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Jun 26, 2023

From landing to office: an incredible small space makeover

We are forever championing clever small space solutions and this office/landing renovation in a south-east London home is one of our favourites. If ever you needed a lesson in how make small spaces do

We are forever championing clever small space solutions and this office/landing renovation in a south-east London home is one of our favourites.

If ever you needed a lesson in how make small spaces do double duty, renovators Emily and Hugh really have created quite a nifty little home office in the most unlikeliest of places – and all it took was careful planning and a little imagination.

Hallways and landings are high traffic areas, but Emily and Hugh's decision to create a workspace on their landing, adjacent to the couple's bedroom, has proved beneficial. The best thing about this space is that you don't actually know it's an office space.

Walking to and fro you're greeted with a colourful gallery wall and a slimline desk housing a vase of flowers. But each morning, the space transforms into a workspace. How? Emily removes the picture frames from the wall to reveal a computer screen, then simply pulls out the drawer on the desk where the connecting wires are, and sets up her laptop, mouse and keyboard. Voila.

Emily isn't able to close a door to her workspace at the end of the day, but she's found a way to visually distance it when not in use through characterful artwork. Once the screen is positioned back against the wall, and the keyboard and mouse is packed away each evening, Emily places the artwork back on the walls, helping to retain harmony in the home and allowing her to switch off.

The layout of any renovation is key, and for Emily and Hugh, removing the radiator was part of the process to making their small space transformation work, as well as creating a small indent in the wall for the hinges and brackets, and building wooden frames for the prints.

Notably, even in a compact space, Emily still makes an area for relaxation – just in front of the small window is a swing chair; a great Facebook Marketplace find.

Watch the video above to see the full before and after.

• Remember, when you're working with a small space prepare to make compromises.

• Choosing multifunctional furniture is key, especially when square footage is limited.

• Create cohesion between rooms, as seen with the carpet used on the staircase and landing, and the wall panelling which continues from the staircase.

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