Before & After: Interior designer turns dilapidated loft into a dreamy dressing room and home office
When we visited interior designer Jodie Hazlewood's flat in Nottingham last year, she was just one room shy of a full home renovation. The loft – discovered during her first viewing by peeking through a hatch in the ceiling – had been partially converted into a main bedroom, but the rest of the space was, in her words, a dumping ground.
After our visit, Jodie began the final part of her renovation in earnest, documenting every step on her Instagram account, @thehouseupstairs. True to her goal of living 'in an open-plan way but with private areas tucked away,’ the former dumping ground was transformed into a Secret Garden-esque dressing room and home office, accessed through a powder blue doorway in the adjacent bedroom.
Below, Jodie shares a peek inside her slightly whimsical and colourful loft conversion...
Tell us a little bit about the original space and why you chose to renovate
JH: When we found our home, I don't think a single other person was interested in buying it as it had no working plumbing or heating, not to mention terrible 1960s windows and damp everywhere. But we saw great proportions and lots of potential.
We discovered this space when we looked through a hatch in the original bedroom and saw a huge void in the eaves. We did a loft renovation to turn it into a bedroom and dressing room/office. We added four Velux windows, including a 2-in-1 window, which flooded it with light.
Did you face any challenges in the process?
JH: We went way over budget, but the building work to do the conversion ended up being quite extensive.
What’s your favourite part of the transformation?
JH: Transforming a space that hadn't been seen since the 1880s, filling it with light, and making it very practical. From first discovering the space to it being fully finished has taken more than three years, but I’m glad it did – we really then knew how we wanted to use it.
Brimstone Paint
£60.00 at paintandpaperlibrary.com
Bespoke Lauren Cube Ottoman Footstool
$890.00 at thehouseupstairs.co.uk
Issey Pink Velvet Fringed Cushion
The Enchanted Woodland Wallpaper
House Beautiful Rhodes Boucle Accent Chair
Pink Bobbin Table Lamp
What are your favourite pieces?
JH: I love my desk and dressing table as they're so well lit, and having all the clothes storage is so helpful.
The occasional chairs, storage ottoman, dressing table and stool are all Jodie's own designs, which can be found on her website, thehouseupstairs.co.uk, and the large mirror, lamps and area rug are by OKA.
What were the main paint colours and wallpapers used?
JH: The wallpaper is The Enchanted Woodland by Minnie Kemp x MINDTHEGAP and the paint is Chaste and Brimstone by Paint & Paper Library. I love to throw everything together, but always with a sense of balance, so I try to counter any vibrant elements with calmer touches.
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