A custom daybed turned this awkward tiny room into an elegant dual-purpose guest room and home office

Nearly all of us will have a small, awkward box room in our home. A room where traditional furniture won't fit, that is barely serving one purpose, let alone two. That was the case with this petite room, but fitted furniture was all it took to turn a dumping ground into an elegant multi-tasking home office/ guest room.

Homeowner Helena Giannakopoulos wanted to add some home office storage ideas to the compact room and approached Tonie Pepperstreet, senior designer at Bespoke Carpentry London, to see what could be achieved with some innovative bespoke cabinetry.

Before

'The result was a bespoke unit that created a compact home office with a built-in daybed – the perfect spot to work, relax, read, or host an overnight guest,' explains Tonie.

The team at Bespoke Carpentry London added shelving above and storage below to make the most of every inch which gave Helena extra storage plus room for her guests' belongings too.

After

Helena loved the idea of colour drenching as she knew it would pull the new cabinetry and overall feel of the space together perfectly. She chose Farrow & Ball's Whirly Bird No. 309 – a lively green that brings the outside in and lightens up any space, compact or good-size, and it was all hand painted.

The only freestanding furniture she added was an elegant upholstered chair for the desk to soften the look. For a similar check out Amazon's Vonluce French upholstered accent chairs, set of 2 for £168.99.

'The desk unit had a pull-out tray and there's enough underneath bed storage for a duvet, pillows and blankets,' says Tonie. 'The cabinet drawer style is Shaker with beading on the fronts.'

A day bed is a really good option for a place to relax and for guests; it's informal yet charming, and if you have storage built in, you can use one side for bedding as Helena does, and perhaps the other side for seasonal clothing.

If a bespoke day bed is too much for your budget, then consider the Kristopher single corner bed in cream, £175, Argos Home. It has a smart contemporary look and can be used as an alternative to a traditional sofa bed. However, you'll need to factor in the extra expense of a mattress when considering this option, but several of the best budget mattresses that we've tested are under £500.

One of Helena's non-negotiables was a mini bookcase, and she loves the varying heights of the result. The small built-in desk also doubles as a bedside table for those who sleep on the day bed.

The beauty of bespoke cabinetry is that you can really tailor it to your needs and ensure elements have double uses, like Helena's design. When space is tight, it's a really fantastic option – it may cost a little more, but the made-to-measure approach means you get double the space and a look that's totally unique.

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