Before + After: Kids Playroom To Stylish Study Makeover

Well we can’t quite believe it, but today we’re sharing the FINAL room transformation in our One Room Wonders series, in partnership with Surround by Laminex!

For this final project, we’re going out with a bang (if we do say so ourselves). We’ve transformed a simple kids’ playroom into a stylish home office, that’ll last well into the teenage years, and beyond! In fact… it turned out so nicely, we’re thinking this would make a pretty perfect home office for grown-ups, too!

We started with the Surround by Laminex French Stripe 30 profile, which is a contemporary wall panelling with equally spaced battens and grooves, 3cm apart. This striking timber panelling works so well in this space, adding depth and interest behind our built in shelving and desk.

All Surround by Laminex wall panelling comes pre-primed and ready to paint. Here, we selected a dusty blue colour, which keeps the space feeling fun and kid-friendly, but is equally suitable for teens (and colour-loving adults!).

For efficiency, we pre-painted these panels with one coat of paint before installing them, and gave them a second coat with a roller (plus touched up the joins and nail-holes with a brush) after installation.

In this space, we felt that a ‘wall to wall’ solution was the best approach for the desk and overhead shelving. This gives the in-built elements a really sleek, streamlined look.

It’s worth considering your tech requirements before installing any desk or shelving in a study or home office. Try and plan where any computer screens, laptops, speakers and lamps will be placed, to minimise dangling cords. We created two spots in our desk for cables to drop through, and purchased some neat little coils to keep the cables looking tidy under the desk (most office supply stores have these!).

With two long shelves to fill – we had so much fun styling this space! Kids toys, lego creations, books and small artworks all look great here, and really pop against that panelled wall!

We popped two Kartell Componibili Storage Units under the desk for storage, and chose vintage Eames desk chairs in off-white (finding good-looking desk chairs is so hard – but we love these). We also went a little crazy sourcing stylish office supplies for this room – try Hay Store, DesignStuff and Milligram for lots of great stationery, lamps and desk accessory ideas.

To finish the look, we added a couple of bold, geometric artworks, the gorgeous Togo sofa and plush soft rug, and that’s all! A stylish and functional home office – perfect for any member of the family!

Surround by Laminex is a range of modern, pre-primed MDF wall linings, available in a great range of both classic and contemporary profiles – ready to paint. View the full range here, and start reimagining your space!