Hornsby Style interiors blogger shares how a Studio Pent became an escape from renovation chaos, along with her top styling tips for your garden room.
Sharon Hornsby
Sharon Hornsby is a serial renovator and content creator with over 100k following on Instagram. She lives in the rolling Sussex countryside with husband Jim (a pilot and DIY whizz), their three grown up children and a Cavapoo named Thor.
Fallow Sharon on Instagram
As if life wasn’t hectic enough, Sharon is currently renovating her fourth house —a 1920s lodge. It’s her most ambitious renovation to date. She’s stripped the property back to its bare bones and added two double height extensions. What was once a small, dark 2 bed house is fast becoming a bright, welcoming 4 bed family home in signature Hornsby style.
However, staying as productive as she needed to be while juggling mum duties, project managing tradespeople, and battling brick dust wasn’t proving that easy…
The Benefits of a Garden Studio During Home Renovations
“I found the renovation disruption and mess were affecting how much work I could get done,”
Sharon explains. Often working very late into the evening to complete her tasks, she needed a solution.
“My own office in the garden was the answer to working in comfort without the interruptions.”
Last autumn, we installed a Studio Pent and Sharon is so much more productive now. Plus, it’s a bonus space to enjoy in her downtime and for the rest of the family to host gatherings:
“I love the natural light which really helps when choosing paint colours and fabrics and I also often use it as a quiet spot to sit with Thor and read a book or magazine. My kids have used it of an evening if they have friends over to hang out too which is lovely.”
Staging the Studio Pent
“I’ve styled it as a continuation of the house, adding colours and textures I’ve used there – the walls are painted in green and an off white.”
Sharon draws inspiration from a wide range of sources—magazines, Pinterest, hotels, the natural world, and places she visits. “The entrance door style and colour for our recent utility renovation were inspired by painted shutters I saw at the National Trust house Standen,” she explains. “I love the natural colours, so blue, green, and natural wood elements are a must in my home.”
A large, coloured glass pendant light hangs over the chair by her desk. “As it’s in the window it reflects the sunlight onto the walls which is so pretty,” adds Sharon. She’s also included a cabinet to store interior design books, notes, and samples.
“I love that the Studio Pent has space for both a desk and chair, as well as a sofa on the other side,” says Sharon. To add warmth during the colder months, she installed a tiled hearth for an electric stove. “Alongside the insulation, it keeps the space lovely and toasty,” she adds. A cosy rug and cushions make the space more homely. “I’m considering swapping the sofa for a sofa bed so we can sleep out here in the summer.”
Some finishing touches are still in the works. “I need to paint the ceiling, but I’m waiting for the summer to see how the light plays with the space,” Sharon explains. “I also need to decide on the flooring—whether to paint the floorboards or add laminate. I haven’t decided yet!”
Tips for Styling Your Outdoor Retreat
Working with Light
For Sharon, the most important factor when designing a room is light. Her advice is to let as much natural lighting in as possible to create a welcoming and functional space. She says, “too often rooms rely on a central pendant light without thinking about ambient and accent lighting such as lamps and wall lamps.”
To maximise the natural light Sharon designed a studio with glazed doors and windows.
“I love the wall of glass at the front looking down the garden – I designed it, so the panels and double doors are all the same width and I love the symmetry of that – I find it so relaxing having the view of the garden and feeling like you’re sitting in nature.”
The Red Thread
Sharon advises to pick one ‘red thread’, also known as the throughline, this focuses on one design detail- it can be a colour, shape or even texture that carries through the room.
“If you’re doing it as a colour, which is something I always do, it can be as subtle as a vase or a throw or even a plant if you’ve chosen green to as bold as a colour drenched room – just pick your colour and have a lot or a little of it in each room in your home; it really gives a beautiful sense of cohesiveness.”
Taking Your Time to Make Interior Design Decisions
Sharon believes it’s important not to rush design decisions. Take your time, living in the space for a while before making major changes, collecting inspiration, and making mood boards. She says, “see where the light falls and thinking about how you want the room to feel…When it comes to décor, I make mood boards and use Pinterest to get ideas of rooms with a similar aesthetic.”
Her best advice is to don’t be too quick to get rid of old items of furniture that might not be to your tase anymore – instead paint or revamp them.
“The older things in our living spaces are what give us memories and add to the homely feel. Antiques or reclaimed items add character. If everything is bought new it can be a bit soulless”.
Get the Hornsby look
To create a warm, natural and considered garden retreat in the Hornsby style here’s where you can source some of the key pieces to get the look.
- Pendant light – Alohi Disc Pendant Light £103.20 – Dunelm
- Boucle chair – similar Alex Mid Century Boucle Armchair £125 – Homebase
- Sofa – similar French Connection Zinc 3 seater sofa £879 – DFS
- Green side table – similar Green Glossy Side Table £188 – Rose and Grey
- Electric log stove – Adam Oak Beam, Hearth & Stove Pipe with Aviemore Stove in Black £295 -Fireplace World
- Black display cabinet – HAVSTA Glass door cabinet with plinth £255 – IKEA
*All prices correct at time of publication and may be subject to change.
