Reno royalty Naomi Findlay shares her top tips and a recent home office makeover (we’re jealous!).
Do you have a home office that you hardly use to actually work or study? Poorly planned studies often become underused and turned into a dumping zone for the family.
There is science behind the way a space can make us feel, act and think – I like to call it space medicine and let me tell you, I have injected a ton into this study transformation!
Here’s a step-by-step guide of what I did to transform this home office into a beautiful, inspiring space for a big family.
Step 1 – Declutter!
Your study should be organised well and fully functional to work, study and plan.
For this project, I told the homeowners that everything needed a special spot or otherwise it had to go!
Say goodbye to piles of paperwork – go paperless or invest in some stylish filing cabinets and storage. That brings me to my next step…
Step 2 – Smart storage (that looks beautiful)
We know storage is important but to create a nurturing space to work or study, your storage choices should be functional and look great too.
That’s why I opted for an additional above-head height shelf that freed up a lot of space on the ground to make the study feel bigger and was still accessible by reach.
Only gorgeous books and accessories should be displayed in the open shelves, everything else must have a place inside a cupboard or drawer.
And I opted for fairy floss pink paint on the existing shelves over the desk – they look so soft and glamorous!
Step 3 – Walls and floors
To help enhance any room, I always recommend considering your walls and floors because they are such big spatial areas.
With a fresh coat of paint on the walls in a crisp white and some gorgeous vinyl planks replacing the old carpet, the study space feels brand new!
Tip: Tape up your powerpoints and edges with a low adhesive painters tape when you paint your walls. If you invest a little bit of time upfront, you’ll get a much better result when you cut in.
Step 4 – Create a focal point
Now for the hero of the study – the wallpaper!
I chose this divine floral pattern to create that connection to nature that is super important in a productive space. The colours offset the pink shelves and really helps create that ‘wow’ factor to the study.
This wallpaper is removable too so if you change your mind later down the track, you can just take it off (it’s a great option for renters as well).
Step 5 – Bespoke furniture and finishes
One of my favourite things to do is upcycle old furniture and turn it into something totally bespoke. So in this study renovation, I customised three flatpack units with my choice of gorgeous handles featuring a gold rim. These were the base for my new desk made out of old doors!
I also used paint to transform a cork splashback navy and the old filing cabinet gold!
Now this space feels completely unique and special. All that’s left to do is style!
To finish off this home office, I brought in a beautiful timber desk to act as an additional workspace for this big family. I added a pendant light and some lamps for different levels of lighting, a grey rug, and a touch of greenery.
I’m so happy with how this office transformation turned out!
Where to buy:
Paint: Taubmans (Ballerina on the shelving and Elegant Evening on the cork board)
Cork splash back: frameshop.com.au
Flooring: Carpet Court Laneway Vinyl Planks in Natural Oak
Moody Floral wallpaper: Rocky Mountain Decals
