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.

The post Designing Your Home Office appeared first on Designs to Inspire.

Key ingredients for your designer bedroom

1. Frame the bed

The most expensive element to your bedroom is the bed, and its style dictates the look and feel of the entire room. Yet you can make your own affordable upholstered bed head for under $100, depending on the choice of fabric.

If you don’t wish to have a bedhead, then a selection of European pillows with lovely covers can frame the bed just as beautifully. A rule of thumb is to use 3 European pillows for a King Size bed and 2 for a Queen, propped up against the wall or bedhead.

Pillow play for King and Queen beds – Images by Designs to Inspire

Alternatively, for a relaxed modern feel, omit the Euros and use either one or two sets of standard pillows, either laid flat or stacked on top of each other.

Easy luxury – Images by Designs to Inspire

Don’t be afraid to mix patterns and textures with scatter cushions. Play around with the sizes and compositions to create interest, yet stick to a colour scheme to ensure harmony.

2.  Right linen

Buying bed linen can be expensive, so it’s important to get it right the first time.

Opt for a quilt a size larger than your bed for a more opulent look. That means, use a King size quilt for a Queen mattress and a Super King quilt for a King bed.

Keep it neutral with a white quilt in either a linen or a waffle weave for versatility. The look can then easily updated with scatter cushions and a coordinated throw.

3. Choose a colour scheme

Choose colors to create your designer bedroom with your preferred style and the mood you’d like to create.

For a classic and bold look, a black and white scheme with metallic accents of gold or silver is timeless. For a modern edge, pair grey with tan, orange or yellow. For a girl’s bedroom, pink and teal are bright and playful, and for a guest room, blues are always smart, soothing and restful.

 
Colour schemes – Images by Designs to Inspire

4. Let there be light

Table lamps provide both ambient and task lighting.

Choose oversized, bold and statement lamps for a formal look. Bases with ornate and intricate details are elegant, and simple and clean lines, suits a modern aesthetic.

Lighting – Images by Designs to Inspire

5. Bedside style

Accessorise your bedside with books, flowers or frames. Keep the clutter to a minimum for a calm environment and better night sleep.

6. Feature chair or seating

In a larger bedroom, you can afford to lounge about like Cleopatra.

Use ottomans at the foot of the bed or add a comfy chair to lounge back in or use as a quiet reading space. Pair it with a floor lamp and a side table or a drum for a more contemporary look.

Reading corner – Images by Designs to Inspire

What’s Next?

Follow these 6 key steps to create the designer bedroom of your dreams. For more inspiration, make sure you you follow us on Instagram to see the latest styles and on trend looks.

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Home Stagers, Stylists, Interior Designers and the like flock to this annual event that showcases the latest in interior furnishings and products from leading brands nationwide.

Highlights of the show

The show’s exhibitors outdid themselves this year – from huge contemporary art pieces to lush botanical displays – I was feeling completely heady and spoilt for choice.

It was evident that the top trends of 2016/ 2017 forecasted by Victoria Redshaw of leading UK trend forecasting agency Scarlet Opus were featured throughout the show.

As Victoria terms ‘Organic Matter’, wild natural elements are incorporated into the designs.

Indoor plants/foliage and lush green botanical influences on soft furnishing create a nature-inspired space.

Another key trend that stood out was the Tribe. This trend is urbanised by bold images of women and tribes. I would personally not have considered this trend in my designs. However, a few small touches in this style can add warmth and interest to a room. It can also work well with the enduring Scandinavian trend.

Seduction of the Senses

Emerald green and sapphire blue were standout colours of the show and were splashed across the displays in inspiring fashion. I am quite excited about incorporating these rich colours in my designs, and I envisage them in stunning velvets either on the occasional chairs or soft furnishings.

Soft furnishings like cushions and throws are not as embellished nor as bright and bold. Instead, they are neutral and have intricate designs that make these pieces versatile and complimentary of their surroundings. As a nod to the 1970s, macramé wall hangings and fringing on cushions also featured in the designs lending an organic feel to the rooms.

On the other end of the spectrum, the artworks were spectacular – contemporary pieces made of interesting materials like glass, 3D foil, and huge portraits, tribal photographic art and abstract landscapes adorned the rooms. Interesting to note that equestrian artwork still features prominently as it did last year. A unique sculptural piece was actually at the Australian International Furniture Fair (AIFF) held in conjunction with the D+D show. The OFYR, a contemporary outdoor piece, makes a grand statement in a garden as both a sculptural feature and functional barbeque.

Go Forth & Decorate

As a home stager and interior designer, I have seen my fair share of homes that take a key trend and get too carried away. For me, it’s not so much the trend that you should completely replicate, but it is taking the bits and pieces that complement your lifestyle and expresses your personality.

A simple and affordable way to update a room is to replace cushions or soft furnishings with pieces in the current colour trend. A small investment in a decorative piece, wall art or an occasional chair, ottoman or rug can give your home an ‘a la mode’ look without having to break the bank completely. Perchance you have a bigger budget and are able to purchase larger items like sofas, I would recommend investing in versatile pieces in neutral tones versus items that are on trend. This will allow you to evolve continuously with the trends against a neutral backdrop.

I hope you have enjoyed this review of the Décor + Design show and key trends as much as I have enjoyed writing about it.

Until next time,

x Georgia K.

The post Latest Design Trends – An Insider’s View from Décor + Design 2016 (Melbourne) appeared first on Designs to Inspire.

Have you ever wondered just how much return on investment home staging has when you place your property on the market? The NAR (National Association of Realtors) released results to their survey on home staging, and there were some significant findings. Statistics show:

• Professionally styled homes spend an average of 50% less time on the market compared to non-staged homes
• Styled homes sell on average for between 10% and 20% more than self-presented homes
• 81% of buyers find it easier to visualise the property as their future home when it is staged.

I was recently asked by one of my regular and well-respected agents to view and quote a 5-bedroom property in Kew, Victoria.  This property had been for sale for almost 2 months with another agent with no offers coming close to the reserve price.

Meeting with the lovely vendor, I empathised with her situation – the presentation wasn’t bad, but I felt it lacked style and required some edge. I studied the floor plan; working out the best solution for furniture placement – as admittedly the orientation of living zones was tricky. Finding the balance between functionality and sophisticated style was a challenging experience, and I knew the pressure was on to transform this home to reap the maximum desired return for the vendor.

My first aim was to visually expand the living zones by creating a sense of depth and space. Secondly, it was imperative the style of furniture and colour of furnishings appeal to the right target market, in this case, young professional families. As this was a fairly new home with modern features, I designed an aesthetically pleasing interior that offered a mix of classic yet contemporary sophistication that young families could aspire.

The new sales campaign together with Designs to Inspire was off to a great start gaining lots of interest in the first weeks, so much so that 2 weeks before auction day there was an offer for $50,000 above the reserve price and the property was sold.

This gave me a satisfaction beyond belief and was far more rewarding than any monetary amount.  This is the driving force behind every project and illustrates the power of home staging.

Until next time, G x

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