Workspace Overhaul Plan

The workspace has two problems that dominate everything: it is blindingly white, and there is exposed brick everywhere. Together they make the room feel sterile and unfinished. The concrete floor looked like a good idea at first, but it is hard to keep clean and the chair wheels have worn tracks through the paint.

The plan

Floor

Switch to PVC tiles that can handle constant chair movement, are easy to clean, and install without permanent adhesive. The estimate is about 10 square metres. A medium toned wood look should break up the white without making the room feel smaller. Leave an expansion gap and hide it with simple skirting boards to cover the gap between the stud wall and the floor.

Walls

• Whiteboard wall: add wooden cladding for texture, easier mounting, and a warmer feel. Only up to about two metres, with paint above.
• Brick wall in front of the desk: mount three black IKEA SKÅDIS pegboards horizontally to break up the brick and add storage without learning to plaster.
• Plain stud wall: repaint in a warmer neutral, the exact colour to be decided at the shop.

Storage

• More SKÅDIS: extend the current setup with another board and 3D printed accessories.
• Under desk drawers: three drawers of different depths on full extension slides, with dividers and a lockable bottom drawer.
• Door storage: mount plywood on the back of the door for a ladder hook, a place for the shop vac, cable management, and frequently used tools.

3D printer cabinet

Build a tall cabinet with separate compartments and doors, with ventilation, sound damping, lighting, cable management, and storage up top for filament and other rarely used supplies.

Small finishes

Cover the desktop with vinyl for a clean, easy to maintain surface, likely matte black. Add simple crown moulding to finish the wall to ceiling transition and swap the bare bulb for an LED panel to reduce shadows.

Timeline and budget

1. Floor (weeks 1 to 2), roughly £150 to £200 in materials.
2. Walls (weeks 3 to 4), about £300 for cladding, paint, and SKÅDIS boards.
3. Storage builds (weeks 5 to 6), about £400 for drawers and the cabinet.
4. Final touches (weeks 7 to 8), about £150 for desk vinyl, moulding, and lighting.

Total is around £1,000 spread over a few months.

There is a risk of stopping at 60 percent complete due to distraction or a tricky problem, but the goal is to finish. Progress updates will follow, whether triumphant or humbled.

Thanks for reading. If you have a clever storage idea for small offices or a cabinet layout that works for a Prusa Mini, share it so others can try it too.