HOME OFFICE BEFORE & AFTER MAKEOVER.

Interiors

26 Sep

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HOME OFFICE BEFORE & AFTER MAKEOVER

I cannot tell you how excited I am to be finally sharing this post. It’s taken nearly a year to get to this point – but I can now say: MY HOME OFFICE IS COMPLETE!I went full-time with my blog back at the end of 2015. During that time I’ve not had a dedicated working space.My office up until now has been my lap – aka wherever my butt is perched. Whilst it’s definitely a perk to be able to work wherever I need to, I’ve been craving a place that’s just for my work. Moving into the new house, I knew it was important that my living space was just that. So at the end of the day I could close my office door and the rest of the house would be my home.With the office being the only other room upstairs, I needed it to be functional as my workspace, but also as a spare room for people to stay over.So I wanted to take some time today to talk you through the whole process. From inspiration to design, furniture choices and more! Grab yourself a cuppa and a biccie or two as this might be a long one.

BEFORE

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AFTER

INSPIRATION

The ‘theme’ for this room was built entirely around the mural from Murals Wallpaper. It was the first (and only) thing I was certain about when I started putting together mood boards, I just adore it.Picking out key shades from the mural was how I decided on the blue/orange colour way. It was established from the off that it would be quite a bold space.

DECORATING

Being keen to keep down costs, Jamie and I stripped the original wallpaper together. (And Jamie painted all of the walls and the ceiling for me. More than happy to admit painting is something I am really very bad at). I paid someone to install the mural, as it’s such a precise piece. Which I can confirm was indeed the right thing to do. It took the chap the best part of a day to get it up! But it was worth it as I think it’s beyond beautiful.The paint I chose was from Valspar in shade Night's Blue Arch.When I was in store picking out the colours, I decided to buy testers of both the matte and the silk finishes. On application they were both totally different colours, which I wasn't expecting. I’m usually not a fan of a silk finish, but the shade was so much nicer on application than the brighter shade of matte, so I’m glad I tested it first.Choosing those key colours from the art actually helped me to be braver with my decision on the paint. I don’t think I’d have ever gone for such a dark blue otherwise! But I’m really happy with how it all came together.

DESIGNING THE SPACE

I learned a lot from putting together my bedroom from scratch and so I took a lot of time to consider every part of this room. I didn’t want to just throw anything together for the sake of it and I think that’s why it’s taken such a long time to get finished.

OPENING UP THE ROOM

To be honest, I wasn’t really sure what I wanted to do with the window. The blind that was in before was all kinds of hideous, and so I just went for something super simple from IKEA. I think the pole and curtains together were £25 and they really do help to brighten the room and bounce the light. IKEA’s curtains come in one length (that were way too long here), so I simply tied a knot in the middle to let them hang nicely off the floor. Going for a dark paint, I also knew a mirror would be imperative to opening up the room. Its reflection gives an illusion of a larger space and the design of this one makes it a beautiful piece of furniture on its own.

FURNITURE COLOUR

I’m usually a big fan of mid-century style furniture (which is what I have in my bedroom). But I didn’t want this space to feel at all oppressive; and with a pretty dark colour palette I decided to go with lighter, brighter furniture. This West Elm desk is perfect for so many reasons. Its open back means it doesn’t feel blocky, even though it’s a large piece. And the drawers and top shelf mean I have ample storage, too. I love that the off-white shade compliments the radiator and curtains and lifts that corner of the room.Comfort was key when thinking about where I'd sit to work. I picked out a super comfy chair and soft throw from West Elm but used the bold colour palette from the mural to bring it all together colour wise at an otherwise cleaner desk area. [gallery link="file" size="medium" ids="6746,6749,6755"]

FLOOR

The floor was a bone of contention. The (gross) carpet that was down originally I envisaged I’d be able to mask with a large rug. It transpired that once all the decorating had been done, it just made the carpet look even grimmer. I made the decision to pull it up and see what was underneath. MDF boards had been stapled to the original floorboards to give an even footing for the carpet, and surprisingly they didn’t look too bad. I went over them with a lick of white floor paint and popped a rug on top and I’m SO happy I decided to do it. When I have a little more spare cash, I’ll get the MDF taken up and the floorboards treated, but for now it works really well. Plus, this Shrimps rug is everything.

MOOD BOARDS

Pinterest is my obsession and is where I gather most of my inspiration for designing the spaces in my home, as well as my wardrobe. I thought it would be a nice idea to have a little mood board in the study, too. This gold frame was a few pounds from IKEA and has some of my favourite artwork along with photos of some of the people I love. It’s nice for me to look over at whilst I’m working and help spur me on.

A HEALTHY SPACE

I know that plants are dead trendy these days. But the real reason I wanted the room to be full of them, was so that it would be full of life. It’s a known fact that plants improve air quality and release oxygen. When I’m spending pretty much 24/7 in my house, I want to try and improve that environment as much as I can.

STORAGE

With my job, I am fortunate to be sent a lot of press samples. Whilst it’s absolutely incredible to be able to try out so many new beauty products, storage does become an issue. I picked up the wicker basket above from Homesense for £9.99 and it’s probably one of the better ideas I’ve had. It’s spot on for decanting any deliveries, until I have time to go through them and put them in their dedicated space!This cabinet was also a must. I have a lot of equipment, and didn’t really want it all on display; it can look quite messy and so I was keen for it to have a space of its own. These West Elm drawers are great. The bottom drawer is deep and has a good height, so it fits all of my cameras, chargers, accessories etc. And the top drawer is the perfect spot for filing. It’s also worked well as a way to break up the mural and have some more texture added to that wall.These stunning handmade shelves are from Rooso Designs and are my favourite part of the room. They’re a blend of wood and resin, with gold leaf running throughout and feel so personal to my style. The quality and craftsmanship is outstanding and they’re available in so many different pigment and wood colours. The price point is also really reasonable. And the pair of them have made that darker corner of the room come to life.

SLEEPOVERS

The sofa bed was an absolute steal from Made. Most sofa beds I found online were pretty grim in aesthetic. It’s quite hard to find both comfort and style when it comes to them, but I think Made have hit the nail on the head. I love the pattern to the fabric and the shade is absolutely perfect for this space. It simply slides out to become a bed, so it’s not a faff to assemble when I do have people over.At £249 it's one of the more cost effective sofa beds I've found, combining both style and practicaltity.When the sofa bed is down, there’s a floor lamp that can be used as a bedside light, and the drawers as a bedside table. Hopefully it makes the space feel a little more considered as a bedroom!

Working in here everyday makes me so happy. I’m glad that I didn’t rush it. And spending the time making it a room I felt totally comfortable and inspired in was definitely worth it. I hope you guys love it as much as I do!Megs xx

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PHOTOGRAPHY BY SHWETA SHUKLA

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