Designing our Loft Conversion

Last updated on April 8th, 2019 at 09:07 am

We are in the middle of getting planning permission for our loft conversion. Once that is approved and we can get cracking on building it. It feels like forever ago when we agreed to start this project for our home. It was a hard decision when we found out I was pregnant whether or not we wanted to add on or move. Having just done our back garden renovations only last year, we couldn’t leave it just yet.

Adding onto your house is a big job to take on. The stress it can add to your everyday life when things are delayed, moved, or not going right. We have been there before. With three kids in the house now it can only mean more chaos. However, it’s worth it in the end if we put the effort in. The closer we draw to the actual building starting, I know I need to start putting designs together for both rooms.

We are adding one room for B as his room will become the nursery and one room for my office. I will finally and officially have a space to call my own. A place to set up food styling with my lights and props and not have to taken hours setting up and taking down and hiding all over the house because there is not enough room to hide it all from my kids. I can’t wait. It will keep all my work out of the way of the little ones and save me so much time.

Normally, I have ideas of what I want the rooms in my house to look like almost immediately. This time, I am struggling on pinning down a theme for B’s room and a look for my office that looks stylish and cute but also is very functionable for the work I do.

Let’s start with my office.

I am hoping there will be big sky windows and a bay or dormer window on one side to allow as much natural light as possible. I also need all the walls to be white and the floor possibly grey or white too. This is mostly for my food styling, fashion posts, and flatlays. Anyone that follows me knows that my house is a cave. The lighting is so hard to work with as each room is really long and deep and only one small window that allows any natural light in. It is so frustrating. I am hoping being at the top of the house, the natural light will flow in and bounce off all the white walls and floor.

Having said that, I don’t want it to be a white box. I am thinking pink and botanical theme. Maybe a pink desk chair, lots of live ferns and plants in baskets even though I tend to kill them. I think the color scheme of pink, green, white and some grey will suit the rest of the house but also a lovely chic office. I have been pouring over pinterest for ideas so if you see anything that fits this for an office ping me a pin.

My desk is the one I am having trouble deciding. I need a very large, wide desk so when I am styling food I can take over it with a nice tablescape or spread but also so I can have my computer and notebooks at hand. I haven’t decided if it would be best to do two separate desks. One for working at, a small one in the corner and a large one in the middle of the room like a studio office style.

Next it’s what to put on the walls and accents…should I lean framed posters against the wall, put shelves in and have all my food styling props on display in a mix match kind of way or would that look too messy. Depending on the size of the room, I am hoping to either get a bay window in the dormers or a corner armchair with fuzzy throw pillows to accent it.

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Next is B’s bedroom.

I want it to be a big boy room that I won’t have to redecorate for a few years. He is seven years old this summer and I think it’s time for a bigger bed and more mature furniture. He still has his nursery wardrobe in his current room bless him which will be passed onto his baby brother soon.

I can’t decide between a neutral grey room and just accent it with current favorite items like cars so that I can change it easily as he gets older. Do I go modern monochrome? Or do I stay true to his personality with vibrant reds and blues? I have been pouring over social media, magazines, and pinterest trying to decide on the right theme for him.

Next is the bed decision which I always find I regret after purchasing. There was the day bed that I thought looked fab in his room, but was a nightmare to make every morning, find sheet to fit it, and the duvet was too short. Then there was the pull out bed which broke so easily the first time we pulled it out and tried to put it back together after a sleep over with his sister. I have been looking at possible cabin beds to give him more storage and space underneath his bed. Maybe one with a bed underneath for friends staying over in the future. But I just envision him getting super tall like my brothers and not fitting into the top bunk bed very long. Or do I just get him a queen size bed so we can use it if we have more than one guest stay over and he can share with one of his siblings so we have that extra spare room as back up? So many decisions and so much to research on design and prices. My head is already spinning just writing out the blue prints of our design here.

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Designing two rooms at the same time can be really expensive. I know first hand I don’t always get it right the first or second time either so I don’t like to break the bank, in the first shopping round. I like to shop on ebay for furniture that is used or discounted new from factories. Many will say pickup only but will allow you to arrange your own courier for large items and they will still sell to you. I have my eye on a few cabin beds if I decide to go that route. I also like to sell on ebay all their old bedroom decor and furniture to help fund the new items. Using Shiply you can transport anything from furniture, boxes to cars and pets even for all your courier needs from buying to selling.  I keep this in mind when I am shopping on ebay for furniture especially. Don’t let the pick up only sign steer you away. Contact the seller and ask if you can arrange your own courier would they accept your bid or offer. It’s worth it to save a few hundred and use that savings elsewhere. Kids are hard on furniture, why buy brand new? My desk is going to get so much work done on top of it there is no need for new there either.

I think when I make the final decisions on the design of both rooms, I will make sure to splash on a few little bits and save money on the bigger furniture pieces. You never know when I will want to redecorate them in the future.

Where do you go for design inspiration for your home? You can check out www.houseup.co.uk for loft conversions or house extensions for services and designs. What do you think of my design ideas for our loft conversion? I would love to know your thoughts, ideas and opinion on what I have chosen here for both rooms below, leave a comment.

Check out my pinterest boards to see more of my design ideas for this space. Let me know what you think?

 

 

*collaboration