Working with homes and interiors, it is easy to get carried away. Luxury finishes, exciting new products, perfectly planned spaces. In reality, most people have to compromise on what they can afford, and some cannot even call anywhere their home.

To help those people, I decided to volunteer and design a community space at Evolve Housing + Support a London-based charity for homeless people. Their goal is to provide homeless people with a safe, friendly, educational and aspirational environment.

The community lounge and kitchen in their premises at Stockwell was a mess, but they wanted it to be a multifunctional social space where homeless mums could cook, study and learn new skills, while their children played safely nearby.

Louisa Bull, Resident and Engagement Quality Officer at Evolve Housing + Support, worked with me in developing the design, and it was a pleasure to work with her. As I explain in my next blog, children and staff from Marymount International School, an independent day and boarding school for gilrs in Kingston upon Thames, also helped to implement the project.

The design concept was based aroung values of Evolve Housing + Support. It had to be designed in that way that the young homeless mothers would feel inspired, confident and ready to learn new skills. while their children would feel safe and thrive in a great learning and creative enviroment.

The community lounge had a view out to the King George’s House historically known as a home for working boys aged 14-18.

The lounge needed to include a kitchen, children’s play area, and an area for educational workshops and training. The budget was very small, so everything had to be carefully chosen with value in mind.

The space I was working with was an awkward L-shape, long and thin. To meet the brief, I introduced a broken-plan layout where three areas would flow freely from one to another, without having clear physical boundaries yet being separate visually.

I proposed to use colour as a story-teller for the space. Three colours – subtle pink, oatmeal and refreshing green – indicated changes in the use of the space. I identified three readily-available and durable Dulux paints to meet this requirement: Ballerina Dance, Summer Linen and Willow Tree. 

I also used room dividers – a screen and storage units – to break the three dimensional space in the vertical plane. References to nature, with its healing and calming properties, were included in furniture, accessories and artwork.

The children’s area was designed to encourage little ones to feel as a part of an imaginary natural world. The area was subdivided by specific activites; drawing on the chalk board, reading using a little reading chair, working at small table.

I also reserved space for children’s art works on the wall, with room for sculptures and craft items on the shelves.

There would also be room for a notice board and photographs on the walls, while the sofa was better aligned with the television.

If you want to know how our collaboration went, please read my blog about the implementation of the design which is coming out soon.

When our elder daughter took her first steps, many years ago, my husband and I were thrilled. However, as our home had an open staircase that was not designed with a toddler in mind, this also meant that our previous interior design scheme was no longer appropriate – we either needed to move house or remodel it.
Life changes often mean a new design is required. That is something many people face today, when COVID-19 has forced them to work and look after children at home. Houses have become offices and schools first, and homes last.

If you don’t have a home office, redesigning your home to make space for working has become a priority. But you need a clear strategy to avoid chaos.

For a great home workspace ask yourself the following questions:

1. Will I have enough natural light?

Plenty of natural light boots productivity and well-being, so it’s very important to prioritise this factor.

Image: Andrea Davis

2. Where will the natural light come from?

Glare and shading can occur, particularly due to direct sunlight. So, it’s worth experimenting before deciding where to put your desk.

3. What artificial lighting do I have?

You don’t need to be bound by your room lighting. As long as you have handy sockets, desk or floor lamps can help to provide enough light for working.

4. Will I have enough space to put a work desk and chair?

Architectural guidance suggests that the minimum space for a desk and chair should be 1.5 m x 1.5 m and if you’re looking at an area with restricted head height, you need somewhere at least 1.4 m high.

5. Can I still concentrate despite distractions?

Some design sources and magazines suggest creating a mini-office space by setting up your desk and chair in a niche – for example under the stairs. It’s not a bad idea – but only if you can work as other members of the household move around behind you. Secluded areas can have other distractions. Expropriating your kids’ playroom, with scattered toys, pink walls or superheroes, makes it just as hard to concentrate.

6. Is the furniture appropriate?

If you feel more organised and motivated in a room with formal arrangement, then living room or reception room could be an option, providing you find a space for a desk and ergonomic chair. Forget the images in magazines – if you try to make do with furniture designed for relaxation and conversation, like armchairs, coffee tables and footstools, your back and neck will certainly not thank you.

Image: Karolina Grabowska

7. What equipment do I need?

Now so much work is electronic, it’s amazing what can be done with just a laptop. However, not everyone can have a minimalist working environment. You may need to think of a place for papers, stationery, printers and the like. Electrical items will need charging points or sockets without wires snaking across the room.

Finally, you don’t have to struggle along yourself. An interior designer can make your home better for working, not just better looking. The lockdown is temporary, but a well-designed working area will stand the test of time.