know exactly what’s inside. If you have extra supplies for setting up your storage unit, you might consider color-coding certain boxes or bins to make sure you can tell at a glance where specific supplies are.

• Map the Unit by Ease of Access: Your supplies that you access most often should be kept toward the front of the unit, and the items you access rarely should go further toward the back. 

• Use Shelves:  Keep items off the ground. Canvases, in particular, should never touch the floor of your storage unit. You can invest in special canvas racks to help keep art pieces organized and in great condition while in storage.

• Leave Aisles for Navigation: Since you visit your storage unit often, you should set up your shelves with plenty of room for you to navigate the unit. This helps leave an access point to get into your canvas racks and bins.

Huzzah, the unit is organized! Finding everything you’re looking for will be a breeze, and you’ll reduce the chances of anything getting damaged or going missing while in storage.

You’re moving your art business into a storage unit, congratulations! Now that you’re renting space for your precious creations and raw materials, you should aim to keep an inventory list of everything in your storage unit. An inventory will prove useful for keeping organized, and it will be a tremendous help in the event of a disaster where you need to file an insurance claim.

Your inventory should show the following for all the items in your storage unit:

• Picture: Keep a photograph of your most valuable pieces in your inventory list.

• Purchase Price: If you are selling the piece, notate how much you intend to charge for the piece. For materials, keep careful stock of how much it would cost to replace the item.

• Condition: Notate any existing damage or new damage if the piece goes out to art galleries or on display anywhere.

• Location in Storage Unit: Write down the exact location of your item while it is in storage, including the shelf number or bin the item is stored in.

You can use a simple spreadsheet software to keep track of your own inventory, or use an online inventory management system like Artwork Archive. 

With your organized storage unit keeping your materials and your unsold pieces safe, you can grow your art business without sacrificing more garage space. Happy creating!

When you need assistance relocating or storing your art pieces or materials, you can call All My Sons Moving & Storage. We offer professional packing to help keep your precious art pieces secure for the journey, and we can take your collections local or long-distance. Call 1-866-726-1579 to reach one of our locations nationwide or get started with the online quote button below.