My home office makeover – getting inspiration from STUDIO

_{Some items have been gifted}

I’ve got two copies of the newly released book STUDIO by Sally Coulthard to be won – read on to enter the giveaway!When I first viewed my house, I was specifically on the look-out for an office space to call my own. In previous homes I’d had a desk in the corner of the living room, but that meant that my work was always there. I found myself tempted to do just a bit more work in the evenings because I wasn’t getting away from it. Plus, I didn’t like leaving any files out, so always had to pack away everything I was working on in order to keep the living room looking tidy.Of course, I had my little vintage caravan to work in during the warmer weather, but I found out that I wasn’t much of a fan of working outside when it was snowing! Plus, having the caravan outside and a desk inside meant that all my projects were in different places. It meant a lot of moving around for me and lugging laptops and sewing machines from one spot to another. So you can see why an office was at the top of my list.

Photos of textile designer Catherine Derksema’s studio (above and below) by photographer Rachel Kara, reproduced with permission of the publisher

Okay, having an extra bedroom for me to use as an office seemed a little pie-in-the-sky when we first started house hunting. We’d be lucky to get one bedroom in some of the towns we looked out, let alone a spare room. But if you’ve read my blog post about why I didn’t by my dream home, you’ll know that I ended up with exactly the space I needed, albeit in a location I hadn’t previously considered and in a style of building that I never thought I’d live in. 

So, the awesome news is that I now have a room to call my office. In fact, I think I’ll get a plaque with ‘Cassiefairy HQ’ made up for the door! And even though I have more space than I could have dreamed of (no more hallway desks or living room corners for me!) I still want to make the most of the room by fitting lots of storage and plenty of desk space. I’ve mentioned that my husband can have a ‘hot desk’ in the room, so I’ve got to squeeze him in too.

Photo of ceramic artist Lisa Meunier’s workshop (above and below) by photographer Joanna Maclennan, reproduced with permission of the publisher.

I shared some snaps of the office in it’s current state on my blog last week – and what a mess it is! Although (you won’t believe it) with the wallpaper off – yes, both layers of wallpaper and woodchip – it’s actually easier to see the space and figure out what I need to do in the room. I’ve already got my sit/stand Varidesk and have ordered the keyboard and touchpad I needed from Penclic to turn my laptop into a PC, so now all I need to do is search out some decor inspiration. I’ve started with a book by Sally Coulthard titled STUDIO. The images you’ve been looking at in this blog post are all taken from this unique and interesting book. It contains photos of countless different types of studios, offices and workshops – all of which are being used by their creative owners as their dedicated work spaces. I’m a nosy kinda gal so this book is my dream; it gives me access into the studios of artists, designers, writers, makers and photographers and get a glimpse into their lives.

Photos of collage artist Martin O’Neill’s studio (above and below) by photographer Alun Callender, reproduced with permission of the publisher. 

It’s so interesting so see how differently these creative folk use their work spaces. Some see it as a curated display space – a 3D moodboard, if you like – while others simply use it for all their messy work and leave a disaster-zone in the wake of their creativity. Some are storage-crazy – with a drawer, box or shelf for everything – while other’s allow things to pile up under layers of dust.What’s clear though is that all these spaces are being used on a daily basis by the people who own them, and it just goes to show that you’ve really got to create a space that works for you. I think that the motto of this story should be ‘please yourself’ when it comes to the way you use your office, studio or workshop. Sure, I couldn’t work if I was surrounded by piles of paperwork (I’d have to tidy up first, so wouldn’t get round to doing any writing) but I’ve also discovered that I don’t need to have that perfectly fitted office with scandi-designed storage solutions to make me productive. I just need a desk and some shelves, and I can build up from there.

Now, before I get started on decorating my office, let’s get down to business – I’ve got two copies of STUDIO by Sally Coulthard to give away to two of my lovely readers so be sure to enter via the rafflecopter giveaway below. There are plenty of ways to gain entries so give it a go now and you would be in with a chance of winning! Good luck everyone 🙂
a Rafflecopter giveaway

Giveaway open to UK residents only. Two prizes available. Competition runs from 17th May to 4th June 2017.