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Home Office Interior Design – Step 4

August 6, 2016/in Courses /by Jo

Yesterday’s challenge was about deciding what items in your home office you are going to display or hide away. Today, we get to focus on furniture! I want to be clear and say, in an architectural design office, we would really get a mood board together before making this decisions and decide on the exact pieces we would use to furnish a room (mainly because the furniture takes months to arrive!)

If you are purchasing furniture, make sure you are really clear on the delivery times, returns policies and any other cancellation policies for custom made items. Even though the wall and floor colour go hand in hand with the furniture, the FFE (furniture, fittings & equipment) we put into the room usually live longer than the surroundings themselves.

My personal tips to furnishing your office space are:

You may already have pieces of furniture that you want to use in your home office. If not, you could find something that you absolutely love and build your whole room around it. Usually, this would be the desk, shelving or storage unit or chair. Personally, if I didn’t have a piece that had been handed down to me or one of high quality, this is where I would invest.
Your desk is probably the main space where you will work, but do you have another place where you can read comfortably, browse for ideas or work? You might not have room for a window seat or a gorgeous tub (or designer) chair, so think whether you can use a pouf or a dining room chair that may create a different space for you to undertake different activities. What could you use as a secondary space?
Unfortunately it has to be said that, if you spend hours at your desk, you do have to take ergonomics into consideration. After years of working long hours in architectural offices, I am riddled with RSI after working in inappropriate work places for 16 hours or more a day. If you are going to be using your office space for really long periods of time, make sure you follow ergonomic rules. They don’t have to be geeky, although, currently, I have to admit, my ergo desk for 3D and drafting work are hidden behind a door…

I wonder how you are getting on with this minnie-course Have you made any changes or are you still thinking about what changes you are going to make? Even if you haven’t started physically changing anything, the thinking process you have started will spur you on to take action when the time is right.

Quick Links to the rest of the challenge:

STEP 7 – TIE IT TOGETHER WITH A STORY

STEP 6 – SHOW-OFF YOUR PERSONALITY & STYLE

STEP 5 –DEFINE YOUR THEME & MOOD, THEY ARE THE KEY TO ALL OF YOUR DECISIONS

STEP 4 – INVEST IN PIECES YOU LOVE, THEY WILL INSPIRE & MOTIVATE YOU

STEP 3 – DESIGN STORAGE. HIDE WHAT YOU DON’T WANT TO SEE AND SHOW OFF THE REST

STEP 2 – BE CREATIVE, DECIDE WHAT YOU WANT FIRST AND THEN MAKE IT PRACTICAL

STEP 1 – BE INSPIRED, HAVE VISION AND DECIDE ON WHAT KIND OF SPACE YOU WANT

The secret ingredient to turn your house into a home

July 26, 2016/in My Friend is an interior designer /by Jo

How do I make this house I have feel like home? This is one of the big questions I get asked as an architectural and interior designer and I can’t wait to let you in on some real trade secrets. Do you know what developers, merchandisers and designers all do to create a space that you are just drawn to? How they create a room that you just love and can really see yourself living there? Wait for it… They study you!

They create really homely feeling spaces by knowing how you live and how you intend to use the space. They even narrow it down to your age, hobbies, interests and habits. They study this and implement it into their show homes, shops and into high end properties too, and they are meticulous, to the last detail.

IKEA recently opened up in my town and I was really surprised how modern the new design was, how up to date with current finishes they were and how they had started including architectural features into their faux rooms and one “stage” set even included a pottery section. They have started making the spaces even more believable for you, so that you can imagine yourself living there. They do this by leaving little clues around, such as a table set for dinner, a bowl full of fruit in the kitchen, a utility/kitchen with an arts and crafts table or a living room with a view out onto the garden and a chair positioned in just the right place. This is a very good tool to spur your imagination, which many industries use to persuade you to buy things.

Think about the last time you walked into a show home and it was set up, just perfectly. If it was a 3 or 4 bedroom home it might have been set up for a young couple with a young child or an older couple with at least a teenage child. Either way, there would have been clues of how they lived in that property. For example in the teenager’s room there might have been an iPad on the dresser, next to a pile of books, some sport equipment and a picture frame with a stock photo showing off good times with friends. Could you imagine yourself living in that home, if you had a teenager? So how do they do nail the “homely” feeling and how can you use this idea to turn your house into a home?.

I always tell my clients that the Secret Ingredient to any home is you, so if you are decorating a particular room, think about the things that you use on a daily basis and include them into a temporary “display” or as interior designers and artist’s like to call vignettes .

When your room is clean and everything is put away and you still feel as though it just doesn’t “feel” like “home” just yet, think about how you use the space, in the morning, during the day or weekends and then in the evening. What kind of clues can you leave out? If you go a bit OTT here, that’s ok, you can always peel it back, you don’t want your home looking like a shop, but you do want your personality there and you do want to leave a clue about who you are. I love patterned blankets and since moving to the UK have always had a blanket in almost every room. I use these to play on some of the themes in the room too. I am not really a collector, but I do love sculptural vases and pot plants, so I use these to create little vignettes and stories about my life, (which I have to admit, I usually change weekly!) So if you are stuck on creating a homely feeling at home, ask yourself the following questions and see if this gives you any ideas on what you can add to make the space feel different for you:

What time of the day do I use this space the most, how do I use it and what items do I use?
Are any of these items particularly beautiful, represent me in any way or create a nice contrast against something in the room that plays on my eyes and creates joy when I see it?
In what way can I display this in an informal way, so it looks natural, or as though it was meant to be there, ready for me to use.
What other items can i display in a more permanent way to keep this homely feeling in the room for longer?

Did this give you some ideas? Do you still have questions? Email me your questions or post them on my facebook wall. I answer every question personally.

Home Office Interior Design – Step 3

July 24, 2016/in Courses /by Jo

One of my most favourite things to design in an interior has to be storage. Ok, I understand most people aren’t as excited as me about this topic, although the importance of storage in the modern world is obvious, I have seen many people dismiss this and not see the actual value in how it can transform any room.

Step 2 to designing your dream home office space was about fighting the functional, where we try to imagine first, then make it work second – that’s the way to get the best result when designing.

For step 3, I am going to share one of my biggest design secrets with you. It’s not that much of a secret, but I use it as my go-to tool for storage every time. Hide what you don’t want to see and show off the rest!

My personal tips to help you design your storage are:

Think about the whole space and know what you will be storing in this room. Are you storing files, books, stationary, electrics, painting equipment, canvases or audios. List the items you want to store in your home study area.
Now decide on what you want to see and what you don’t want to see? In architecture and design, I find I have loads of gorgeous coffee table books and beautiful magazines, so I like to show these off. I tend to hide files, but that is a personal choice, because I want the feel of my own study to be bright, inspiring, professional and focussed. What items do you want to display and what items do you want to hide?
Storage can be expensive! When on a budget, it usually means you have to become more creative. If mid century or shabby chic are your styles, you can use free or low cost reclaimed items creatively. For the rest of us, and those with expensive taste and who are not at the stage where they are able to invest in gorgeous hand made one off joinery pieces, my trick is to invest in the cheaper items such as folders & use these to either match the colour of the walls or shelving around to contrast or compliment the whole wall surface. This usually gives you a dramatic and fantastic result!
If you already have existing joinery or storage in the room, try to repurpose it rather than replace it unless you have the funds to do so. Shelving, joinery and storage can be really expensive, so try to see if you can make what you have work for you, especially if money is tight.

When money is tight, invest in smaller things that make big impact.

I hope this has inspired you to think outside of the box when it comes to storage for your home office space. Ask yourself “what can I display in a creative way?” What ordinary item can you make magnifique? Share your beautiful ideas with me, I would love to see them.

Quick Links to the rest of the challenge:

STEP 7 – TIE IT TOGETHER WITH A STORY

STEP 6 – SHOW-OFF YOUR PERSONALITY & STYLE

STEP 5 –DEFINE YOUR THEME & MOOD, THEY ARE THE KEY TO ALL OF YOUR DECISIONS

STEP 4 – INVEST IN PIECES YOU LOVE, THEY WILL INSPIRE & MOTIVATE YOU

STEP 3 – DESIGN STORAGE. HIDE WHAT YOU DON’T WANT TO SEE AND SHOW OFF THE REST

STEP 2 – BE CREATIVE, DECIDE WHAT YOU WANT FIRST AND THEN MAKE IT PRACTICAL

STEP 1 – BE INSPIRED, HAVE VISION AND DECIDE ON WHAT KIND OF SPACE YOU WANT

Pulling Apart A Bathroom

July 18, 2016/in My Friend is an interior designer /by Jo

One of my readers asked if I could do another one of these gifs where I pull apart the room to help you learn how to create the room, and so here it is. Today’s bathroom pull-apart. The image is of the Karlavagen Residence from sharedesign.com.

I thought this bathroom would be a good example to use to help you understand what is going on here, and also I think the designer did such a beautiful job to create a gorgeous bathroom that it was a pleasure to work on and also write about.

So I took away everything that most people wouldn’t normally have in their bathroom and I whitened the tiles in the shower to resemble a more realistic and probable tile selection from a non designer, so that you can imagine your starting place in relation to this image.

I know my readers can get as far as space planning and if you are lucky enough to have a historic and gorgeous property with radiators that are that pretty, lucky, lucky you! Also that amount of room for a bathroom wouldn’t go astray in any property, although as you can see, in order to have such a large shower, the designer did rotate the bath and created different perspective than what most people would have done, which I also thought was pretty creative.

I also know that my readers would probably be able to chose the traditional style shower head to match the age of the property and overall look. Here are the things that take this bathroom to the next level however and see if you can do the same when designing your own bathroom.

The tiles. The undertone of the marble creates warmth and as you can see here, with different light, it looks a different colour. (brighter with natural day light on the left). Actually a quick tip, if you want marble and cant afford it, smaller sized marble tiles are how to achieve the same feel and I have to admit that that would be my choice too, considering the amount a slab of 20mm marble costs. Most people stay safe with tiles, but as you can see the pattern of the natural marble creates a modern, natural feel. Also continuing the tiles into the bath area, created a continuum between spaces. I removed the tiles behind the bath so that you could see how the feel of the room was improved by having added them there.
The window treatment. This really adds a luxurious, soft element to this bathroom and really sets it apart. Notice the curtains still allow light in, so they may not be lined.
The black and timber additions. This is something you can do in any room! Just find your highlight colour and use it! They have been very refrained here and the timber on the right makes the rght feel so warm and the black on the left really contrasts against the white walls to give you a focal point. Notice, even the little curtain tie appears to be black. The timber really adds some warmth, or else the feel of the room would have been much more monochrome.

I hope this helped you see this room from a designer’s perspective and gave you a way to approach your own bathroom design. One more point here, it isn’t usually that difficult to make an architecturally gorgeous room beautiful, but there are ways of making any room pop, so don’t feel that just because this room started off beautiful because it had historic features, that you wouldn’t be able to create an equally stunning space without them. Yes its easier to work with a beautiful space, but if you don’t have architectural features to work with, either create them, or chose your focal point to be the dramatic statement piece and let everything else be the backdrop.

Pulling Apart A Living Room

July 12, 2016/in My Friend is an interior designer /by Jo

Understanding what makes a room so nice can be easily simplified just by taking away elements. I used this image from ecb architects to show you how the following pieces really make this room feel nice and complete.

I removed everything in the room that I thought you might not have when starting to decorate your room. Most of my clients start with a sofa they love, some curtains they may or may not love, a rug and a coffee table.

The biggest component that adds to this room is the shelving unit. It brings a sculptural element, focal point and allows the content to be played around with and changed. This is definitely the key ingredient to this room as it brings colour, sculpture, texture, personality and individuality. This room has not really got beautiful architectural features such as a gorgeous window (this one is pretty average), staircase or ceiling.
The second chair starts to enclose the space and makes it less dormitory and more homely. When considering furniture for your room, think about how you will use it (in multiple different ways), and how you can make the room feel more appealing or inviting.
The last elements that really bring this room together are the ones that bring colour! As you can see when we take away the flowers and cups (which were added for their colour), the room doesn’t pop as much.

White is an easy colour to work with and I used this example because it was clear and simple. I hope it gave you a couple of things to focus on, whilst trying to create your gorgeous home.

Home Office Interior Design – Step 2

May 30, 2016/in Courses /by Jo

Yesterday’s topic was quite an easy one, as most people are visual and their imagination is triggered by beautiful places and spaces. Today I’m asking you to get creative!

The next step to creating a gorgeous home office space that you love and want to spend time in, is to focus on the layout of your space. If you are stuck for ideas check out these on Pinterest: https://uk.pinterest.com/explore/home-office-layouts/ of just type home office into a google image search.

My personal tips for laying out a home office are the following:

The space needs to be somewhere you feel comfortable. Some people like to be in a busy corner of the house, where they are surrounded by the buzz and others, (like me) need peace and quiet away from distractions when working. You probably already have a space for your home office, but today I want you to think outside of the box. Is this really the right place for me to work or study from?
With computer screens being one of the main functional items in the study space these days, light control is even more important. Sitting somewhere bright but without direct sunlight is usually required. Do you have adequate light in this space, (I’m talking artificial as well as natural) and do you have enough light control? For example, your space can become useless at 3 pm when the afternoon sun is brightly shining into your computer screen. This can distract you from your work and make you less productive (and have to work longer!) Don’t put up with a less than perfect space. If you need to get some curtains, promise yourself to get them this weekend. If you need to move your desk to the other side of the room, then do it!
I have found that instinctively you might locate your home office (usually not more than a desk) as close to power points as possible, and your might feel that you can’t move them because of the proximity to electricity. Unless you are lucky enough to have an electrician for a husband (its wonderful…), you will probably have to come up with some more creative ideas. These days you can hide trunking and cables in false skirting, behind panelling or go wireless. I tend to use switched multi-gang extension leads quite a lot in “temporary offices” the switches make things safer and a little more energy efficient. If you think you can’t move your desk to a better location, think again, just try to imagine it in the best possible space in your current home.
Finally, when you are thinking about this space, really think about how you currently use it, how you want to be able to use it and also, if you weren’t bound by ‘this and that’, what would you really want your office to be like? Sometimes we tell ourselves that we can’t actually have a better space because we would get in someone’s way or that Most of us don’t have the luxury of taking a whole room for our office space but what is important is not to limit yourself. Think about it this way, this is your life, right now and in order to be the best boss, employee, entrepreneur, student or mum, you need to have a space where you can work efficiently, be inspired, present the best version of yourself and also enjoy it too!

What do you consider to be a creative layout? What would you dream of having or what would actually be the most beneficial layout to you right now? Get creative and share your pins, Instagram images or boards with me.

Quick Links to the rest of the challenge:

STEP 7 – TIE IT TOGETHER WITH A STORY

STEP 6 – SHOW-OFF YOUR PERSONALITY & STYLE

STEP 5 –DEFINE YOUR THEME & MOOD, THEY ARE THE KEY TO ALL OF YOUR DECISIONS

STEP 4 – INVEST IN PIECES YOU LOVE, THEY WILL INSPIRE & MOTIVATE YOU

STEP 3 – DESIGN STORAGE. HIDE WHAT YOU DON’T WANT TO SEE AND SHOW OFF THE REST

STEP 2 – BE CREATIVE, DECIDE WHAT YOU WANT FIRST AND THEN MAKE IT PRACTICAL

STEP 1 – BE INSPIRED, HAVE VISION AND DECIDE ON WHAT KIND OF SPACE YOU WANT

Home Office Interior Design – Step 1

May 24, 2016/in Courses /by Jo

This is the first step in interior design to turn your home office into a gorgeous place that you will want to spend time in and work from. In these 7 steps, I’ll guide you through what you need to do to create a professional looking design and inspire you to take your home office from where it is now to where you wish it would be.

Why the home office? This is one of the spaces we haven’t really had in a home throughout our history and it has started to creep into corners, kitchens, excess parts of rooms and hasn’t really been given the attention it deserves.  The home office or study space is now becoming one of the most used spaces in the home! Studies now show that we spend more than 6 hours each day staring at screens (I know for me that figure is way too low!) So why not give that space some attention, especially if you work from home or need a quiet space for reading or study.

The key to transforming any space is to have vision. Whatever you are working on, today create a vision board or mood board and share it with me. I’d love to see the vision you have for your space and what you are inspired by.

So the first step to decorating the perfect home office is to be inspired. I get inspiration from nature, art, patterns, other designers, magazines and even the strangest things like shopping bags or machinery. I also have a crush on an architectural designer who works in LA called Kelly Wearstler. Her interiors are divine and ostentatious and she uses lots of sculpted marble, which just seems so over the top, but adorable.

Who or what inspires you? Share images of your dream space with me, you can collaborate on a design board on Houzz here: http://www.houzz.co.uk/pro/jochrobak/jo-chrobak-invent-design-create-ltd)

or ask me to follow you on Pinterest here: https://uk.pinterest.com/jochrobak/

Quick Links to the rest of the challenge:

STEP 7 – TIE IT TOGETHER WITH A STORY

STEP 6 – SHOW-OFF YOUR PERSONALITY & STYLE

STEP 5 –DEFINE YOUR THEME & MOOD, THEY ARE THE KEY TO ALL OF YOUR DECISIONS

STEP 4 – INVEST IN PIECES YOU LOVE, THEY WILL INSPIRE & MOTIVATE YOU

STEP 3 – DESIGN STORAGE. HIDE WHAT YOU DON’T WANT TO SEE AND SHOW OFF THE REST

STEP 2 – BE CREATIVE, DECIDE WHAT YOU WANT FIRST AND THEN MAKE IT PRACTICAL

STEP 1 – BE INSPIRED, HAVE VISION AND DECIDE ON WHAT KIND OF SPACE YOU WANT