HOUSE BEAUTIFUL SAYS...
‘This clever scheme incorporates a good-sized office arrangement into a relaxed living space.’
Tell us about your house
We moved in seven years ago and were fortunate because many improvements – including a side return extension and a loft conversion – had already been done. The house had been decorated in neutral shades, so we were happy to live with the scheme while we made plans to put our stamp on it. Three years ago I set up my own building company, which I wanted to run from home, so we decided to redecorate to create my office area.
You created a dual-purpose room…
Yes. I wanted an efficient office together with somewhere to hold informal meetings. To open up the space on the ground floor, we took down the wall of the rear reception room that ran beside the staircase and had a chimney breast removed. This gave us a long straight wall, where we were able to add built-in shelving and a desk. We also had a window seat made for the bay window. Engineered oak flooring was laid throughout and we used a palette of subtle greys and saffron yellow, which suits the working environment during the day and creates a restful environment for evening and weekends.
What was your inspiration for the scheme?
I fell in love with the blind fabric and used it as the starting point, matching it to plain upholstery for the sofa and window seat, and
chose a harmonising stone paint shade with grey tones for the walls.
You’ve successfully blended the working and living areas
Shelving in my office space lines up with the alcove shelves in the seating area for a streamlined look. As they’re quite shallow and white, they don’t encroach into the space. And I soften the look of my files with plants and accessories. It needs to be attractive as it’s one of the first things you see when you walk into the house.
How did you decide on a window treatment?
The room is quite narrow and the ceilings are high. The full-length curtains we had before only served to emphasise this but now the blinds and café shutters have made the windows appear wider. The window seat helps too.
Tell us about the storage
There’s space inside the window seat, which holds all our CDs and DVDs. The work area has box files, so it’s easy to tidy up at the end of the day and store samples away, but still have everything easily accessible.
And your finishing touches?
A big, textured rug adds a cosy feel to the seating area. And pale, golden yellow accessories bring light and warmth to the neutral scheme, as well as helping to link the long room together.