Tag: study nook

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Design Designers Home Office Interiors Addict Living Room

A designer living room inspired by Fantales lollies

Woodgrain textures and bold colour combine in this stunning living room collaboration inspired by the classic Allen’s lollies. Laminex teamed up with YSG Studio on this project, which follows on from their Fantales-inspired kitchen last year.

The living space offers a reinterpretation of the traditional living room, creating a multifunctional space that is the ultimate inspiration for the modern home.

“Larger homes might have separate rooms that can be dedicated purely for office work,” says Yasmine Ghoniem, principal of YSG Studio. “But where space is at a premium, the challenge is how can we use each space in multiple ways? Everything you put in has to be really well considered.”

Laminex woodgrain joinery in Danish Walnut and Milkwood is teamed with a contrasting wave of soft Porcelain Blush. “You walk from this quite cocoon-like experience of the kitchen into a living space which is a lot brighter and just feels lighter,” explains Yasmine. Synonymous with YSG’s signature bold style, the living space also features bursts of daring Laminex Pillarbox red, found within the drawers, cupboards, handles, and even the coffee table.

One aspect of YSG’s design vital to the multifunctional performance of the space is the study nook. A highly practical area with ample desk space, drawer storage and shelving, the nook embodies ultimate flexibility. Featuring an operable screen system made from Laminex Danish Walnut laminate, the nook can be easily accessed through the sliding screen, which can be closed at the end of the day to conceal any office mess, and even more importantly, visually separate the work day from recreational time.

The study nook also features open shelving in Pillarbox, allowing the study nook to double as a display area for books and personal objects. Even when the screen is closed, its partial transparency creates a sense of visual interest and depth. This functional versatility allows for optimal personalisation.

Perhaps the most explicitly decorative element in the interior of the Fantales Living Space is the front surface of the tower cabinetry. Two units sit side by side, their doors featuring a captivating inlaid laminate design. Along the bottom edge, Milkwood is paired with Danish Walnut in alternating stripes of light and dark, almost like a piano keyboard. Above, sheets of Danish Walnut have been laid at angles to each other, creating a subtle geometrical pattern from the woodgrain texture.

From the woodgrain cabinetry to French-washed walls, texture is abundant. With each structural element harnessing the design flexibility of Laminex laminate, a harmonious relationship between curved and linear shapes is introduced in every corner. The screen and shelving elements are fabricated with a bullnose profile, highlighting a shapely consistency throughout the space.

“The Fantales Living Space marks a distinct change in the way we use our homes,” says Sacha Leagh-Murray, general manager sales & marketing at Laminex. “Expertly designed to be just fit for work as it is for rest and leisure, the living space is perfectly curated to suit modern living.

“Marrying Yasmine’s unique design perspective with the design flexibility of Laminex laminate, the Fantales Living Space encapsulates the notion of finding joy in the small things, emphasising vibrant details and textured finishes.”

For more on the Laminex x YSG collaboration

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Design Expert Tips House Tours

Office nook designs: 8 great space-saving examples

While lockdown got us all talking about working from home, home office and study nooks had already been an increasingly sought-after feature for some time. With many of us living in smaller spaces these days, creating a home office that doesn’t take over an entire room, is a great option. Here, we round up some great examples.

Photos: Sue Stubbs

Interior designer Kate Maguire designed this space (above) to be a part of the joinery in the family room of her own Sydney home, as they don’t have a separate office space. “It is tiny but mighty and functions very well, though it doesn’t usually look this tidy! I use it every day, as I work and study from home.” 

Previously Kate, of Kate Maguire Interiors, had a hutch desk in the same room, but admits it didn’t look or function half as well! The joinery was part of a larger renovation, making the home a lot more functional in general.

Kate’s expert tips for creating your own office nook:

  • Think about how you plan to use the space and make sure you consider everything. Not pictured is my big ugly A3 printer, which is essential for my work, so I had to make sure that the desk area would be big enough for me to work comfortably and still have space for the printer to live. 
  • Consider the placement of powerpoints and IT equipment. This will help to keep the space tidy and clutter-free.
  • Shelving with baskets, as well as drawers, helps to give everything a place, which again makes it much easier to keep the space tidy.
  • Task lighting will help to make the space more comfortable to work in.

Apartment dwelling forced interior decorator Briar Stanley, of Sunday Collector, to get creative with storage in a previous home, where she created this office nook:

Photos: Jacqui Turk

When renovating the kitchen, she had the extra cupboards added for all her work samples. They sat alongside a handy desk nook with pocket doors that hid away the clutter when she didn’t want to be thinking about work.

Fellow apartment dweller Ellie Jeffery, says her husband thought she was slightly mad when she suggested this office nook when they renovated their laundry!

“I’ve been watching a lot tiny house tours on YouTube and I love the concept of having multiple uses for a room or piece of furniture. It makes perfect sense, particularly when you live in Sydney and real estate is so expensive! So when we decided to redo the laundry, I thought it would be good to make it as versatile as possible. A study nook just made sense.”

Ellie lives on Sydney’s Upper North Shore in a two-bed apartment with her husband, young daughter and another baby on the way. The office nook was completed just as lockdown began. “It was great timing. I will definitely be using it going forward. I usually work a day a week or so from home.”

The financial controller has also set up her dining room to do double duty as a playroom, making their home work for their growing family. “Having watched all the amazing things you can do with a tiny house, I definitely don’t think it’s necessary to dedicate a whole room to one use. One of the working from home tips I see frequently is to pack away at the end of the day. It’s so easy to do that with my study nook and it does help me switch off.”

Belinda Rosenbaum painted the mural in the study nook for her girls, below, which was created by cabinetmakers J and K Badewitz:

“Our little house in Merimbula (a holiday shack in its previous life) is pretty tight on space so this was like adding a whole new room!”

Shelley Boyd’s home office (below) is tucked under the stairs. “It’s a great use of dead space which has been turned into a room of its own. My advice for utilising spaces like this is to introduce storage options so that paperwork and mess can be moved out of eyesight. Lighting is also important for both practicality and atmosphere. My space has lots of natural lighting as well as a statement desk lamp.” 

The Boyd Blue owner says: “I am inspired by bold colour, texture, tone and hand crafted finishes and my office is filled with samples, inspiring images and an array of knick-knacks I have collected from various travels across the world. My fur babies Hugo and Daisy are never far away and I love the company they bring.”

The last three examples below, are by Brisbane interior design duo Anju Designs, who are experts at getting the most out of smaller homes.

Incorporated into the custom joinery with floating shelves, this study area works beautifully adjoining the kitchen and dining area, and provides a generous workspace in a two-bedroom apartment:

The architecture of this bedroom allows for the perfect little study nook. A small space with lots of natural light, and great use of an area that otherwise would have had no purpose:

This study nook utilises a walk-through space adjacent to the kitchen which leads through to the laundry. The built-in shelving provides ample storage space but by keeping it open, the area still feels light and spacious:

So, if you thought you didn’t have space for a home office, it may be time to think again!

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Designers Expert Tips Kids Rooms

Home school ideas: creating a great kids’ study space

Children’s spaces are fast becoming a creative extension to the family home and Nicole Rosenberg of Liberty Interiors is quite the expert at creating stylish and practical spaces for kids, tweens and teens. The mum-of-three shares her advice on how to create a great home school spot for your students as they adjust to learning somewhere new.

It was actually decorating her own children’s bedrooms, and then those of friends and family, that led Nicole to set up her business. “Creating study spaces for kids has always been in high demand in my business as I have a large number of clientele with tweens and teenagers.”

If you think you need to spend big when revamping a kid’s study zone, that couldn’t be further from the truth! In fact Nicole’s favourite desks to specify to clients are the Alex and Micke desks from IKEA. “With their large bench surface area and practical drawers, they are a no-brainer for kid’s bedrooms,” she says. “It’s also important to bring in colour where possible so using some fun prints or coloured wall shelves over the desk can be really visually appealing. Another handy tip is to bring in greenery either with a plant on the desk or some hanging planters over the desk.”

As for where to put it, in the example above, Nicole put this dual study zone just outside the kitchen so that Mum and Dad could help the children when they were preparing for dinner. “Often, younger kids have so many questions about their homework it makes sense to have them nearby so that you can assist where required. In this case, you want the kids to be encouraged to keep the desk as neat and tidy as possible as it’s always out on display, so making sure there are drawers and wall caddies to put items back is really important.”

What if you have more than one child at home? “This question really depends on the ages of the kids. Older kids are pretty self-sufficient and are ok being in their study zones in their rooms. Younger kids need more attention and so setting up a temporary workspace, that doesn’t break the bank, in a living area could be the key to surviving lockdown. Brands such as Ikea, Officeworks, Kmart and Target are the perfect places to start looking at products for this purpose.”

To keep it tidy, drawers are a must. “I’m also a big fan of wall caddies and wall shelves above a desk – ‘a place for everything and everything in its place’. Once you have set up the study zone and explained to the child where to put things back after each session, there should be no excuses as to why it shouldn’t be kept organised and neat!

Even though we’re probably looking at being home for the foreseeable future, Nicole says built-in study nooks are expensive and probably not necessary, not to mention they’re inflexible. “Remember that as your child grows, so do their study needs and wants. A younger child often wants to be out in the family area doing their homework with you, and then as they grow into teenagers they want a desk that they can move around their room (along with moving around their beds!). Then as they grow into adulthood they often want to get rid of the desk altogether! I would always opt for an inexpensive desk solution that can be changed along with your children’s requirements at the time.”

–Nicole is the owner of Liberty Interiors, which is still operating online, helping clients with their designs remotely.

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Interiors Addict

Pop Up Desks are a fast, easy & affordable solution

Oak Junior

I’ve been so inspired, as I’m sure you have too, by the stories of local businesses pivoting to save themselves and their employees at this challenging time. And even better when that pivot offers a solution to new challenges the rest of us are facing, and for many that’s working and schooling from home. These clever new Pop Up Desks are the perfect example, and they look good too!

They’re the brainchild of DisplayWise, a market leader in the events and exhibitions space. “For almost 20 years we have built displays for some of Australia’s most well known brands, however recent events have obviously shattered our entire industry and led to most of our business opportunities evaporating overnight,” said group marketing director Lisa Cachia.

“As a team, we watched as doors around us continued to close. We put our heads together and thought what can we do, what can we make that is going to be useful and add value during these challenging times?

“Noting that many offshore supplies were limited, and with more and more people either working or studying from home, we realised that a range of high quality, locally manufactured desks would provide many Australians with a solution to their new home office needs.”

With skills in industrial design, a full manufacturing facility and a team of people ready and willing to work, they quickly set about turning the concept into a reality. In the space of a few days, they had designed, tested, produced and taken to market a range of desks. “We also created a new brand, Pop Up Desks, along with a suite of marketing materials including brochures and a new website.”

The Scandi-inspired desks not only look great, they are highly functional. Purposefully designed to be easy to assemble (from just six pieces), they can ‘pop up’ in a matter of minutes and require no screws. Knowing that many people lack space or a permanent office set-up, the desks can also ‘pop down’ and be stored flat when not required, even for the weekend!

From $179 and shipping Australia wide, they’re made of high quality MDF with a choice of laminate finishes and come in adult and junior size or a standing version. The range is growing every week as the brand responds to requests for different sizes and configurations.

Photo credit @concretehoney

“Most importantly, all of our products are designed and made in Australia, supporting local jobs in these unprecedented times,” Lisa says.

“As a business, great design is key to everything we do. Whether we are building a two-story exhibition stand, or a piece of home office furniture, we apply the same design principals and attention to detail in our work.  This innovative, unique design is testament to our drive to make products that not only look amazing but are of a high quality and are extremely functional.”

They’ve been thrilled with the response from customers and the media. “Businesses need to diversify and adapt to survive,” Lisa says. “Whether you are an alcohol manufacturer that has pivoted to produce much needed hand sanitiser, or a fine dining restaurant that now offers takeaway, those that are able to think outside the square will stand a much greater chance of succeeding.

“There have been so many examples of these businesses in the media in recent weeks, I think it’s testament to the Aussie spirit and our determination to stick together and get through this crisis.”

Browse and order Pop Up Desks online