With more of us than ever craving a home-based job, take a look at just how stylishly Andrew has decorated his office… at the bottom of his garden.
Andrew and his family live in a 3-bedroomed townhouse. He works from home and his desk in the corner of his daughter’s bedroom was working just fine… until she needed a full-sized bed.
“We love the house, but I needed a room to work in and there wasn’t an obvious way to extend the house to provide this,” says Andrew. “So an office in the garden seemed like the best solution – work would then feel separate to home, and it would be a lot quieter working out there too.
“The building was custom-made to fit the width of the garden so there was no wasted space. It replaced an old shed, so there is a separate section with its own door for the lawnmower and garden toys, and a small bathroom off the main room too.
“Nine years after I got kicked out of my first office by the birth of my son I’ve finally got all my work things easily accessible in one place that’s all mine. I’ve got no excuses not to be productive now.”
Of course, an office with panoramic windows and doors comes with a few light and privacy issues. But it was nothing that a quick visit to Web-Blinds couldn’t solve.
“I wanted large windows and doors to let in lots of light,” says Andrew, “but then I needed blinds so that I wouldn’t feel overlooked by our house or our neighbours.
“We ordered loads of samples from Web-Blinds and spent ages trying to match the colour of the wood, or the window frames, or choosing the most neutral shade of off-white, before going for the complete opposite!
“The office is meant to be a fun and creative place, so we went for something bold and bright. And with the dark window frames, from the outside it looks a bit like part of a Mondrian painting.
“The Perfect Fit blinds look so neat clipped to the frames, and it means that I can open and close the doors without them swinging freely and getting tangled up.”
The finishing touches to bright, artist-inspired scheme are two family heirlooms that sit pride of place on the shelf.
“The yachts were made by my grandfather for my sister and me 40 years ago. They’ve been in a box for years as I’ve moved around, but finally I have somewhere to display them. It was only when I got them out of the box that I realised that I’d chosen blinds that matched them.”