Study retreat with cabin vibes

bec_peters

A colour-drenched study renovation featuring timber wall panelling, built-in shelving and upcycled furniture.

The project
Steps
Tools and materials
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The project

While our off-the-plan house was being built, I dreamed about creating a colour-drenched, moody space to work and be creative in. Months into moving in (and newborn in tow), it was so fun and rewarding to bring this white, narrow room to life.

Before...

It's taken a lot of work in between feeds... lining one of the walls with panelling, building bases and shelving for in-built cabinets, installing a roller blind and new light fixture, upcycling a solid timber desk and old lamp with new fabric, sourcing secondhand frames for the gallery wall, and painting every wall including the ceiling!

Steps

Step 1

Prepare the wall panelling. I started by cutting down the MDF wall panelling to fit the width of the feature wall, using the circular saw. I measured where the power points would be, removed the switch cover to trace on the panel that would be going over the top of it (allowing an extra 1mm around the boundary to ensure the switch cover could be re-insterted), and cut out the space with a jigsaw. This is a finicky step so take your time with it!

Cutting down the panels with the circular saw and some framing timber as a quick guide.

Cutting around the switch covers with the jigsaw was finicky but worthwhile.

Step 2

Check studs. Run your stud finder along the wall to mark every horizontal and vertical stud (being careful to avoid any power). Given the board will be going over the wall, I marked the studs with painter's tape on the floor, ceiling, and adjacent walls as a reference.

Step 3

Apply the wall panelling. Drizzle the back of the panel with Liquid Nails via a caulking gun (move carefully but quickly!. Press against the wall, checking the angle with a level as you go. Nail (by hand or brad nailer - much easier!) along the studs as you go. For any nails left jutting out, hammer in with a hole set punch until the nail head has receded. These panels are great as they join easily with their interlocking system. Given I went with horizontal orientation of the panels, I did have to join some of the sides by hand/with gap filler.

Clean up the nail holes. Fill all nail holes with some Spakfilla. Sand back with a fine sandpaper (180-240). Run your caulk gun with some gap filler along any exposed panel edges.

Before the paint...

Step 4

Prepare to paint - clean and apply painter's tape. I wasn't too rigorous with this as the walls were new and the space hardly lived in! This meant I also didn't need to fill or sand back any scuffs. Given the walls were brand new, I didn't prime either. I did use painter's tape to avoid painting the floor's wooden moulding.

Paint! Two coats, two hours in between. Everything - walls, ceiling, trim. Given the surface area I needed to cover, wide brushes on a pole was a must. I used a smaller brush to cut in from the corners. I also used a brush and smaller roller for the door and window trim.I must admit I had my dad help with this stage. It was helpful to have someone cut in while the other filled the gaps. Shoutout to my mum who babysat. For the panelling I ran my brush along the detailed parts of the panelling (making sure to get in the narrow crack) and filled in the wider parts of the board with a roller. I did this panel by panel, working my way down the board.

Step 5

Install cabinets to make built-in. I had some existing cabinets I was keen to install around the window for a built-in effect. To achieve this I built bases using untreated framing timber (cut with the miter saw and screwed together), and lined them with ply (again cut with the circular saw, attached with the brad nailer). I then screwed the bases into the wall (via studs), and screwed the bookcases onto the bases and to the walls (either directly or via small concealed brackets). I applied a thin strip of ply as 'trim' to bridge the base and bookcases and tie in seamlessly with the floorboards, adding to the built-in look.

Bridging shelf. I then cut a shelf with the leftover 12mm ply to bridge the gap between the bookcases over the window. I secured the shelf to the wall using stylish black brackets. I'm keen to add decor and storage to this top section of the built-in.

Paint! I painted all the walls and trims before assembling the built-in bookcases. Once installed, I painted them with the leftover paint.

Step 6

Decorate! One of the funnest parts! I loved collecting old frames from local op shops and filling them with prints of my travels, family, and local artwork. Installed with a mounting kit, using a tape measure for even spacing, studs, and a level. I mounted the guitars to the feature wall, along with my husband's electric skateboard (using some beautiful American hardwood gifted by a friend), and some hooks for our hats and coats.

Upcycling lamp. I loved upcycling this beautiful old timber lamp - while it had a beautiful base, the shade was dated (and dirty!) I cut some tartan fabric and applied it with spray adhesive (attached to the shade with laundry pegs to dry overnight).