I like the floor addition so much that I decided to fill the space in completely. It was a quick project and gives us much more space to use upstairs. We now have a place for guests to sleep, although there is still no hot water or toilet in the studio. Still, moving in the right direction. There is room enough to sleep 6 people easily in the studio now.

One problem: all of the lighting is attached to the upper beams, so the floor effectively blocks all light to the 1st floor. Some re-wiring will be done to add lighting to the first floor. I’d prefer to put in brighter lighting downstairs for working, and soft lighting upstairs for entertaining guests, with spot lights added for displayed work.

Oh, and padding  for the upper beams, now that they are within forehead striking distance…