As we've been keeping our beady eye on the latest social media scene, we can't help but notice a rise in the trend for decorating unusual corners of the home. A step removed from your bog standard living room or bedroom spruce up, this trend is all about creating unexpected zones of the home designed with a specific purpose in mind. 

So what does this mean in practice? Well, picture a cheeky wine cellar built in under the stairs, a luxe laundry room, or a pet palace for your pampered pooch. Who knew #barkitecture was even a thing?! 🐶

Here, we take a look at some dramatic makeovers of unusual spaces, along with tips on how to create a special spot in your home.  

@lukearthurwells transformed his outdoor space by adding an exterior kitchen using Nomad exterior paint. 

TIPS FOR DECORATING UNUSUAL SPACES

The great thing about doing up a dedicated space in your home is that it gives you the chance to be a bit braver than you might be elsewhere. If you're doing up a hobby room, mini library or home office, you can embrace your creativity and really go for it with colour and pattern ✨

"It's your chance to be a bit bonkers!" says COAT's Colour Consultant, Aaron Markwell. "They key thing with these specific spaces is to put your personality on show. It'll either be a private space for a hobby or for work, in which case it needs to reflect who you are. Or it might be an entertaining space in which you can go big and bold. Whatever you do, make sure it's not bland!

"My other tip is to take inspiration from the activity you're going to do in the space. So if you're building wine storage, maybe opt for a dark red paint. And if you're creating a library room, you could choose a green or dark brown for a private members' club vibe." 😎

WINE NOOKS

Bespoke wine storage is super trendy in the interiors world right now, so why not think about creating your very own mini wine cellar in an unused alcove or under the stairs? 🍾

@sloopemc got creative with her alcove pantry in their kitchen. 

"We gave colour consultancy advice recently for a house in which the client wanted to create both wine storage and an area for their dogs under the stairs," says Aaron. "We used a deep plum colour called Oh Boysenberry to reference the colour of red wine, and to add warmth and drama. And we paired it with champagne-coloured Sunday Soul on the woodwork for contrast. There was a real sense of intimacy and purpose to this space because of the colour choices and because of its position – tucked away under the stairs."

HOME OFFICES

When it comes to decorating a home office, it's best to create a calming backdrop, and then add personality with accessories and layers of texture 🤓

"A neutral like Kind Regards is perfect for a home office because it has a green undertone that's really restful on the eye," says Aaron. "I would then add extra interest by creating wall graphics in greige And Breathe and olive green Nomad to add excitement to the space while still keeping within a warm, calming colour palette."

Surprisingly, pinks can also work really well for a WFH space. "We recently made over a home office with pale pink Felt Cute on the top half of the walls and the ceiling, and Persipan on the bottom half of the walls. Plastery pink Persipan is saturated and engaging, which helps with focus, whereas the soft pink above behaved more like a neutral in contrast. It was such a successful combination." 💕

CINEMA ROOMS

The hashtag #cinemaroom is cooking up a storm right now on Insta and Pinterest, and it's easy to see why so many of us are lusting over the idea of a home cinema space. Daniel Bland from @bland_design opted for the wraparound, cocooning effect of a single colour drench with his cinema room painted in a deep red shade 🎥

@bland_design worked with us to create a bespoke red especially for his cinema room. 

Our resident colour expert, Aaron Markwell, totally supports this one-colour approach when decorating a luxurious cinema room. "Enveloping the room in a single colour creates a seamless, intimate and cohesive space," says Aaron. "We recently advised on colour for a huge cinema room in Cornwall and we wrapped the entire room in our lovely deep green Brewer. The space had amazing views across the river so we wanted to reference the landscape in the colours we brought inside. With 3.5 metre high ceilings, this meant for a LOT of green! But it had a wonderful sense of grandeur and created a really stunning entertainment space."

LAUNDRY ROOMS 

Searches for 'luxury laundry room ideas' have rocketed on Pinterest in recent months, so it's clear there's a demand for stylish solutions for even the most mundane spaces. And if you've got the room for a dedicated laundry area, why on earth not inject some serious personality into a practical space? 💦

@wildinthewolds created this mono coloured laundry/linen room using David Rose & Good Intentions.

A wipeable paint finish is important when it comes to grubbier areas of the home, so we recommend using our Soft Sheen finish. Mind you, practical doesn't have to mean boring. Quite the opposite. 

"It might not be the obvious choice for a laundry room, but dirty pinks are actually really functional," says Aaron. "A recent laundry room we did had dark cabinetry painted in Dodie, a charcoal blue, and then dirty pink Pudding on the walls and ceiling. This combo was teamed with pale marble flooring and beautiful pink-and-ivory hexagonal tiles from Bert & May. It worked so well and it was lovely to see a potentially mundane space elevated into something beautiful." 🙌