Custom Pinboard in Eco Panel by BDSS Office Furniture, wardrobe handles Ikonic brushed brass

STUDIO MAKEOVER

the before image of studio makeover when it was a spare room with small desk and single bed

With the end of 2021 approaching and many of us still working from home, I decided to make a design decision and give up our spare room. We had faithfully kept a single bed in the room designated as a study and my home office, with a slim desk and shelving hutches kept to one side of the wall. Too slim, in fact, to accomodate the monitors, keyboards and cameras that came with virtual meetings and online office work and training. And the hutches were making the room a bit dark and depressing.

After a thorough culling of clutter, the bedroom wardrobe was converted to shelves, reinforced to hold stacks of magazines and all the samples an Interior Design business carries. Storage is organised into tool caddies for stationery, fabric cubes for merchandise and brochures and stacking see through containers for samples.

To give the room a bright cosy feel, the walls were painted Dulux Vanilla Quake Half, a soft warm neutral. Dulux Soft Impala, used on a repurposed canvas, sits next to the window for a patch of colour and texture. The strong afternoon light was filtered through curtains in Zepel Mathilde, providing a more flattering atmosphere for video calls, and allowed to pool on the floor.

After trying a few different styles, a handmade black wire pendant was chosen to replace the flourescent fly graveyard of an oyster light. Making it’s presence felt without being too heavy, the shade also allows for light to travel freely through for good illumination.

HAY Loop Desk and GUBI Sled Chair from Design Farm, Aspen Rug in Fog from Armadillo and Co, Sofia Lind The Poster Club print, from Arrival Hall Vases, Mobje Flowers, Floral Army

 The new 2 metre desk from allows for client meetings by day and a ‘hot desk’ situation after hours, with the family coming and going with their laptops. The printer sits on a small filing cabinet in a corner behind the door, communicating with the computer by Bluetooth. By using the old wardrobe as stationery and file storage, and furniture with minimal styling, the room has been given an airy feel, allowing for free movement and creative thinking. Bring your laptop, pull up a chair, pour your coffee and turn on the camera - perhaps this is the new ‘visiting room’ after all!