Goodwood Cottage | Home Office

A cosy and colourful home office and studio.

A home office corner with a desk, computer monitor, lamp, and decor. The window has beige curtains and shows outdoor greenery. The wall features patterned wallpaper and framed artwork.

The Starting Point

This project is a very personal one to me as it’s my home office and studio!

I transformed a cold, uninspiring and awkward room into a cosy and colourful space for working.

The original room featured tired laminate flooring over carpet, cold blue walls, peeling lining paper and an impractical layout. The goal was to create a functional and inspiring workspace in what is a small room with awkward dimensions.

Key priorities included:

  • Creating a cosy, calming room avoiding a traditional office or workspace feel

  • Maximising storage for design samples and books

  • A suitable desk set-up

  • Decor to inspire creativity whilst not overwhelming

The Transformation

Cozy study nook with patterned wallpaper, a blue office chair, a window with a white fabric valance, wall decor, and a small wooden step stool, illuminated by natural sunlight.
A room with one wall painted dark blue and the other light blue, a window with an open casement, a hanging light fixture, and wood flooring.

The focal point and main function of the room is the desk in the oriel window. It was important to me to have the desk facing outside, not only for the best natural light, but as a proven technique to support mental health and work productivity. I chose a glass desk with thin legs to maintain an open feel within the small nook and to ensure view of the garden beyond wasn’t compromised.

The small scale wallpaper provides a perfect backdrop, helping to disguise awkward dimensions and add interest without overstimulating.

The woodwork and PVC window frames were painted in a calming blue and I brought in accents of yellow, red and pink through soft furnishings and accessories.

Polished brass hardware added contrast and warmth. I introduced further texture and softness through rattan and sea grass baskets used for storage, relaxed linen curtains and painted floorboards layered with vintage rugs. I chose glass and perspex as this helped to avoid bulky sight lines and keeps the space feeling open and spacious.

I implemented a combination of open and closed storage; closed cupboards, baskets and boxes hide things away to keep the room from feeling cluttered whilst open floor to ceiling shelving allows for the display of and easy access to books and samples.

The result is a cosy, comfortable and practical space that works hard for its small size.

Part of a b lue door with a decorative knob on a wall, with shelves filled with books and decor items in the background.
View of a window with beige Roman shades partially pulled down, revealing a view of trees and a brick wall outside, with a desk lamp and a digital device in the foreground.
Close-up of beige linen curtains hanging in front of a window, with blurred outside view of trees and sky.
Bookshelf with two rows of books and decorative storage boxes on top. The shelf contains art books, interior design, and architecture titles, with some books titled 'The Interior Color,' 'Interiors Now!!,' and 'Infinite Space.' There is a framed abst
Close-up of a wooden tray with fabric swatches, and a rattan lamp in the background.
Display of interior design books, color swatches, and paint samples mounted on a wall with patterned wallpaper.
Close-up of a textured woven rug with a pattern of geometric shapes in beige, brown, and reddish-orange colors, laid on a white painted wooden floor.
Close-up of a patterned cardboard box sitting on a textured rug near a window with sunlight casting shadows
Close-up of a chair with a blue and white checked ruffle and a patterned cushion with yellow sun and star motifs, placed on a dark blue, textured armrest against a background with a blue geometric wall pattern.
Wicker baskets and storage boxes on a wooden shelf, with a pen holder containing various writing instruments and a stack of decorative boxes or tissue boxes on top.
An interior room corner with patterned wallpaper, a window with draped curtains, a desk lamp, a computer, decorative fabric samples on a wall, and a bookshelf with a magazine titled 'The World of Interiors'.
A blue door next to a textured wall with a small open shelf holding colourful spools of thread and fabric samples. A pink wooden step stool sits in front of the wall, and part of a colorful rug is visible on the floor.
A wooden shelving unit with decorative storage boxes, books, artwork, a pink glass dish, a small wicker table lamp, and baskets stored on the shelves.
Close-up of small jars of waterproofing paint, labeled with colors 'Dark Brunswick Green,' 'Invisible Green,' and 'Adventurer,' with a patterned wall in the background.