Having a pleasing space to work could make all the difference to your wellbeing and productivity during this difficult time. Research conducted by the Happiness Research Institute states that happiness is not about what you do, or how much you earn, but how content you are with your home….. given we are now house bound, I believe it is now more important than ever!
I added the green panel behind the desk and painted the desk support legs and added neon pops to bring this drab space to life
I have created several mini workspaces/ makeovers over the last 2 weeks at my own home and here I want to show you how easy it was and hopefully inspire you to have a go yourself.
Overnight, as a country, we have been forced to adopt a flexible working approach which may be completely new to you, or perhaps something previously happening only infrequently. Whilst the dining table or kitchen counter may have been workable for one day a week, full time working might not be sustainable in that way….plus you might be craving some separation from work to downtime.
First things first, you need a desk. If you have any obvious tables you could utilise, great, but otherwise think about repurposing a wallpaper paste table/ trestle table or picnic table that you may have lying around in the garage or shed. If you add a cloth and some accessories you’d never even remember what’s lurking beneath. Dressing Tables could be repurposed as desks and mini kids tables make great little desks.
This Ikea kids table makes a great desk
For kids now facing the prospect of home learning for the foreseeable future, giving them a little space to call their own I have found to be really motivational and helpful in getting them to engage in a task. I wanted to create a workspace away from their bedroom sleep zone and so I scoured the ground floor near the hub of our home (our kitchen) so that I could keep a close eye on them. I kept the youngest nearest to the kitchen but still needed a space for my daughter who is in Year 2. We settled on the hallway coat cupboard as the perfect venue! I’m serious - it works on so many levels as has electricity and fitted everything she needs and more. The very best bit is that it closes away at the end of the day - result! Under the stairs spaces would work really well too or any nook with a wall against is a great start. I raided their bedrooms of Ikea small children tables which are going to be a permanent downstairs fixture now for this period.
I transformed our hallway coat cupboard into a mini hidden office and gathered bits from other rooms to pull the scheme together. Prints by Max Made Me Do It and Petra Boase Wall painted in Hunter Dunn by Paint and Paper Library
So you have identified a space and have a desk - now what?
5 Tips to take your workspace from drab to fab
PAINT
Never underestimate the transformative power of paint! If you’ve got a half a tin of paint or two lying around from a previous project, now is the time to get it out and slap some on! I used the tiniest tester pot recently to give The House of Wolf husband’s office a lift - its incredible how far you can stretch things.
But you don’t have to go as far as painting the walls - even painting a boring white picture frame will give things a fresh look. You could experiment with some masking tape - I marked out diagonal lines on a cupboard and it quickly funked up the space.
I had some leftover magnetic chalkboard paint from our playroom and had just enough to paint the wall. I then sprayed some old magnetic letters in neon spray paint to tie the scheme together that were previously rose gold.
You could use old paint to DIY some new artwork. Lucy Tiffney has been inspiring with her collage IGTV series, or you could get your Jackson Pollock on and have fun splatting paint at random with the kids. Spray paint is quick and super easy to use and you can achieve a whole new look in no time.
I used a tiny amount of the green pain to make this super easy bespoke artwork by flicking the paint onto the paper. The Tom Dixon light fitting was originally rose gold so I sprayed in gold to tie in with the makeover
One of my absolute favourite things to do is “Shop the house” where I move stuff around, search high and low in other rooms, cupboards/ the shed/garage/ loft for items you had forgotten about or could give a new lease of life to! I found so many items that would work with the colours I’d chosen for the mini makeovers - look for books, vases/plant pots, pictures and any other accessories.
PERSONALISE
Make your workspace your own by having a few photos or trinkets around that make you smile and feel relaxed - like a typography letter - DIY this by printing a giant letter out and framing yourself.
GET CRAFTY
I made a piece of art for the HoW husand’s office renovation by gathering special and sentimental items from his life into a stacked shape and spraying in one colour. Inspired by Zoe at Muck n Brass he now gets to enjoy items that were previously locked away in a box in the loft!
This is a grouping of precious items previously hidden away in a box in the loft - enjoy seeing them everyday by stacking them and spraying in one colour. The glass dome is inexpensive from Ikea. For more Inso check out Muck N Brass
NATURE
Don’t forget the foliage! I moved around faux and real plants, plus picked a cute jam jar of pink flowers from the garden - whatever you have. Foliage or flowers will instantly lift with the space with lovely smell and calming properties
Simple and quick striped update by using marked lines of masking tape. Faux Cactus from Homesense
I hope this has inspired you - please tag me in your creations! @house_of_wolf_interiors
Stay safe
Lou x
This tiny tester pot went a loooong way! I managed not only to paint a whole panel along one wall but I also created a striped door feature with masking tape - result! Thanks Little Green Paint Company