As lots of you will know, I did a room makeover this summer and turned our guest room into a home office. There are so many room makeovers out there and I always wonder how the rooms work in everyday life, once the photos have been taken and the room begins to be used. So, I thought I would return to my home office today, to tell you about how it is working out and what I have changed.
This is the home office as it was when I finished it in September…
Firstly, for those of you who don’t know, I share the office with Jules, my partner. That is the number one thing I would change – I would get rid of him as his side of the desk is horrendously ugly 😉 On the other hand, it’s really nice to have company all day and take little breaks together and we do end up bouncing lots of ideas off each other most days. We’ve even developed a system of communicating, whereby he puts his headphones on all day (he’s a web developer so needs a lot of concentration) and if I really need to ask a question or ask his opinion on something, I put my hand up – it’s quite a hilarious process to witness!
The real problem that we have found with the room is the lighting. Now that the clocks have gone back and the dark days and early evenings are upon us, there just isn’t enough light in the room. I made a decision to place the desks in the middle of the room so that it could be as flexible a surface as possible: I use it for sewing, pattern cutting, taking photographs on etc. Therefore, I didn’t want lamps on the desk because I didn’t want to have to move them every time I need a clear surface, even though I like the way they look. I chose, instead, a hanging pendant with a soft Edison bulb. The problem with that is it doesn’t cast enough light, now that the days are so much shorter. So, the major change I have made is to add a giant anglepoise light from Dwell to my side of the desk so I can craft to my heart’s content with task lighting but it’s lovely and soft light because of the huge shade. It doesn’t take up any room on the desk because it is floor standing and it can be easily adjusted or targeted to whichever part of the desk I need more light.
I’ve added this giant anglepoise lamp from Dwell to provide more light now the Autumn is upon us.
I also like the fact that the lamp is white as it doesn’t stick out like a sore thumb, even though it’s huge, and it just merges into the white wall.
The huge shade diffuses the light really cleverly, so that it is not like a glaring overhead light, but it provides the brightness I need, especially when I am crafting or sewing.
I’ve had to add a few candles to the desk, too, to make it a bit cosier in the evenings now – I just have to be careful not to fling fabric over them.
Candles are a must at this time of year.
Apart from the lighting (and each other!) the room is working really well. I was very nervous about having a white floor, but it is very easy to clean and doesn’t get anywhere near as dirty as I thought it would. The only other thing we might change in the near future is to repaint the desk to make it glossier, and therefore more resistant to scuffing. Now, to get back to my sewing under my new light.
Katy x
Disclosure: This post was written in collaboration with Dwell but the opinions and views are my own.
