And just like that, the home office became one of the most important rooms in the house. As Coronavirus has forced a lot of people to work from home, many of us have had to take a good look at our personal work space. My Scandinavian style study was functional and minimalistic but not in a good way. It was lacking in warmth and character with dull grey walls and no consistency. I spend a lot of time in there so a home office makeover was urgently needed.
The study didn’t require a full overhaul. On the contrary, this home office makeover was going to be very simple and affordable. First of all, I didn’t need to change any of the furniture (except for the uncomfortable chairs). All the pieces were perfectly fine, and anyway I like to make do with what we already have to save money and the environment. Secondly, I was optimistic that a lick of paint and a few new accessories alone would transform the room.
The depressing grey wall colour had to go and make way for something much more exciting. It didn’t work with the beautiful solid oak floor and the wall-to-wall IKEA Pax wardrobe that we use to store all our outdoor clothing.
I used the green wardrobe doors as my inspiration and starting point for the new wall colour. My objective was to add some real depth to the space so I chose a marvellous, deep green shade with grey undertones ‘Pleat 280’ by Little Greene. As always with dark tones, I was slightly nervous about my choice but I really love it! It makes the room come alive and creates a sense of harmony.
I had a mishmash of files in all colours of the rainbow in the bookcase. I replaced them with simple Paperchase lever arch files from recycled brown Kraft board. They look really stylish and natural and clash beautifully with the maximalist design of the blue Taika metal boxes. The boxes are designed by Klaus Haapaniemi for iittala, one of the best known Scandinavian design brands.
The home office was in a desperate need of a rug for some softness and texture. I was keen to use natural materials so Kiara hand braided jute rug from Wayfair was a perfect fit. The geometric lampshade is from Sian Elin‘s vibrant collection of patterned homewares. I didn’t need to think about curtains because we have beautiful, white wooden shutters from Shutterly Fabulous in every room of the house.
The bookcase is from Maisons du Monde and the Linnmon / Alex double desk from IKEA. The black IKEA Kyrre stools are temporary as I haven’t come round organising proper office chairs yet.
The pendant light is a true Scandinavian design classic. It was designed by Poul Christiansen for Le Klint.
The pink art print of London’s skyline is by the contemporary artist Jayson Lilley. It introduces a brilliant pop of colour and links the green, white and wood tones to a cohesive scheme.
It took only a small budget and two days to implement my home office makeover. I spent a day painting the room and another day styling it. I used existing furniture and accessories and I only had to buy new lever arch files and a rug.
The green walls are just gorgeous and work perfectly with the other colours in the room. The natural materials such as the jute rug, recycled Kraft board files, rattan basket, fabric lampshade and the house plants introduced the much needed warmth to the space. In conclusion, the simple, Scandinavian home office makeover totally transformed a dull and uninspiring room into a welcoming and vibrant work space. I’m super happy with it!
Recommended reading: How to create a Scandinavian bedroom with personality.