The Studio Got a Glow-Up!

If you've been coming to Anatomie for a while, you'll have noticed things looking a bit different lately. If you're new here, you're getting the good version and you don't even know it! Either way, we thought it was worth writing up what we've actually done to the space over the last year and a half — partly because we're proud of it, and partly because some of it is useful to know before you arrive.

We've been running out of our current space in Peckham since 2018 (we were previously in a much smaller space on Latona Road also in Peckham), and for most of that time the approach to the space has been: make it work, keep it functional, fix things when they break. But since 2024 and into 2026 we made the call to invest properly — not to make the studio feel like somewhere else, but to make it feel more fully like itself.

Here's a little recap of what’s changed over the last 18-24months.

We moved the store into its own unit!

This was a big one — and the change that made everything else possible.

The Shibari Store has been operating out of the studio from the very beginning. It started small: rope for attendees who needed it, sold from a corner of the space. Over the years it grew into something none of us entirely planned — its own business, its own team, its own manager. We're genuinely proud of that, and a little amazed by it. It wasn't the vision; it just kept becoming more real until it was undeniable.

The problem was that two growing businesses sharing one space was getting increasingly chaotic. Rope reels everywhere, stock competing with teaching space, two sets of operational needs pulling in different directions. Something had to give. In 2024, a neighbouring arch came free at exactly the right moment, and we took it.

The store now has a proper home. The team are happier, the work is easier, everything has a place. And the studio got its space back — which is what unlocked everything else on this list.

If you want to come and shop for rope in person, you can find us at Unit 8, a few arches further up. We're there Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays.

Lighting and plug sockets

The old lighting was fine. It did the job. But "fine" and "rope space" aren't really a natural pairing — the quality of light in a room has a huge effect on how a scene feels, how photography looks, how comfortable people are. We didn't gut the whole system, but adding wall sconces and retiring the IKEA standing lights made a bigger difference than we expected. It's giving significantly less "student accommodation." The space feels more grown-up, and more intentional.

The practical upside is real range. For workshops and Drawn to Rope we can flood the space with clean bright light; for the sexier end of the programme, we can dial it right down into something moodier. Everything runs through the Hue system, so switching between the two is genuinely easy — no faffing around. People keep commenting on the atmosphere without quite being able to put their finger on why it feels different. Which is probably the right outcome.

In addition to this we moved all the old plug sockets which were in the middle of the wall and looked absoluetly annoying in the background of photos! They are now neatly hidden behind the metal columns. Easy to access but out of sight. No more dangling extension chords ruining your sexy time.

Fire System

Less glamorous than the lighting, but way more important. We upgraded the fire detection and suppression system to meet current standards — and then some. Running an event venue means being responsible for the people in it, and that's not something we treat lightly. It's not exciting, but neither is not having it.

The company we went with were also genuinely lovely to work with — so lovely, in fact, that we agreed to do a video testimonial in exchange for a small discount. Which means that somewhere on the internet there is footage of Anna Bones enthusiastically endorsing a fire suppression system, and yes, she does mention what actually happens in the venue. We're choosing to see this as excellent brand awareness.

Entrance Remodel

The entrance had always been an afterthought — a transitional space that did nothing except get you from outside to inside, with almost zero privacy or insulation. We changed that. The new plywood panelling is both architectural and functional: there's proper seating, space for coats and shoes, room to change, and a genuine sense of arrival before you step into the main space. You come in, you land, you're not immediately in the middle of everything.

The other thing we fixed — and this one's been on the list for years — is bathroom access. It's no longer right at the entrance, visible to whoever's coming through the door. It's tucked away inside where it belongs. No more hovering in the cold waiting for the loo.

Extra Bathroom (+ More Privacy)

This one was a long time coming. One bathroom was always going to become a pinch point as the community grew, and it did. We added a second, and in doing so rethought the whole setup — more space, more privacy, less queueing, and crucially, no more needing to put on three layers just to nip to the loo.

There are some nicer touches too: slippers to slip on and off, which sounds small but makes a real difference mid-session. And we made sure the larger bathroom retains full wheelchair accessibility.

Upstairs Lounge

This might be the change people talk about most. We converted the upstairs space into a dedicated lounge — somewhere to decompress, to have a proper conversation, do aftercare without being in the middle of the action, to just sit down with a cup of tea and not feel like you're in the way. The studio floor is for doing rope. The lounge is for everything around it. Having that separation has changed the rhythm of an evening and we are very pleased about it.

Air Conditioning

Yes. Finally. We know. The AC units are in! They work, and the days of silently sweating through a three-hour workshop in July are behind us.

It’s been a long time coming and a real dream come true for us. We didn’t really have the means to do it for a long time, and the logistics felt a bit daunting, but with winters getting colder and summers being super humid, we knew this was a decision we needed to make.

We have often avoided running events in December to February as well as July and August because controlling the temperature in these months has historically been an issue. We can now finally comfortably invite you all into our space to shelter from the cold and cool off during the summer months! And we CAN’T WAIT!

None of these works happened all at once, and most of these happened while we were still running classes and jams around it, which was occasionally chaotic and to be honest, financially stressful. BUT, we are so very proud to have finally made it. The studio is a better space than it was eighteen months ago — we are delighted to be able to provide this space for our community.

PS: if you have an event you’d like to run from our space, check out our private booking system over here.

See you on the floor!

Anna & Fred
Anatomie Studio