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| Multipurpose study |
| Tara turns a cluttered study into a modern, well-organised workspace. |
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This small study is currently disorganised and not very functional, with a mismatch of desks and untidy storage. It's used by a family of six, one of whom works from home, so the study is in effect her "office" and somewhere she spends a lot of time. We're going to hide away the clutter and use up some of the wasted floor space by extending the working area towards the centre of the room to give Susie, the animator, a large area to model figures and leaving room for the three computers.
Walls
The walls are currently painted pale green. They are peeling and in desperate need of a face lift. With so many people using the study, Tara wants to use three muted colours of yellow, orange and green to reflect the different personalities in the room. The room has good features and high ceilings and there is an interesting sloped ceiling area.
Tara will mask striped sections using low tack masking tape. She will paint yellow first, then orange, then green. This will allow time for each colour to dry and then be taped over.
Desks
The main job in the room will be making the most of wasted floor space. We will remove the old desks and tables and replace them with custom-made MDF desks. Rather than build your traditional square or rectangular desks, ours will have large curved lines so that they extend well into the room. This will leave room for all three computers, as well as plenty of bench space for working on paper or for Susie to model her figurines.
We are building two desks and lacquering them to complement the existing timber bookcase and the timber floors throughout the house. To get the "curved" shape, Tara will take large sheets of MDF outside and mask a rubber garden hose to the wood in the desired pattern.
Tara will construct an L-shaped work station to run around one corner and across the window to the opposite wall. This will have a central island bench (cut in the curved shape). To mirror this bench, we will use it as a template to cut the second desk (which fits into the opposite corner).
Filing Cabinet and Bookcase
There is a large bookcase in the room that is too heavy to move elsewhere. This is currently untidy and packed with books and papers. The easiest thing to do with this is simply declutter. Magazine boxes, cd racks, storage boxes and a general tidy up should have it looking much more presentable.
There is also a filing cabinet in the room, which takes up a lot of space in the small area. Tara will remove the shelves from a small storage cupboard in the far corner of the room and slide the filing cabinet inside. This will keep the filing cabinet out of sight and leave more space in the room for our new functional desks.
Window
There is one large window in the room which is closed and covered with a curtain for security reasons. Tara is making a fixed timber blind for the window which is purely ornamental. We will make our own "beads" (small squares of wood) rather than buy them. Tara will thread the beads onto a rope and support it with slats of MDF. It can hang from large ring and cup hooks.
Props
Tara has also painted some square panels of MDF in solid colours and hung them on the wall in a geometric pattern. This is an alternative to hanging paintings and artwork. Tara feels this will give the study a stream-lined and professional look, as well as echo the pattern on the walls.
Difficulty Level 4/5
Significant carpentry skills required for custom build MDF desks and Timber blind.
Time Taken Total 4 days
Painting: 1 day to paint walls
Carpentry: 2 days to build custom made MDF desks and blind and laquer
Installation: 1 day to install desks and dress room
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Cost
Dulux Wash n Wear paint:
4L Day Lily: $59.95
4L Orange Bitters: $59.95
4L Teagreen : $59.95
Office chairs and equipment: $250.00
Timber and hardware: $300.00 approx.
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Total Cost
The total cost of this project was just under $750.
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More Info
For more information on Dulux paints call their Customer Service Hotline.
Ph: 13 25 25
Timber and materials available from your local Home Timber and Hardware.
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Disclaimer
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