Bedroom Turned Into A Home Office + Design Studio | Makeover (DIY IKEA Hacks)

My home office is a place where I can create, get inspired, and learn something new. Since the beginning of this year, I've slowly dived into the creative world, from making videos, all the way to designing my own apartment. These changes have impacted my workflow and my needs for a home office. Lucky for me, our roommates recently moved out, leaving us with a spare bedroom to work with. After some consideration, I decided to transform the bedroom into a home office and design studio, to support my endeavor in the creative industry. This video will be the first episode of my home office series, so stay tuned till the end to get a peek of what's to come. The room itself has a simple rectangular layout measuring 3.7 by 3 meters wide, for a total of 11 square meters. Since I wanted it to be more than just a work desk, I had to take some measurements and sketch the floor plan to get a better sense of the space. The goal is to have a desk on one side, and a shelving system with a table on the other side that can function as a compact design studio for my interior projects. As I was doing my research, I stumbled into the shelving system by String Furniture, but they were really expensive and out of my budget. So, I did a little bit more research and found this modular IVAR system from IKEA. I started playing around with the configuration and landed on one that will fit the room and has enough shelf space for what I need. Once I have the big pieces figured out, I began finding inspiration and designing the space. Slowly, I saved and bookmarked pieces that I like and one that fits with my budget. Then, I gather everything and played around with my mood board before placing my order. With an empty room to start, I began assembling the bones of the room, starting with the shelf. It's a little tricky to balance in the beginning, so a cross brace definitely helps with that. Once the frame stood up, the rest of the shelf is easy to assemble. Just pick a desired height from the holes and pop them in. Next, I got a grey mesh cabinet from the same product line to store files and other things that I want to keep out of sight. Assembly is also relatively easy and took me less than an hour to complete. There are a few options to mount or float the cabinet, but I chose to leave it on the ground for extra clearance on top of the shelf. Once the frame is in place, simply pop in the door and attach some magnets to close it securely. I also got a small drawer to be placed under the top shelf above the cabinet, which makes for a great spot to store supplies for easy access. Once the shelving is done, I began assembling the table that will be connected to the shelving unit. It is actually a separate dining table from Ikea, but it's also made from the same Pinewood material. I'll only use two of the legs and mount the other side directly to the shelving unit, so everything will look like it's one piece instead of two separate items. I then used two of the senseful bracket to connect the table to the shelving unit. Overall, it feels sturdy and look like one whole piece of furniture, which helps to reduce visual clutter. Before moving to the other side of the room, I also got a dining chair which I will place in the corner as a place to read and relax. To accompany that, I also got a floor lamp which also doubles as a reading light. Once it is complete, I move on to the other side where the main desk will be. I use painter's tape to be able to visualize the desk before moving them inside, and get an idea on where to hang the wall shelving. Before drilling holes into the wall, I use a stud finder to locate the studs and mark them with a painter's tape. It is a small investment to avoid a potentially costly mistake. I had to get a little creative when balancing the wall shelving using a spirit level and taping the braces to the wall. It is not the most secure way to get things done, but I managed to mark the holes for drilling. Despite the challenges, the shelves turned out great and perfectly leveled. Moving on to the left is where I plan to hang a wall sconce. Most of the lamp that I liked cost at least $400, so I decided to do a little DIY. I found this beautiful wall lamp from Ikea which has everything I need. A clean modern look with a long arm and swivel feature. However, it is only available in chrome which doesn't go well with the rest of the space. So, I got a metal primer and a matte black spray paint and paint them myself. First, cover everything with the primer and leave it to air dry. Once it is fully coated, I gave a light spray of paint and repeat for a few rounds to get an even finish. Then, I attached the plate to the wall before inserting the lamp and the arm. One thing I didn't account for is the paint peeling when attaching the lamp to its plate, so I had to redo the paint with everything hung on the wall. It pushed the project back by a day as I had to let the smell of paint to air out overnight. However, it is worth the effort as the lamp looks amazing with the globe shape and matte black look. Before I move the desk inside, I decided to hang one last thing on the wall, a clock. One trick I learned when hanging a clock or wall art is to cut out a paper or cardboard in similar size and play around with its placement on the wall. This will help you to visualize its scale and how it will look relative to other surrounding objects. Don't forget to mark a dot on the cutout as it will help massively when figuring out where to drill the hole. Once everything on the wall is properly hung, it is now time to move the desk and computer gear inside. I kept the same desk and equipment as in my previous setup tour with some small changes on how I placed and organized the items. Before I started decorating the place, I added a few more things starting with a couple of planter near the window to house some of my hanging plants. It has a circular pattern which helps break up the rigid lines and draw the eyes upwards instead of the blank white wall outside the window. Then, I got this stool from Moka which I will place in the corner of the room as a small side table to accompany the armchair. This way, I can also utilize the stool when I need to reach up and water the hanging plants. The final big piece is a pinboard on the other corner of the room which I will use as a physical mood board and inspiration for my projects. With all the furniture built and moved inside, it is now time to decorate and give life to the space. I started with a table lamp and giant vase which I've determined its placement early on. Then, I laid out everything I have and need on the other side of the room and began playing around with the placement until I'm happy with how it looks. This styling process is one of my favorite things to do and is often a trial and error process. So don't be discouraged if you don't get it right in the first go. To brighten up the room, I added a lot of indoor plants throughout the space. The variety in shape, color, and size adds a much needed life and visual interest into the room. Another object I like to use to decorate a room are books. Here, I have a collection of design books that inspire me creatively, travel books that fulfill my desire to explore during these lockdown periods, and a few of my favorite architecture and lifestyle magazines. To complete the room and provide ambient lighting, I added Philips Hue bulbs to all the lamps I installed in the room. The wall lamp is especially great as it provides me some warm overhead lighting when I decide to work late into the night. With everything completed, it is now time to take a look at some before and after. What was previously an empty spare bedroom has now been transformed into a place where I can work and get inspired creatively. The process of building this home office took me about 4 weeks. From designing, researching, ordering all the different products, waiting for it to arrive, assembling, organizing, and styling. Ever since I completed this new home office, I've had an increased motivation to go to work and a search of creativity that benefits me as a creator. I now have a space where I can do some deep work, a place where I can design and create, and a place where I can read and consume knowledge. Over the next few weeks, I'll be sharing a complete tour of how I utilize the office and the products I use, my design process, and an in-depth view of how I organize my home office. If you have any questions, please let me know in the comment section below and I'll try my best to answer them. Thanks for watching, and I'll see you in the next one.