If you are short on space this slightly mad idea will help you store all your paperwork, files and stationery and also offers a compact working space – and when you are done you can just close the door and hide it all away. Affordable secondhand wardrobes of all shapes, styles and sizes are easily available online.
you will need
Old double-door wardrobe without drawers and shelves
Sandpaper and paints of your choice
Light furniture wax
Wax brush
Wallpaper
Wallpaper paste
Wallpaper brush
Small cupboard, bedside table or a large crate
MDF board: a standard board measures 120 x 240cm (1.2 x 2.4 yd) so you might need more than 1, depending on how many shelves you install
Pretty shelf supports (I used cast iron, which I spray painted gold)
Screws of varying sizes
Screwdriver
Cordless drill
Gold spray paint (optional)
Lampshade
Hot glue gun
1 Remove the door handles and other fixtures from the inside of the wardrobe, such as rails, hooks and mirrors. Hold onto any that you want to replace later or keep for another project.
2 Prepare and paint the wardrobe, paying particular attention to blemishes and uneven areas. When the paint is dry, apply the wax.
3 The inside of the wardrobe would be the perfect place to put a bold-patterned wallpaper. Measure the space carefully and ensure you line up the pattern. Follow the manufacturer’s instructions for making and using the wallpaper paste, and hang the wallpaper.
4 Decide where you would like to have some shelves and a desk top. For this wardrobe, a small cupboard sits inside the wardrobe with a piece of MDF cut to fit resting upon it to make a desk top. Small shelves provide extra storage.
5 Take careful measurements for the length and width of each shelf and either saw the shelves yourself from MDF or ask a professional to do this for you. Measure and position carefully before screwing shelf brackets to the back of the wardrobe to support the shelves. For greater stability, you might choose to screw the shelves to the brackets using the cordless drill.
6 Replace any wardrobe fittings that you want to reuse. For this wardrobe the tie rack and hooks have been spray painted and are now used to hang craft supplies. You could also drill a hole to thread through an extension cable to power a laptop or a desk lamp.
7 For the finishing touches you could stick a lampshade to the top of the wardrobe using a hot glue gun, replace the handles on the outside, hang framed prints or a notice or pinboard.
If you work from home, as I do, your creative space or office is somewhere you will find you spend much of your time. Increasingly we are all discovering the joys of working from home, and yet this is often the room that people spend the least time thinking about when it comes to decorating. To many, the study is a room in which there is a desk, a chair, some filing cabinets and perhaps some books, and it can lack soul and personality. But just because the room is dominated by technology and other modern necessities for work, that doesn’t mean it can’t have a vintage look too.
As I spend the majority of my day in my office, coming up with ideas and designs, as well as doing the less creative admin aspects of running a business, it is important to me that I feel comfortable in the space. Because I love floral wallpaper, that’s what I have used to line my walls, and I’ve tried to make what was a masculine space more feminine by using glass handles on cupboards and painting the wood in a soft green-blue.
If possible, locate your creative space somewhere in the house that has natural light so you don’t feel like you’re locked away all day. If you have it, a room with a view is lovely – if you know you won’t get distracted by what’s going on outside! If you do get distracted, cover the window. Lace panels are great as curtains in offices: they look prettier than blinds and are more interesting to look at, while also letting in natural light, softening it as it streams through on sunny days.
In a darker room, keep it dark with good lighting. Modern desks can be painted in light or pastel colours to give them a vintage feel, as can cupboards or filing cabinets. If, like me, you find yourself sneaking into your study in the evening when the kids are in bed, think about lighting after dark. A standard or desk lamp is a good idea, but it can be made to look less office-like with a pretty lampshade, or you could be really decadent and fit the ceiling light with a chandelier. Why not? If it’s a room you like spending time in, work then doesn’t feel so bad, does it?
Desk and other furniture aside, a comfy chair is essential if you’re sitting at the computer all day. You can pick up unusual vintage chairs at auctions, flea markets and on eBay, and if you are inspired by the shape but don’t like the covering, or it has seen better days, you could look into having it reupholstered with a fabric that you do like – or even make your own removable cover.
A working space has to be kept ordered to minimise distractions, so include some shelving or cupboards to house office essentials. Books look neat lined up on shelves, but knick-knacks, paperwork and stationery can look messy, so try putting them all in baskets or box files covered in your favourite fabrics on the shelves or your desk. Personalise your space with framed pictures or photos of family and friends to make the space less like an office. I have a mood board on the wall in my study on which I’ve pinned pictures of people who inspire me, swatches of fabrics, bits of lace, wallpaper swatches and paint colour charts. You can do this on a pinboard that you’ve made yourself, too. On a hectic day I find lighting scented candles at my desk is the perfect way to relieve stress, and a jar of freshly picked flowers can bring the outside in when you long to leave the house.
This is a room in which less is most definitely more, but above all it has to be a room that works for the person who works in it. If in doubt, start simple and build up the effect with the furniture and accessories you love until it is a space that really feels like yours. The joy of a home office is that you don’t have to think about other people sharing your space and it can be exactly as you want it to be.
Cork pinboards are perfect for keeping essentials for projects to hand. For example, I use mine for swatches of material or ribbons and to pin notes or measurements. What I particularly like about cork is that it is very lightweight, which makes it easy to hang.
you will need
Picture frame
Cork board, about the same size as the picture frame and no thicker than the frame
Craft knife
Cutting mat
Hot glue gun
Strong bonding adhesive, picture wire or a D-ring, to hang
1 Remove the glass from the picture frame and dispose of it safely. Remove the stiff board from the back of the picture frame together with any tacks or tape if it is an old frame.
2 Lay the backing board from the frame over the cork board and draw all around it. Using a craft knife and cutting mat, trim the cork to size.
3 Using the hot glue gun, stick the cork board to the frame. If you are hanging the pinboard on the inside of a cupboard door, like I have, then attach it with strong bonding adhesive. If it is to be hung on a wall, fix a picture D-ring or a length of picture wire to the back of the picture frame.
I’m a very visual person, so a noticeboard for reminders is a great way to make sure I won’t forget anything. My noticeboard is like my second diary, but you could also use it as a live mood board or to display photos.
you will need
40 x 30cm (16 x 12in) x 12mm (½in) thick MDF board, cut to size and with the corners removed
4oz density polyester quilting wadding
Staple gun
45 x 35cm (18 x 14in) fabric to cover the front of the board
3–4m (3–4yd) ribbon
Upholstery pins
Hammer
40 x 30cm (16 x 12in) fabric to cover the back of the board
Picture wire or a D-ring, to hang
1 Cut the wadding to the size of the board. Staple it to the MDF, starting at the centre of one narrow edge and moving along the remaining edges of the board.
2 Lay out your fabric, right side down, place the board on top (wadding side down) and then cut the fabric, allowing 2.5–5cm (1–2in) extra all around to wrap it onto the back of the board.
3 Use the staple gun to fix the fabric in place. Work on one edge at a time, always starting in the centre and working out to the edges and keeping the fabric taut. To tidy the corners, pinch the fabric together, fold it down to one edge and staple twice. Trim any excess fabric.
4 To make the ribbon latticework, first cut one length of ribbon to run from corner to corner of the board, on the diagonal, adding 10cm (4in) to the length to wrap onto the back of the board. Staple in place on the back of the board.
5 Repeat with another length of ribbon so that it lies parallel with the first ribbon at a distance of 10cm (4in). Increase or decrease this distance to tailor the size of the gaps in the lattice to what you are choosing to display. Repeat with more lengths of ribbon until you have covered the board in equally-spaced stripes going in one direction.
6 Repeat Steps 4 and 5 for the ribbon strips in the opposite direction.
7 Where two ribbons cross, hammer in an upholstery pin to hold them in place.
8 To cover the back of the board, cut your chosen fabric to the size of the board plus a 2cm (¾in) allowance. Press in 1cm (½in) all the way around and then staple the fabric to the back of the board.
9 Fix a D-ring or a length of picture wire to the back of the board to hang it.
I read once that beauty can be found in the everyday, so although it may seem a little over the top to upcycle pins and clips, it does make an office space and plain stationery a little more exciting, and is a great way to use up all of those little scraps of fabric or odd buttons.
you will need
Paper clips
Self-covering buttons with shallow shanks, or random odd buttons
Fabric remnants
Felt
Hot glue gun
Miniature or full-size desk pegs
Thick white card
1 For the paper clips, cover the self-covering buttons in fabric remnants following the manufacturer’s instructions, or use odd buttons. To back each button, cut out a matching-sized piece of felt and snip two small slits in the centre. Stick the felt to the back of each button using the hot glue gun. Feed the paper clip through the slits in the felt
2 To decorate the pegs, lay out the fabric right side down on your work surface. Cut out small shapes, such as hearts, from the card and stick them onto the fabric with the hot glue gun. Cut around the hearts and attach them to the pegs, again using the glue gun.
If you have rows upon rows of box files or folders on display like I do, it’s worth turning them into a feature. This really simple but effective project makes personal admin and filing a little less dull. Use different textures and patterns, and ribbon ties and brass label holders for extra finishing touches.
you will need
2 or 3 A4 box files
At least 1sq m (1sq yd) of each fabric design
Dressmaker’s chalk
Double-sided sticky tape
Brass label holders (optional)
Hot glue gun (optional)
1 Take the following measurements, referring to the diagram:
The length of the file lid: measurement A
The width of the file lid: measurement B
The depth of the file: measurement C
Then, using these measurements, draw an outline on a single sheet of paper as shown in the diagram, right. Add 5cm- (2in)-wide flaps, where indicated, which will fold inside the box to give a neat finish. Cut around the outline to make a template.
2 Lay out the fabric, right sides up, and place the template on top. Draw around the template with dressmaker’s chalk. Remove the template and then cut out the fabric. Attach double-sided sticky tape to the wrong side along the flaps, together with the edges without flaps. Peel off the backing tape and carefully smooth the fabric onto the box. Fold over the flaps and stick them to the inside of the box.
3 If you would like to line the inside of the boxes, repeat Steps 1 and 2, but without the flaps.
4 If you are using brass label holders, stick them on with a hot glue gun.
Try these ideas with a remnant or two left over from a wallpapering project, or look for vintage patterns at flea markets or in a charity shop. These small drawers are great for storing haberdashery and stationery, and organising small bits and bobs.
you will need
Set of mini drawers
Wallpaper or vintage paper offcuts
Spray glue
1 Take the drawers out of the unit and take off any handles or other fittings that may be attached to them.
2 Measure the height, width and combined length of all sides of the drawer body; draw the outline onto the wallpaper and cut out.
3 Measure the faces of the drawers only, draw the outline onto wallpaper and cut out. Ensure that the placement of any patterns on the wallpaper have been considered before marking and cutting out.
4 Spray glue the pieces of paper, stick them in place and leave to dry for a couple of hours.
5 Replace any handles or labels before using.
I’ve always been into floral wallpaper, but when I first started decorating my homes I was never brave enough to actually put it up for fear of losing the light in a small room.
My love affair with wallpaper (Danny might say obsession, and I think I probably have to agree with him) really began in 2003, when I was staying at a little boutique hotel. I was sleeping in a room that had a beautiful black floral paper on the walls – and I had to ask the owner of the hotel what it was. She very kindly let me buy a few spare rolls from her and when I got back home, I asked my decorator if he could put it up in my bedroom, but he said it would make the room too dark and refused to do it. So the wallpaper sat in a cupboard for a few years until we moved again, where I put it up in my 1950s caravan. It looked spectacular and I immediately got the wallpaper bug.
When we moved into the house we’re in now, I decided that this was where I would experiment with wallpaper. The house was a bit too modern for me and I needed to make it look old, so wallpapering everywhere was the perfect solution.
What I’ve learned about choosing wallpaper over the years is that first and foremost you have to go for what you especially like, then find a place for it. Smaller prints tend to look better in smaller rooms, but big flowers can also look good, so don’t get hung up on the scale of the design. There seems to be a modern trend for putting wallpaper up on just one wall to create a feature wall and painting the others, but I think that if you’re going to use wallpaper you should use it on every wall. I even wallpaper ceilings, such as for my sons’ bedrooms.
There are so many prints available that you can easily find something you like; there are wonderful modern prints that look great with vintage styling, which is something worth bearing in mind. But I still think that vintage prints are the most beautiful – they have real elegance and style. There are well-known companies that sell new rolls of classic vintage prints, including the designs of the great 19th-century designer William Morris, but if you’re willing to do a bit of digging around you can also find vintage rolls online. Websites will sell original rolls, as will sellers on eBay, but be careful when you are ordering that you have measured up correctly and have taken into account the repeat on the pattern if there is one, as once these rolls are gone, they’re gone, and it will be very difficult to find them anywhere else. If you fall in love with a design but there aren’t enough rolls of it available to cover the whole room, see if you can find another paper that will look good with it and simply paper the room in two different styles.
Using wallpaper seems to have gone out of fashion a bit, but don’t be put off; be brave and go for it, and don’t worry about convention. If you want to mix stripes with florals or checks, do so – throw it all in together and you’ll be amazed what you come out with.
Hold on to beautiful papers from magazines, old cards or wrapping; they are great for embellishing or upcycling tired furniture. Découpage can be really subtle and simple, as with the wooden chair, but here the layering of paper cut-outs creates a very different effect.
you will need
Lots of patterned paper or pictures for the découpage, such as wrapping paper, wallpaper, magazines, greetings cards, tissue, paper doillies and lace
Item to découpage, such as an old bin or box big enough to fit magazines
Découpage glue
Paintbrush
Tasselled braid, to finish (optional)
Hot glue gun (optional)
1 Select your paper: think about themes and colours and the inside of your holder as well as the outside – a contrasting colour scheme on the inside can be very effective.
2 On a prepared work surface, cut out your découpage motifs. You will need enough for roughly two layers. Paint glue on the back of each motif and stick them to the surface of your magazine holder, using your paintbrush to help position them. Brush over the paper with some extra glue to seal. Build up the layers randomly or following a pattern on both the outside and the inside.
3 When you are happy with the design, leave the magazine holder to dry overnight. Finish by attaching a tasselled braid or other trim all the way around with the hot glue gun. Fill the holder with magazines.
Creating a set of homemade notelets or cards is a great way to use up scraps of vintage-style papers. To make them even more personal you can emboss a design of your own making on the paper. Leftover wallpaper also works really well for envelopes, as it is nice and thick. A handmade card adds an extra thoughtful touch to any thank-you letter or birthday wish; you could also make a set to give as a gift.
you will need
For the notelets
Stamp (use a ready-made one)
Acrylic stamp pad
Uncoated card, cut to 10 x 15cm (4 x 6in) for each notelet
Embossing powder (I used gold, but there are plenty of other colours to choose from)
Protective gloves
Craft heat gun
For the envelopes
Vintage wallpaper or vintage wrapping paper
Glue or double-sided sticky tape
1 To emboss the notelets, press the stamp into the stamp pad and then press it firmly onto the card to apply the glue. Sprinkle the stamped image liberally with embossing powder and leave for about 10 seconds so that it sticks to the glue. Then carefully tip the excess embossing powder onto the middle of a piece of paper and tip it back into the powder jar. The whole process is just like sticking glitter onto Christmas cards.
2 Wearing the protective gloves, turn on the heat gun and, when it is hot, gently run it over the powdered image. Move it in gentle circles so that the heat doesn’t concentrate in one spot, and don’t put the gun too near the card. When the embossing powder has changed colour and melted, turn off the gun and set it aside. Always remember to read the manufacturer’s guidelines before using the heat gun and ensure the room is well ventilated. Alternatively, you could use ink.
3 Repeat Steps 1 and 2 for as many notelets as you wish to make.
4 To make the envelopes for the notelets, draw two rectangles next to each other measuring 10 x 15cm (4 x 6in) on the back of the envelope paper (these will be the front and back of the envelope).
5 On three sides of one of the rectangles, add a 1.5cm (⅝in) flap. On the opposite rectangle, draw the main flap, which you can make as a straight or diamond-shaped flap.
6 Cut out the paper and fold along all the flaps. Apply glue or double-sided tape to the three flaps to assemble the envelope and leave to dry.
7 Repeat Steps 4 to 6 to make as many envelopes as you have notelets.
8 To keep your writing set in good condition, put your notelets and envelopes into a small box and tie with a ribbon.
I am always writing letters, thank-you messages and little notelets, and a homemade stamp is a fun way to add a personal touch. There are many different materials you can use to make a stamp, from foam to wood and even potatoes – experiment; each one gives a different effect. This stamp is made from rubber lino material.
you will need
Piece of rubber lino, large enough for your stamp design
Ballpoint or ink-based pen
Craft knife
Cutting mat
Ink pad
1 Draw your own design on a piece of paper or trace the templates. It’s important to use a ballpoint or ink-based pen.
2 Moisten the rubber lino (it doesn’t matter which side of the lino you use) with a sponge dipped in water, and press the lino onto your design or the tracing paper (if you are using the pattern from this book). The ink from the pen will transfer to the lino, which also reverses the design for you. Retrace the design with a ballpoint pen to sharpen the image. (If you are drawing your own design directly onto the lino, remember that it has to be a mirror image. Lettering has to be carefully drawn out in reverse.)
3 Starting with the detailed pieces first and using a cutting mat to protect your work surface, carefully cut into the lino with the craft knife to gently remove the rubber around the design. When cutting a curve or circle you might find it easier to get a smooth line if you keep the blade in one place and move the rubber.
4 When you have finished, gently brush off the loose bits of rubber and blow on the stamp to remove any remaining fine pieces.
5 To test the stamp, put the rubber on the ink pad, making sure to apply a full and even coat of ink, and press the stamp firmly onto some scrap paper (you may need to repeat this step to achieve a complete impression the first time round). Carve away more of the rubber if necessary, to finish.
