Decoration & Inspiration: Room Rescue - Hall and Study

My office is the nicest place I’ve ever worked

When Valerie Murphy, 38, got a new job that allowed her to work from home, she needed an office that would be a practical and comfortable place to work. Her son Harry, four, wanted to move from the small back bedroom to a bigger space at the front of the house, so Valerie decided to convert his old room into her new work environment. She needed to create a light and bright space with lots of storage as well as a relaxed and comfortable feel. ‘All I could see was a cluttered bedroom – I needed a classy office and had no idea where to start.’ We wanted to show Valerie how to create a space with a fresh and friendly feel where she could work happily every day.

What was wrong with the old room?

Full of clutter
All of Harry’s toys and belongings were strewn around the room, and needed to be cleared out to get a sense of the space we had to work with. Always empty a room if you can, as it’s easier to see its potential.

Childish décor
Bright yellow walls covered in stickers and a very old carpet made it very difficult to imagine the space as a sleek office. We needed to start from scratch with a new colour scheme and practical finishes, as well as adding soft accessories for a warm, work-friendly atmosphere.

No appropriate furniture
For the room to be an office for daily use, Valerie needed a desk, shelving, and cupboards and we had to organise this in a room that had a sloping ceiling – so we were restricted. She also wanted somewhere comfortable to sit and read documents, so we had a lot to squeeze in.

Your Home's top tips

Practical flooring

In an office with a chair on castors, flat flooring is a necessity for easy-wheeling. This whitewashed wood laminate from Quick-Step looks fantastic and it can be laid by a DIYer - this room took a weekend to complete. Rugs add colour and texture as well as being soft underfoot.



Create a comfy corner

A sofa with cushions in our accent colours is a comfortable place to sit, and a low table with a colourful lamp makes it a practical place to read at any time of the day. These touches give a homely feel to a working environment.




Choose free-standing cupboards

A run of units fit neatly under the sloping ceiling and offer great storage. Cupboards with doors are a more practical solution than open shelving, as no matter how disorganised the contents, when the doors are shut they always look neat. No one need know about the mess inside!



Hide unsightly features

When the office was nearly complete we were struck by how the ugly radiator looked out of place. We transformed it by adding a pretty radiator cabinet, to turn it into an attractive feature with a useful top ledge to display family photos.



Consider wall stickers

The Hummingbird design was chosen as it reminds Valerie of the view to the garden from her
window. This particular design is unusual as it is available in a combination of colours, so you
achieve a detailed finish without the expense of needing to buy two packs to achieve the same look.



Create as much space for storage as possible

Valerie was keen to have lots of space to hide away paperwork so the room would stay uncluttered. We added open shelving, three low level cabinets with doors and a filing cabinet – so she should be able to find a space for everything. If you’re creating an office at home always try and plan as many storage solutions as possible, keeping this room clutter-free is key to a happy, and healthy, working environment.


Your Home says
This room was a complete transformation – we changed everything yet stuck to Valerie’s budget. We started with a basic neutral colour scheme of buttery-cream walls and a pale floor for a light, airy feel. We then found the bright striped fabric for the blinds, the fabulous wall art, and added accessories in these colours which all tie together to give the room some inspirational punch. With great practical furniture and soft pretty accessories this is a room all of us would be delighted to work in every day of the week.

What does Valerie think?
Before Your Home came to help, I found it hard to imagine the room as anything but Harry’s bedroom and thought I’d just end up putting a desk in the corner and that’d be it. Now this room is absolutely fantastic. I thought the sloping ceiling would mean there would be nowhere to put anything, but I have heaps of storage so I can always find everything. My favourite thing is the beautiful flower and bird wall sticker decoration – it’s so pretty to look up at when work’s getting a bit much!