Darkroom in 3ftx5ft?

[Mark Andes]

Ok, the wife will not relinquish a bathroom. I am eyeing the 3 foot by 5 foot closet in the garage. Can I get a darkroom built in that small space?
Water and sink available nearby.
Please give me your recommendations.

[windpointphoto]

Yes. When you say water and sink nearby I'm assuming that part isn't light tight. I used the walk in closet in an apartment for years. You only need dark for the enlarging and you can even cover that up if you have to. I would enlarge and use print drums in the bathroom. Or if the sink can be made dark use a tray ladder. Saves alot of space. If you're developing roll film you can use a changing bag and film drums to process. Sheet film can be done with the tray ladder also or use print drums. Just think of going vertical instead of horizontal whenever possible. Keep it simple, lean and mean. It'll work.

[Ralph Barker]

As Leonard suggests, with imagination and creativity it's amazing what can be done with limited space.

When you say a bathroom, however, I assume you have more than one. An alternative would be to use one of the bathrooms as a temporary darkroom. I once used a bathroom that had only a toilet and a sink against one wall, and enough room for the door to swing in. The enlarger was on a 24"x30" pre-made cabinet that I put on casters. Angle brackets screwed to the side of the roll-in cabinet allowed a piece of 3/4" plywood to go between the cabinet and the top of the toilet - enough room for three 11x14 trays. It only took about 5 minutes to set up each time, and was easily restored to conventional functionality after a session, keeping the Mrs. happy.

[Michael Kadillak]

IMHO, the best scenario given the situation you describe would be to tray develop the film and contact print the negs as it would take the least amount of space (bare bulb and contact printing frame) while simultaneously being the least expensive. 8x10 would be optimal, but 5x7 and even 4x5 would also be great. Trying to get an enlarger in there along with the necessary and the accessories in such a small area would be taxing to say the least. I admire your persistance and wish you the best in your objectives. Even a small darkroom is better than no darkroom at all!

Cheers!

[Andre Noble]

That's not a very large volume for air, for you.

You'll need a light tight ventilation, or else expect narrowing vision and subsequent ligthheadedness frequently due to lackof O2 and CO2 build up inside that little closet.

I think it's a sad marriage that doesn't allow a man to have a decent darkroom.

[Darin Cozine]

Dont feel so bad, I have the same issue with my wife.

3x5 will be tight, but do-able. Set up your enlarger on one end of the room and stack your print trays underneath it on shelves. Take each print out of the room for washing/drying.

[Frank Petronio]

There was a darkroom book from back in the day that showed various NYC apartment darkrooms in closets, bathrooms, and worse. anything is possible! They used to sell tray "stackers" but you could easily build them - think vertical, not horizontal.

Hmm, I'd build an "L" shape, and probably settle on 11x14 prints as my max - so I could keep my enlarger base reasonable size. I'd build a divider of some kind to isolate the "dry" enlarger from the sloppy chemistry... you could put drying racks and storage under the enlarger

Andre's comment about ventilation is a good one... The good news is you won't need the most powerful system for such a small space.

As long as you limit your max print size, I don't see any reason to compromise or make lesser quality prints because of space constraints.

Get even with your wife - buy an 8x10 Ebony and make contact prints!

[John Cook]

I have two suggestions:

First, use an English architect. The last place I stayed in London had a bathroom so tiny, I had to step into the bathtub to swing the door closed. In the kitchen was a combination stove, oven, sink and bar fridge, all in one 36" stainless unit. They are masters at working with small spaces.

Second, someone in NYC has designed and sells a tiny stainless darkroom turn-key setup for small spaces. It looks something like a 1950's stainless soda fountain. Sink, enlarger, the whole thing in a small stainless cube.

Sorry, I can't remember his name. But if you can locate his site, you might be able to benefit from some of his ideas.

[ronald moravec]

Everybody is just looking at footprint dimension. LF enlargers are tall. You will have to build a small platform to hold the easel and work using the top of the column, not the bottom.

You can get a tray ladder and enlarger in 3x5 feet, but you need a space to stand too.

I`m very luckey my wife is understanding. Course you could always do digital. When you add those costs and compare, she might relent.

[Brian Ellis]

M first darkroom was about that size. It was an outdoor panty adjacent to the kitchen. It had no running water. Running water isn't a necessity in a darkroom, just mix the chemicals in the bathroom, carry the trays by hand to the darkroom, let your prints soak in a large container of water in the darkroom and periodically take them to the bathroom for final wash. Actually if you did everything requiring running water in the kitchen instead of the bathroom your wife might change her mind rather quickly.