As we enter a post-covid world, some of us have transitioned to a work-from-home life. While we grapple with this new reality, one important aspect of working from home is the space in which we conduct our zoom meetings and/or get inspired to complete those overdue projects.

I’ve come up with some ideas on creating the ideal space for a home office that will hopefully inspire you and help you get through lockdown. Keep a lookout for my tips & tricks and recommendations!

How To Design A Home Office

Location is Key

You may be lucky enough to have a spare bedroom dedicated to a study. But for most, space is a precious commodity especially for families with little kids. Unused space from a landing, hallway or even under the stairs can make a purposeful, functional space. Ideally, this space will be void of distractions and will keep you focused as you buckle down to business.

An interesting way to use closets is to repurpose them into a home office. Wardrobe/ closet doors can be removed and its shelves readjusted to make room for a desk within the space. Add file cabinets, shelves and vision boards and you’ll have a dedicated space for a home office.

Lighting & Ambiance

Lighting can transform the way a room looks and feels. In a home office, lighting can help keep you engaged and focused. Where possible, position your desk near a window and keep heavy window treatments like drapery to a minimum letting in as much natural light in.

Should you have a nook without a window, consider layering the lighting with standing floor lamps and table lamps. Quirky lamps and lanterns add interests in a dull corner.

A windowless wall is also the perfect canvas for you to get creative within your home office. Framed prints, mirrors, tapestries that resonate with your personality adds character to your home office and will provide a brilliant backdrop to all those virtual video meetings.

What Do I Need For A Home Office?

Furniture & Ergonomics

Comfortable furniture within your home office should fit not only your needs but also your space.

Choose a desk with drawers to tuck away small items such as stationery. Where space is available, bookshelves or floating shelves on the wall provide you with a display space without taking up precious floor area. Your shelves can be painted in the same colour as your wall for a modern look.

If you are spending hours on end in your home office, an ergonomically friendly office chair is essential. 

Important Tip: When seated, your feet should rest flat on the floor with your thighs parallel to it. Choose a chair that offers ample back support, supporting the natural curve of your spine.

Extra Tips For Designing Home Offices

Get Organised!

A well-organised space will not only look good, but also enable you to be fully productive. Labelling your filing and storage boxes help to keep your office organised. 

Georgia’s Tip: My bookshelf is stacked with labelled boxes of the same style and design, a mix of books placed both vertically and stacked horizontally. I also include a few special and meaningful trinkets and photos to the shelf. I love having some hanging greenery that gives a lovely effect on the shelf. 

Cables and wires that run rampant are not visually appealing, much less safe for you to work in! So tidy up with cable tidies, or reusable Velcro wraps that can be strapped under your desk.

Touch of Green

Natural greenery will bring life and a sense of tranquillity into your home office. Plants also act as a noise barrier and air filter that will certainly keep your workday feeling fresh and relaxed.

Where space allows, having your plants on different levels on a bench, windowsill or trolley will give your home office a nature-reserve vibe. 

Georgia’s Tip: Fill the top shelves of your bookcase with a collection of ferns and leafy indoor vines like philodendrons and hang some macramé planters by the window. 

Final Words

While it is uncertain if we will ever get back into our offices this year, we can take into our hands the design of our home offices and create the space we need to feel happy, content and productive. Hopefully, my tips can help you start on that journey! 

If you’re still feeling creative and want to spruce up the rest of your home, check out our guide to designing your living room.

Keep well and stay safe

xGeorgiaK.

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Tips on how to redesign your living room space

Amid the Covid-19 pandemic, people around the world are mostly staying home. To say that we are all coping well is polarising given the level of comfort one feels at home.

For us fortunate enough to have space, staring at the same four walls may start to feel dreary. But before you reach for the paintbrush, here are some styling ideas for your living room that may help beat the isolation blues.

Follow these easy steps when designing your living room:

1. Organise, Organise, Organise!

With all the time we have in isolation, we may find ourselves sharing small spaces with things that we haven’t used let alone looked at since 1999. Embrace one of interior design’s sacred rules – ‘love it or lose it’ – and get clearing.

Georgia’s tip: Use stylish wicker baskets or canvas boxes to store small items we still need and use (kids toys, tv remotes, pet toys) which end up on the living room floor or taking up space on the coffee table.

2.Repurpose

Some items that you find while you are organising/decluttering your home can be repurposed in a different space. This is especially helpful at the current time when popping out to the shops during lockdown is restricted.

( a ) Table or Floor Lamps

Give your existing floor lamp or table lamp a fresh new look with new shades. Ambient lighting and task light is not only practical but can change and lift the mood of your living room.

( b) Photos

Framed photos are a great way to change things up.

Georgia’s Tip: Pull out old photos that establish a theme (travel photos, wedding photos/ family tree) and frame each in the same black or white frames. These can be hung at varying heights to create a cool gallery effect, or if you prefer symmetry they can be hung evenly either horizontally or vertically.

(c) Books and Ornaments

Whether it’s dressing your coffee table or bookshelves in your living room, a collection of books both new and old makes a home feel more cultivated and well-read.

Create a few small stacks of hardback coffee table books on your coffee table and place scented candles on top of the books for a layering effect. You can also add a small grouping of your favourite and sentimental ornaments to the surface of your coffee table or bookshelves.

3. Zoning The Room

Do you have nook or corner in your living room that does not serve a purpose? Create a functional and useful space that will bring you enjoyment and purpose. Consider either a comfy reading nook with a cosy chair and floor lamp, or a small desk to create a useful study nook.

Creating an ideal work environment with a respectable background is especially recommended right now with the increase of virtual meetings. Should you have access to wall paints right now, consider colour blocking one wall or place a piece of art on the wall to give you a great background for your virtual calls in your living room.

4. Bring the Outside In

Plants are also a great zoning tool if you have a large open plan living room. Indoor plants are an easy and affordable way to make a stylish statement to your living room. Plants are also proven to have calming properties and can do wonders to our well-being. Consider varying heights of plants to create interest and place them in similar pots of different sizes.

Cutting fresh flowers or foliage from your garden bring the natural element into your home, elevating your senses, and creating a beautiful and stylish display.

5. Add Luxury & Ambience

The living room is usually the centre-piece of a home that showcases your design aesthetic. A well-designed living room is both functional and stylish.

(a) Cushions & Throws

Give new life to your living room sofa by replacing old worn cushions with luxuriously textured and woven designs.

As we head into winter, adding a soft throw or faux fur evokes the feeling of instant warmth and cosiness.  It also creates a sense of opulence and triggers a feeling of relaxation.

(b) Floor Rug

A rug can transform the look and feel to a room and add comfort and warmth under your feet.

Georgia’s tip: As a rule, the rug should be large enough to slide under the front legs of a sofa and chairs in a seating arrangement, unifying the area.

( c ) Curtains

You can also frame your living room windows with elegant sheer curtains that drape to the floor.  This creates ambience and an element of luxury and comfort to any room.

Georgia’s tip:  Hang curtains as high and wide as possible to make windows appear larger.

The post Designing Your Living Room appeared first on Designs to Inspire.

3 things to focus on in the bedroom this Autumn

Colour

Okay don’t freak out. We’re not telling you to paint your walls bright red (Unless you love that idea, in which case, GO FOR IT)
But colour is the best way to make your bedroom feel more… ‘You’

We’ve found two best ways to use colour – especially when staging a home for sale.

1.Use subtleties.

Your walls make up your room, so let’s include them in this section! We recommend keeping your walls neutral as this enables you to swap and change the colour in your bedroom as your style and taste changes. We recommend the Dulux ‘Hampton’ colours (greys, warm whites and taupes) – Greenery also adds an organic element that we’ve found changes EVERYTHING.

2. Deep & Bold.

We are currently LOVING jewel tones. Deep navy, emeralds, burgundy & mustards are continuing to be a favourite in Autumn 2019. These rich colours evoke warmth and cosiness. We especially love these colours in velvet textures in both throws and cushions.
Whether you paint your whole room or use soft furnishings to bring in these delicious colours, they are sure to make a statement this Autumn.

Furnishings

A trend we’re still LOVING this year is minimalism (Marie Kondo we see you girl)

One thing to note about a bedroom is its main purpose… SLEEP (and late nights scrolling through Instagram and catching up on Netflix original series)

So when styling your haven of rest, try and limit clutter. Even trinkets and ornaments can appear messy at times.
Clutter doesn’t promote good sleep, and so by keeping the mess at bay, you promote healthy sleep and create that totally Zen feeling you pay so much $$$ on at day spas.

Hot Tip: Minimalistic styling doesn’t mean you have nothing. Try styling your bedsides with a reading lamp, a book and a small plant. Trust us, this is all you need sometimes!

Linen

Make comfort a priority.
The season is changing again, and as we come into cooler mornings and nights, there’s nothing better than sleeping in under plush linen. Or even going to bed amongst fresh sheets and new scrunchy pillows.
We’ve been LOVING on organic linen for a while now however this new season is demanding slightly warmer bedding.

We’d recommend refreshing all your bedding, instead of using linen sheets, perhaps opt for heavier, more luxe bedding with similar neutral colours & minimal pattern.
It will give the same refined effect, with DOUBLE the comfort (you’re welcome!)
We also layer our beds with throws to add a new element of texture to our place of rest. We even layer with doona covers as these often have beautiful patterns with colours we don’t always find in throw blankets.

Keeping our bed covers neutral allow us to layer with luxe textures, patterns & colour (this way we can change our minds frequently about what colour we’re obsessing over at the moment)

If you use any of our tips, tag your photos with #designstoinspire

We’d love to see your work!

The Designs to Inspire Team

X

The post Sleeping Beauty – 3 Ways To Make Your Bedroom A Haven appeared first on Designs to Inspire.

De-clutter: Clutter, mess, and its subsequent lack of space can have very negative effects on potential buyers. Most people won’t be able to imagine the home as their own, and they may think the space isn’t as large as it actually is.

Depersonalise: Your goal is to ‘neutralise’ the home so buyers can see themselves living there in the future.

Intense Cleaning: Ensure floors, carpets, windows, bathrooms, and kitchens are ‘squeaky-clean’.

Lighting: The aim is to allow maximum light into the house by opening curtains and drawing back all blinds.

Purpose of spaces: Ensure the purpose of each room is being used for what it was designed to be used for. For example, a dining room that is being used for something other than its original purpose can cause buyers to think there isn’t one at all.

Reorganise bedroom closets and kitchen cupboards: It’s not uncommon for buyers to do a little snooping around, so if everything is well organised it sends the message that the rest of the property has also been cared for.

Remove and replace items you wish to keep: If you intend on taking built-in appliances, window coverings, or fixtures with you when you leave, make sure they are removed and replaced before any inspections take place.

Make minor repairs: Fix all dripping taps, loose door/drawer handles, cracked tiles etc.

Ensure kerb appeal is at its optimum: First impressions are vital to getting prospective home buyers through the front door. If the exterior and outdoor areas of the home aren’t inviting you’ll have difficulties getting people to come inside.

The final step of the process is staging: This is where the team at Designs to Inspire comes in and transforms your property into a professional ‘display home’ look that will create the ‘wow’ factor and draw in prospective buyers.

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