An unused room is now my creative haven Lisa Thompson transformed her

A n unused room is now my creative haven

Lisa Thompson transformed a neglected dining room into a calming of fice filled with a mix of vintage finds and budget-friendly buys

Despite having lived in their threebedroom, Kent home with daughters, Milly and Daisy, for nearly two years, Lisa, 44, and Graham Thompson, 49, had never quite got around to decorating their dated dining room. ‘When we first moved in, our priority was a large kitchen-diner extension, so, with the dining room pretty much redundant and more pressing updates required elsewhere, it was far too easy for it to just become a dumping ground,’ explains Lisa. However, having opted to work from home, her attention soon turned to the dining room when looking for much-needed workspace.

STEP ONE Lisa’s first task was to strip the room of its drab wallpaper and dingy carpet. ‘Sadly, removing the old painted wood chip paper took its toll on the ageing plaster – especially around the bay window,’ says Lisa. So, rather than spend days trying to make good the crumbling walls, the couple decided to simply re-plaster throughout. They also took the opportunity to add a few extra power points, before laying smart, hard-wearing, timber flooring. ‘We have the same floor in the hallway and new extension, so thought it would be nice to carry it through,’ says Lisa.

STEP TWO Not usually one for neutrals, the inspiration for Lisa’s bold chocolate-hued walls was all down to her favourite online Good idea! For flowers without the fuss, check out everlasting dried displays – buy ready-made bouquets for an instant arrangement or, like Lisa, gather dried stems from the garden.

Rich chocolate walls teamed with a hint of pink, plus a tactile mix of metallic and timber tones, ensure Lisa’s new-look office is a warm and welcoming place to work

Good idea!Spray-painted cans and containers make inexpensive desk tidies and can be finished to suit your scheme. Lisa chose metallic shades to offset brown and blush tones.

Smart shutters ensure privacy while still allowing light to flood the room for a well-lit workspace. The couple saved money by buying online, at a discounted price, and also took advantage of the measuring advice for a bespoke fit

Before

store, Rockett St. George. ‘Their Instagram is full of dark, moody colours and eclectic pieces – and, while I hadn’t been brave enough to replicate the look in the main family rooms, I thought the office would be the perfect place to experiment!’ she explains. The result proved even better than Lisa imagined and gave her the confidence to paint the skirting boards to match. The tired bay window and surround were refreshed with a lick of light-enhancing white paint and finished with practical shutters, which the couple fitted themselves.

Lisa added some relaxed seating and soft furnishings to keep the look cosy and comfortable, rather than solely work-orientated

ROOM PL AN

2.8M

Although Lisa mainly furnished the room with second-hand pieces, she has also added finishing touches from the high street, including this handy set of modular organisers from Lakeland to keep her office bits and bobs organised

STEP THREE When it came to furnishing the room, Lisa already had the perfect desk in mind. ‘I originally bought my £95 Habitat table for the hallway, but when it proved too big I decided to keep it anyway – which was just as well, as it’s no longer available and I doubt I’d have found another that fitted the bay window so well,’ she says. A secondhand pine cupboard, spotted during a visit to friends, now holds all her office essentials, and the metal chairs and vintage bench were found on eBay. ‘Online auctions are great for bargains, although buying vintage does require patience – I’m still on the lookout for the perfect bookcase for the wall by the door, but I’d rather wait and find something unique than simply buy new,’ she says. STEP FOUR Lisa did decide to invest in some new pieces when accessorising her newlook room, though. ‘I think mixing things up helps add character to a room,’ she says. So, it was never in doubt that a trip to IKEA for a tactile jute rug and seagrass shade would also result in a few more finds, including plenty of storage boxes and baskets, plus the striking floral wall sticker that now adorns one wall. ‘I must admit it was a bit of an impulse buy, but I felt the room really needed a little pattern and colour – and, along with my pink cushions and favourite Hockney print, I think it’s worked a treat,’ she says. Some quick DIY desk tidies were then all that was needed to complete the new room, which Lisa now describes as her ‘ideal work environment.’

3 OF THE BEST... rosy metallics

£10 for two from George Home

Busy schedule? Faux succulents in sleek copper pots are an easy, no-maintenance way to add greenery to a home office.

£59.99 for two from Beautify

Clear the clutter in a small office with spacesaving stackable storage. With rose-gold clasps, these are on-trend as well as practical.

£50 for three from Very

Group different-sized vases in a mix of tonal hues and metallics to add subtle colour and interest to a neutral scheme.

£59.99

£10

3.3M

THE DETAILS

PAINT & WALL STICKER £140

SEATING £107

FURNITURE £445

SMALL STORAGE £36

FLOORING £885

SHUTTERS £579

LIGHTING £41

TOTAL £2,233

shopping list

Walls and skirting painted in Chimney

Brick absolute emulsion, £47 per 2.5L, and intelligent eggshell, £32 per litre, Little Greene. Kinnared Peony decorative sticker, £6; Lohals natural rug, £80; Torared seagrass pendant shade; £13, Flådis seagrass basket, £13; Kuggis white storage boxes, £13 each, all IKEA. Plastikote gloss spray paint in Gold, £5.79 per 400ml;

Brilliant Metallic spray paint in Copper

and Silver, £6.99 per 400ml, both B&M. Made-to-measure shutters, from £168 per sq m, California Shutters. Palazzo Frosted Oak oiled hardwood flooring, £88.50 per sq m, Quick-Step. Vintage stripped pine tallboy, £350, Richard Amos 18 The High Street. Tolix-style industrial dining chairs in Vintage Copper, £36 each; vintage folding bench, £35, both eBay. Tatay Baobab fourpiece tray organiser, £9.99, Lakeland. Pink folders, £2.50 each, Hema. Velvet and linen rectangular cushions in Blush, £20 each, Cox & Cox. Bamboo battery lantern, £27.99, Lights4Fun. Dried wreath, £20, Blooms & Candy. Metal ribbed vase, £10, H&M Home. David Hockney print, £10, Tate Shop.