Spare Room Transformation
The Covid-19 pandemic forced a change to the way the world worked. Due to isolation protocols many employees found themselves working from their spare bedroom, or worse still, the kitchen table. In some instances it was both, as couples and families, living under the same roof, competed for space to carry on the day job.
Two years later many of those people have either chosen to remain at home or have been given the option to split their time between a domestic environment and a work environment.
My client, and friend, Diane, found herself in this position. Having endured working from home during the early stages of the pandemic, once it had subsided, she sought permission to remain at home and only attend the office when absolutely essential.
Before
With permission granted she embarked on a major transformation of her spare room.
Diane quickly recognised the need for some flexible and attractive storage. Between us we sourced the cabinetry and shelving that would house (and hide) everything in an orderly fashion.
During
The images below are 3D models that I produced early on in the discussion to see how the room might work as a home-office-cum-spare-bedroom.
SketchUp Pro 3D model; no walls
Firstly, we looked at the layout and after much deliberation it was decided that the workstation would be best suited to the window wall. This would provide maximum natural light during the day and afford Diane the luxury of an external vista during breaks from her screen.
Aside from the ‘office furniture’ the other major item to be sourced was a sofa-bed. Whilst the property has the benefit of self-contained guest accommodation on a separate level Diane was keen that there should be a room on the upper level for any younger guests that might come to stay. With that in mind a comfy two-seater-sofa-cum-double-bed was bought for the room.
After
The bed is a perfect fit when opened out and when closed away this textured grey sofa provides a useful retreat for work breaks and guitar practice.
A colour palette of soft pinks with grey highlights was chosen to give the room a warm feeling that, whilst cosy, still has sufficient energy to perform as a productive workspace.
Decluttering and choosing neat storage solutions was the key to the success of this scheme.
Testimonial
I very much enjoyed collaborating with Diane in the transformation of this room and was made up when Diane wrote this wonderful testimonial for me.
Like so many people, when the pandemic struck, I was asked to work from home. This was the catalyst for me to redecorate and refurnish my spare bedroom. I had long since imagined a neat and tidy workspace-cum-guestroom and this was the ideal opportunity for me to realise my dream. Having poured over pictures of stylish storage solutions and snug sofa-beds Langdon-Hyde Interior Design came to my rescue. Armed with a full set of dimensions and photographs of the existing room Carolyn created a fully rendered 3D computer model of the ‘new’ room furnished with my ‘must haves’ and her carefully curated additions. This realistic model gave me the confidence to go ahead with my refurbishment knowing in advance exactly how the space would look and feel before I procured a single item. Langdon-Hyde’s vision is now my new normal and I am absolutely delighted.”
Can I help you?
In this particular instance I was able to use my Interior Design knowledge and expertise to give Diane the confidence to complete a project that had her ‘stuck’ for quite sometime. Bouncing ideas around and illustrating them in a set of digital images helped bring the decision process to a successful conclusion.
I like to collaborate with my clients but equally I’m happy to research and report my own findings before embarking on a design that is unique to each of my clients.
If you would like to discuss your project with me please do not hesitate to reach out to me via the Contact Page of this website.
