Inside Lucy Tiffney's at-home art studio – 'we created a workspace in the garden that finally feels like me!’

Having taken on a house with a large garden thirteen years ago to give their sons some room to run around, Lucy and husband Tiff decided that their home needed some care and attention.

'Renovating my neglected house gave me the boost I needed to enter the BBC’s The Great Interior Design Challenge,' explains Lucy, 'where I got into the final and finished as the runner-up. '

'My background is in textile design, and although I was an amateur designer when I entered the show, I realised that’s what I should be doing professionally, and so set up my business.'

'Fast forward to a couple of years ago, with the business growing, it became obvious that I needed a separate space to work from and I could no longer do it from the house, because of the noise, people coming in and out, and the disruption to family life.'

'The obvious thing to do was to put a studio in the garden,' continues Lucy. 'We’d inherited some sheds, and while we’ve used a couple for storage, there were two with power connected on an existing concrete base right at the end of the garden, which seemed the ideal spot to build a garden room and would cut down on costs to use what was there, in terms of the base and electricity. '

'One base was 6x4m, which was a great size for the main studio, and the other shed, which is 3m sq, could be painted and used for storage. I had a very specific idea about what I wanted, and I started looking for the right company.'

'I found exactly what I wanted at The Landscaper in Hadleigh, Suffolk. I designed the new studio together with the builder. We sketched out ideas first and discussed materials, which was important to me.'

'We used reclaimed windows from eBay and weatherboarding for the storage section, and smart black windows with Siberian larch cladding for the main studio.'

'I liked the idea of grey and black together and I’d also done a lot of work in the garden, painting other sheds, then adding my signature bursts of colour, so it all ties in together.'

'Light is so important for my work, and I factored in a lovely big window with a view, plus a small rectangular one which only has a view of the back fence, and two large roof lights to maximise the light coming in, whatever the weather and the time of day.'

'The other big essential was a Swedish-style cabin bed,' explains Lucy. 'I do love a nap, and sometimes when I’m working, I get so carried away, I forget the time, and then a little nap refreshes me. We built one in, and then I decorated the plain wood.'

'After looking at various options, I chose OSB board for the floor. It’s very versatile and durable, as well as being inexpensive. Although it was the most affordable option, I also really like the finish of it, so it wasn’t just about the cost.'

'It comes varnished, and when the studio was first fitted, I thought I would be worried about getting paint on the floor as I’m messy, but now I’m not bothered about paint splatters and like them as part of the design.'

'With the basics in, I wanted to make it feel homely, and I’ve added a mix of new and old furniture and storage, some of which belonged to my parents and other upcycled furniture ideas that I've completed.'

'I needed plenty of shelving and there’s also a bookcase for my design books, as well as a storage trolley and a big bin for rolls of paper, as some of my canvases are fairly big.'

'I wanted to keep it light and fresh in there, so the basic scheme is white and green, keeping the green quite pale. I’ve then papered a section in some of my own wallpaper and put up curtains in my own fabrics at the big window and also across the cabin bed, to make it feel cosy even when it’s dark outside.'

'It also reflects that we’re in a garden as the wallpaper and fabric are covered in flowers. I love flowers, especially wild ones, and my favourites include anemones, dahlias and hollyhocks.'

'There are a lot of my latest products from my collaboration with Next in there, but also old things from childhood and favourite bits and pieces. Inspiration is all around, and I’m more than happy being in here, painting away, rather than being in the house. It's worked out really well.'

Get Lucy's look

Focus on... Creating a stylish sleeping nook

• Decide which corner of a space you will put the cabin bed in and try to avoid a wall with a window in it. Decide who’s likely to sleep there, what size bed they’ll need and make sure there is enough headroom. 
• Measure up carefully, and if your DIY skills are up to it, buy a raised slatted bed platform and fit it yourself, leaving a little extra room beyond the mattress size, or track down a trusted carpenter. 
• Add shaped decorative framing to the sides and at the top in a colour scheme that matches the rest of the room. 
• Think about what type of storage you will put underneath and how you will screen it off when not in use. Some simple curtains will hide everything away and let you have a proper sleep inside.