PAUL EDWARDS

Graham Beck's room

Dear Paul

Well, here's a description (of sorts) regarding my room. Let me know if will be enough to work from.

The Room - measurements & general description:
Situated in the loft of my house, this room was converted into a studio space a couple of years ago. The dimensions (in good 'ole Imperial measurements) are approximately 161" wide x 212" in length. Due to the slope of the roof, the side walls only extend vertically for 36", & then angle inwards to the ceiling, leaving a 19" wide horizontal 'ceiling' (where two x3 bulb light fittings are secured). There's an overall height of 88" in the centre, which gives me about 60" walking across the width before I bang my head on the sloping sides! The stairs that lead up to the loft (from the landing area), take up a bit of effective floor space - about 91"  x 33" - which starts at the opposite 'full' vertical end wall (there is a traditional bannister round the stair area)........which in turn is opposite the other (dormer-windowed) end wall.  This window is central, & about 34" off the floor level (& it measures 48" wide x 40" high) - in white UPVC. The view looks out onto a main road into Hull, but beyond, I can see the start of the Yorkshire Wolds - very soothing & restful. The sloping side wall/ceiling (facing you when you get to the top of the stairs) houses x2 wooden Velux windows (both are 29" wide x 44" high), & they are 60" apart, & begin 37" from the wall by the stairs. The interior colour, for the walls/ceiling is a warm light grey, with a similar colour for the slightly ripple-patterned vinyl floor covering.

The Room - contents:
To add a bit of colour to the space, there is a tufted, multi-coloured wool rug at the top of the stairs, & a larger grey/dark grey & cream non-wool rug sits at the 'dormer window end'. Other colours are provided accidentally by the objects around. Ikea (unpainted) floor-standing shelf units adorn both end walls, & another smaller unit (housing hi-fi equipment - including a record deck) sits next to my laptop table, on which is also placed a mixing desk, for recording audio into the computer. There are six map drawers, on top of each other, over in the corner (tucked behind the stair bannister), which are A1-size. An A1-size drawing table at the other end, faces the dormer window, with old woven wicker chair (dusky pink) in front of it. The chair, from which I'm typing this description, is one of those contemporary-looking imitation leather & grey metal, high-backed office swivel chairs. If I stretched out my legs, & did a quick circular swivel, I would knock several things over - so I don't. Two record cabinets (full of LPs), sit against the walls, one of which has an old valve radio on it (a Marconi that still works!). Coming back to the shelf units, they contain a mixture of books, folders, kitsch ornaments, toys (Daleks, robots etc. - I love 'em!!) - boxes/small crates of musical equipment, tapes/cassettes, CDs & art materials - such as brushes, paints etc.
Dotted around, are various (musical) keyboards/ synths & FX units - some on 'X stands', some on low stools, & some stood vertically to give me a bit of room. Other keyboards sit in cases/bags in front of the map drawers (I physically can't walk round behind the bannister there, so I have to move everything out of the way to get to the paper/card stored in the map drawers. FINALLY, various leads, cables & PSU (power supply units) are spread about the loft space - some connected to equipment, some not. Excess cables are hung on a wire mannequin near the dormer window. Believe it or not, I can actually see out of the window, & move around in the loft fairly easily - unless I'm recording something, & then it's a bit touch 'n go!

The Room - final summing up:
Although it's a decent-sized space, & has areas of order/neatness as well as 'slightly untidy' bits, when you're tall like me, it has the disadvantage of the sloping ceiling. Thus, I have learned by trial-of-head-butting to avoid the outer reaches as much as possible. It's a very workable space, light & airy & nice, but not too cosy. It's my own fault that I play/collect keyboards. You always know what the weather's like up here. I could be more detailed, but I've got to stop somewhere. Now, in fact.