Tour of My Fabulous Travel Themed Office

I love my travel-themed office.

I’ve worked freelance, from my laptop, for six years now. The first two years were from the sofa in the tiny lounge I shared with my ex, the next three from Wi-Fi Cafes and airports around the world as a digital nomad, and the last one, from a desk in my bedroom in Southsea.

But, just recently, I’ve hit the big time and have my own FlipFlop HQ in my house.

Dreamy.

The room has gone from this…

Not sure why that blue dress featured in the details, shooting eBay pics at the same time maybe?

To this…

And took about two months to do, in among the rest of the house of course.

So like an excited 7-year-old with a newly decorated bedroom, I want to show you round my travel-themed office. It’s only little – shouldn’t take long.

My travel themed office

The walls

After stripping the wallpaper, realising the walls were as good as made as sawdust, replastering them and the ceiling, and building in a little cupboard, it was time to decorate.

Wish it was as easy to do and pay for as that sentence was to write.

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The rest of my house is a very muted palette – think greys and pale blues – so I wanted to really make a statement here, and go for something different. Mum pointed out Barbados Blue in the ‘Colours’ range, and, thanks to the fact Barbados is one of my favourites, and will forever be important to me thanks to it being the last stop on my three-year world tour, it was a yes.

But then I saw all the bad reviews for the paint, and decided it was too pale, and also wanted Dulux for the tried and tested quality. So, step up the not nearly as well named, Dulux Teal Tension. I still like to think of it as Barbados Blue in here though.

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This has had two coats, thanks to my friend Sue, who expertly applied the second to my patchy first to even it out.

The only reason I could paint my relatively small office such a dark colour was because of the huge window that I love. Look how far it opens ^ – that’s going to amazing in the summer.

When we were decorating I left the pot of paint on the windowsill with the lid perched on top, and went out. Came back to see that a gust of wind had blown the window open, knocked the paint off, and it was splatted all over the floor.

Thank god the carpet wasn’t down yet.

Lesson learned for the summer. Must… shut… window… properly.

I kept one wall white, for the light to bounce off through the window, and I think all four might’ve been a little much. And white emulsion is much cheaper than Dulux paint.

Gotta keep an eye on those costs.

My photo wall

I reeaaally wanted a photowall somewhere in the house, and seeing as I’m trying to keep the whole ‘travel’ thing to a minimum elsewhere (not working) I thought I’d set this up in here.

From the bottom right…

Switzerland. This pic of me was taken on a mountain in Saas Fee in Switzerland. I was with my friend Fiona, and we’d had a fun few days exploring and eating. I had it professionally printed and framed to match the other pics on the wall.

Vietnam. I bought this Vietnam print in Ho Chi Minh City after the 700km bike ride I did last year. I cycled that coast! Little sense of achievement every time I look at that up there.

Bridgetown. I love these prints from All the Ways to Say. I have them in my bedroom too after going a bit nuts when I spotted them in Brighton one day. I’ve already told you the significance of Barbados in my life, and loved the house architecture there so couldn’t resist this one.

Bristol. I picked this up on my last trip to Bristol. I just really like the city, and really like the print, so there it is.

Malawi. Ben stunned me with this little beauty for Christmas last year. Such a lovely print and so nicely framed. I loved my trip to Malawi last year and so it’s a great reminder of both that, and how good Ben is at picking presents.

Me. ‘When I Grow Up I Want to Be a Tourist’. I bought this years ago, I can’t even remember where from, but I’ve had it displayed way before I became a travel blogger. I did it!

The furniture

These shelves are £35 from Asda. LOVE THEM.

They’re the first, and only, piece of flat pack furniture I managed to put up in the house without a problem. And that still work to their full potential. I like the kinda moody vibe to them.

This little bedside table thing is yet another victim of my flat pack skillz. The drawer doesn’t open – but who needs that anyway? One day, it’s going to have a printer on it but for now, flowers.

It wasn’t actually meant for in here but I seem to have an influx of bedside tables so in here it goes, seeing as it matches the shelves.

I bought the desk for my last flat off the interwebs, unaware of quite how big it was. Makes for lots of space to throw my paperwork and junk though, so I’m happy.

The decoration

Gotta have a few trinkets on your shelves to make it seem more homely, haven’t you?

Well for now I have a menagerie of a diorama I picked up in Oaxaca when I was there for Day of the Dead Festival, a bottle opener I had carved in my hotel room in Malawi, a framed pic of me and the family on Christmas Day in Tenerife, a real plant (I give it a week) and a fake one.

I also have one of those terrariums, and a candle, that I’ve never lit.

Grown ups have candles. I’ve learnt this.

My dad bought me this bus from an antiques fair… somewhere… years ago. It says ‘Vic’s Tours’ along the top, maybe a premonition from the tour company I’ll set up one day.

The peg board has random photos of good times around the world on – me and Helen in Zambia, a guide to coffees, a postcard from mine and Jayne’s trip to Greece, one of my favourite quotes that was left on my pillow at the Hotel in Tel Aviv…

“People who say it cannot be done should not interrupt those who are doing it.”
– George Bernard Shaw

The bin and my ‘important items box’ were both from a charity shop, as is this amazing lampshade.

LOOK AT IT – it’s THE WORLD.

Got this in the Sue Ryder charity shop in Portsmouth and decided it was perfect.

My curved floor lamp just makes the room –I love the look it gives the room. I’ve actually had this light for years, moving from house to house and never out of the box, but here it is, in all its glory and rightful place keeping me working until well into the night.

Sure the neighbours love to watch me.

I look out over my garden and shed and there are two cats who enjoy my shed roof as it’s the only flat one around. I get to watch them licking their bums all day long.

My favourite part of my travel themed office

– Yes, that’s a hammock under my desk, for my feet, it’s brilliant

My cupboard is full of stuff. Honestly, where did I get it all from? From leads to cameras, to equipment boxes, to folders, books, microphones and frames. I love having this space to close the door on. On that, how nice is my door? My friend Roy bought that over, shaved it all down to fit and fitted it on, and then Dad waxed it up for me.

Look at the before pics up the top and then look back.

I know, lucky. I think it’s my most favourite thing in the house.

Hope you like my travel themed office, I love it!

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PIN THIS TRAVEL THEMED OFFICE FOR LATER

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