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Home Decorating Design Dilemma

Small office furnishing idea

2 years ago

Hi,

I recently bought an old flat, and I am struggling with decorating the smallest room. Since I don’t have many rooms in the flat, I would like to use the smallest room as a home office/guest room. Therefore, I have a desk, sofa bed, and two bookshelves. I would like to make the room cosy, but currently, it looks very messy:

Here is a sketch of the room. Sorry, the proportions are entirely wrong. How would you arrange the furniture to make the room cosier? Fortunately, the ceiling is very high, so it doesn’t feel very tight.

I might open the sofa bed few times a year, so worst case, I could move the desk then. However, the bookshelves are heavy, and I don’t want to move those.

Here are the dimensions of the furniture.

Desk:

Width: 130cm
Depth: 60cm
Hight: 76cm

Sofa bed:

Width: 222cm
Depth: 110/210cm (when open)
Height: 80cm

Bookshelves (each):

Width: 109cm
Depth: 50cm
Height: 155cm

I would like to keep all the furniture in the room. Therefore, I need your expertise to use the space more efficiently and make the room cosier. I would be very grateful for any input. If you also have any suggestions on making the room cosier, I am all ears. I am thinking of buying a curtain soon, but I haven’t figure out what colour suits best.

Thank you very much for your help.

Comments (6)

Jonathan
2 years ago
Personally I think your layout depend on how you use the room. However if it were me I would want to be able to reach the window to open it, I would want the desk by the window.

I would also swap the bookcases for something less wide and the same height as the door because currently I see no way of putting them together and that contributes to the messy look.

If you are going to work in that room a slatted blind would be good for controlling the light. Full length curtains will make it more cost and the blind means they don’t have to be expensive blackouts. A deeper colour on the walls would help with the cosy feel- perhaps avoid reds which might make the floor look Orange- personally I would choose a strong neutral with a green quality.

And then pictures and a house plant and rug will all make the space feel more finished.
hedgehog99
2 years ago
Beautiful floor, window and ceiling height - the room has good bones! How far you go with it depends on your budget, but at present it just feels a bit unfinished. I would add:

- A rug (don't go too small - a small rug in the middle of the room will make the room look smaller)

- On the shelves, a mixture of trailing house plants and succulents in small pots, plus a couple of well chosen non-office things, perhaps a nice vase, a framed photo, some non-work books with nice coloured spines

- Art on the walls

- And change the lamp for something that feels less office-y.

Come up with a colour scheme and choose a rug, art and nicknacks (sorry, hate that word...) which work together. I'm not sure if my monitor is reading your current colours very well - are they more greyish or more brownish? If more greyish (cool tones) I'd be thinking coolt-toned dusky pinks and reds to bring some warmth and cosiness, with possibly some touches of navy or a lighter blue. I'm picturing a rug with a vintage feel, nothing too "brand spanking new" looking. I like Jonathan's layout above because it means you have a wall rather than a window over the sofa (and can look out of the window when sitting/lying on it), which means you could create a nice little gallery wall or have a large round mirror above it to bounce light around and make the space feel wider.

Good luck and come back and show us the "after" pics!
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hedgehog99
2 years ago
This gives some good tips on how to style shelves https://www.younghouselove.com/how-to-style-a-bookshelf-video/
Sonia
2 years ago
It’s always nice to be able to see out of a window when working so I’m loving Jonathan’s plan. Blinds are great but you could get curtains as well to add a cosy feel. Dunelm sell good quality ready made curtains at a good price. I think a nice navy on the walls will create cosiness. I agree that the bookcases are too wide for the room. I would swop them for something taller and slimmer. Do you need 2 of them? You could also paint them white to brighten the room.
The floor is fabulous and navy would go well with it. Of course if you hate navy then green would create a relaxing ambiance in the room.
J K
Original Author
2 years ago
Thank you very much everyone for your input. Tonight, I will move the furniture as Jonathan has suggested. I think that’s the best way to use the space.
Regarding decorating, I will definitely have a look at non-office decoration.
I thought that a rug would make the room look smaller. But maybe I should try it with a bigger rug.
I will definitely send you an “after” picture.
minnie101
2 years ago
I also agree with Jonathan’s layout. You could also consider painting the bookcases in the wall colour so they blend into the walls. I would just add that the room will take a statement pendant light. Depending on choice of light it could be swagged over the sofa to zone that area with art on the wall behind. If this is doubling up as a guest room then maybe consider a round mirror over the desk so it can also be used as a dressing table and some hooks by the door for clothes. Perhaps also some cushions for pattern and texture. If you have a plug socket by the window you could also consider a plug in wall light over the sofa bed although you should have room for a small side table at the door end but cant see any sockets?

Lovely room!

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