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Study style


From the Resene Style Guides - styling ideas for your home

For some it’s a place to study, write letters, pay bills or surf the net. For others it’s a place to create, design or craft.

Whether your study space is a dedicated room or just a nook or corner in another space, it should be a place that inspires creativity. Despite its practical use, this space is part of your home, so should be given as much decorative attention as any other room.

The basics are important, you’ll need a work top, a comfy chair, good lighting and plenty of storage. Choose these pieces to suit the style of your home and think outside the square - a corporate-looking desk could be transformed with a coat of your favourite Resene paint, or use a vintage table or old door on a pair of trestle legs. Use painted crates and jars for storage.

A study or home office space can easily become a bit of a dumping zone, but mess is the enemy of productivity and you will soon become annoyed if you can’t lay your hands on what you need when you need it. And if this space is part of another room, you won’t have the luxury of just closing the door. Plan your storage well so it’s easy to keep as tidy and as nicely styled as the rest of your home.

Tip: Instead of shelves, upcycle old crates or nail boxes with paint and attach them to the wall above your desk.

Note: If you’re painting a desk top or any other furniture, use the hard- wearing Resene Enamacryl (gloss) or Resene Lustacryl (semi-gloss).

Dark walls with at a home art gallery

Use colour to inspire

A kid’s desk or study space deserves to have the fun element. Go crazy with colour and decorate the walls with postcards, paper and fabric samples, photos, magazine tear sheets, special treasures and mementos to create an eye-catching wall display that will inspire.

Tip: Transform an old table with fun geometric shapes using a variety of Resene colours and masking tape. Just think outside the square!

Note: Resene testpots are the perfect low-cost way to add decorative details to your furniture. Most use Resene Lumbersider paint so will give you a hardy finish.

Get the look: Resene Spray, Resene Paris Daisy, Resene Bunting, Resene Black, Resene Black White (wall)


Create a chalkboard wall

Stow it

Storage is essential. Look for chests of drawers, freestanding or wall mounted shelves, baskets and cabinets, which may need customising to fit with your décor. Instead of a plastic desk tidy, store your pens and equipment in vintage jugs, old tins and jars.

Tip: By leaving some areas open in a built-in scenario, you can customise your style by painting the back wall a complementary colour or use wallpaper for a quirky look.

Get the look: Resene Apple Green, Resene Colorwood Whitewash (floor).


Using dark colours in small spaces

Light your way

Lighting is important. Position your workstation near a window if possible to benefit from natural light, then add flexible task lighting. One source of light is not always enough, so invest in a mix of clip-on lights, adjustable desk lamps, or even a freestanding floor lamp.

Tip: Unify a collection of art or photo frames by painting them all one colour

Get the look: Resene Iron.


 

Resene Colorwood whitewash

Download a PDF of this article

Words: LeeAnn Yare. Pictures: Larnie Nicolson.


Resene Style Guides
Styling ideas for your home – how to achieve popular decorating looks with inspirational photos, great advice and paint colour suggestions.

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Colours shown on this website are a representation only. Please refer to the actual paint or product sample. Resene colour charts, testpots and samples are available for ordering online.   See measurements/conversions for more details on how electronic colour values are achieved.

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