Help naming studio

June 14, 2009 8:43 AM

Studio space naming help: I just starting renting studio space with two others and have been charged with giving it a name. Thoughts appreciated.

I just signed a lease for a pretty great space in Chicago with my friend and her dad. I'm a graphic designer but will be using the space for painting and signpainting, my friend will be spinning and dying yarn among other things, and her dad who's also a designer will be doing messy type experiments there.

The building was an old factory, the ceilings are silver, it's in the Garfield Park neighborhood of Chicago, it overlooks traintracks.

I've been trying to think of things that would work well in normal conversation, like "hey I'm headed over to The ________, want me to bring a burrito?" etc.

It will live as masking tape on the wall.

Thoughts appreciated. Thanks.

posted by Sreiny to media & arts (23 comments total)

Between the building and Warhol and all, it's hard to beat The Factory, really.
posted by rokusan at 8:49 AM on June 14

Silver Lining.
posted by suedehead at 8:53 AM on June 14 [1 favorite]

How about "The Chill Mill?"
posted by torquemaniac at 8:53 AM on June 14

The Hangar? The Redoubt? The Ensconce? The Stronghold?
posted by creasy boy at 9:42 AM on June 14

The Zeppelin? Zepp for short? Star Trek nerdiness (my own): Ten-Forward, The Bridge.
posted by Dukat at 9:50 AM on June 14

I'd start with "The Studio", "The Shop", or "The Space" and wait for something more organic to present itself. Any name you come up with now is likely to feel contrived and artificial after you've gotten a feel for the place.

Oh hey, there's another ... "The Place".
posted by notyou at 9:50 AM on June 14 [1 favorite]

Stu-stu-studio.
posted by box at 9:58 AM on June 14 [2 favorites]

The Cave
posted by JohnnyGunn at 10:01 AM on June 14

Fort Awesome
posted by iamabot at 10:06 AM on June 14 [3 favorites]

Stu-stu-studio.

posted by OwlBoy at 10:16 AM on June 14

You may not want to tell us on here but the name of the street and the number can be very inspiring things for this sort of naming process.
posted by miles1972 at 10:23 AM on June 14

I take it back - I just saw the flickr.
posted by miles1972 at 10:23 AM on June 14

Given its proportions, "The Shoebox".
posted by mendel at 10:31 AM on June 14

The Batcave.
posted by DarlingBri at 10:38 AM on June 14

Louise
posted by sammyo at 11:00 AM on June 14

The Mylar, the Foil, the Reynold's (like Reynold's Wrap), the Antenna, the Brownie Pan, etc. What do you use foil for? Also a fan of the Future Tent or the Time Machine.
posted by alygator at 12:21 PM on June 14

The Cloud? (has a silver lining)
posted by asras at 1:01 PM on June 14

Since it's on Carroll St., why not Wonderland? I always wanted to name a studio space something like that...
posted by actionpact at 3:30 PM on June 14

(Er, I meant Avenue, not Street. I do that way too often)
posted by actionpact at 3:31 PM on June 14

In keeping with the Carroll theme, you could go for "The Rabbit Hole," but I think that'd be too cutesy.

If you're Cubs fans, "The Cubby Hole," although that's also too cutesy. If you're White Sox fans... Uh... "Pudge's Place"?

Are there certain movie/TV genres or franchises that you're all into? Comic books? Music?
posted by TheSecretDecoderRing at 4:12 PM on June 14

Oh, and some variation of "Tin Foil Hat" or "Foil Helmet" would be cool. "Foil Hat Studios," aka "The Foil Hat"? Or cross that with Alice in Wonderland, and you'd get "Mad Foil Hatter Studios." Doesn't roll off the tongue, though.

Or "Tin Man Studios," which you can then easily refer to affectionately as "The Tin Man."
posted by TheSecretDecoderRing at 4:21 PM on June 14

The Box.
posted by spilon at 8:37 PM on June 14

The Reflectory.
posted by alygator at 7:33 AM on June 15 [1 favorite]