When my client had to move from her company office to work at home, she set up in the dining room. Despite her best efforts, this was not the long-term solution she was looking for. My client realized she needed a dedicated space not on the main floor of the home. On one hand, having your office space right next to the kitchen is handy. On the other hand, it made separating work and home life was not that easy. The house was a ranch. In essence, the basement would run entire length of the home. As we came down the steps, we entered a time capsule. The house was built in the 1950’s. The walls were covered with original knotty pine paneling. There was a wood burning fireplace and considering this was a basement, high ceilings. In addition, there was everything her family could not store at their own homes. As we wound though the space, I though “wow this has potential”, Eventually, after walking through the laundry room we came to a small nicely lit room. This would be the office. My client looked at me and asked what I thought. Undoubtedly, I said, this can be a great workspace, but do you really want to walk through this basement and laundry to get here? Without reservation, my client said where do we start? Once the design was in place, we started the renovation. The knotty pine paneling had to go. Specifically, to add some insulation and control the dampness and humidity. The laundry room wall was relocated to create a hallway to the office. At the far end of the room, we designated a workout zone. Weights, mats, exercise bike and television are at the ready for morning or afternoon workouts. The space can be concealed by a folding screen for party time. Doors to an old closet under the stairs were relocated to the workout area for hidden storage. Now we had nice wall for a beautiful console and mirror for storage and serving during parties. In order to add architectural details, we covered the old ugly support columns with simple recessed millwork panels. This detail created a visual division between the bar area and the seating area in front of the fireplace. The old red brick on the fireplace surround was replaced with stack stone. A mantle was made from reclaimed wood. Additional reclaimed wood floating shelves left and right of the fireplace provides decorative display while maintaining a rustic element balancing the copper end table and leather swivel rocker. We found an amazing rug which tied all of the colors together further defining the gathering space. Russet and burnt orange became the accent color unifying each space. With a bit of whimsy, a rather unusual light fixture which looks like roots from a tree growing through the ceiling is a conversation piece. The office space is quite and removed from the main part of the basement. There is a desk large enough for multiple screens, a small bookcase holding office supplies and a comfortable chair for conference calls. Because working from home requires many online meetings, we added a shiplap wall painted in Hale Navy to contrast with the orange fabric on the chair. We finished the décor with a painting from my client’s father. This is the background online visitors will see. The last and best part of the renovation is the beautiful bar. My client is an avid collector of wine. She already had the EuroCave refrigerator, so I incorporated it into the design. The cabinets are painted Temptation Grey from Benjamin Moore. The counter tops are my favorite hard working quartzite Brown Fantasy. The backsplash is a combination of rustic wood and old tin ceiling like porcelain tiles. Together with the textures of the reclaimed wood and hide poofs balanced against the smooth finish of the cabinets, we created a comfortable luxury for relaxing. There is ample storage for bottles, cans, glasses, and anything else you can think of for a great party. In addition to the wine storage, we incorporated a beverage refrigerator, an ice maker, and a sink. Floating shelves with integrated lighting illuminate the back bar. The raised height of the front bar provides the perfect wine tasting and paring spot. I especially love the pendant lights which look like wine glasses. Finally, I selected carpet for the stairs and office. It is perfect for noise reduction. Meanwhile for the overall flooring, I specifically selected a high-performance vinyl plank floor. We often use this product as it is perfect to install on a concrete floor. It is soft to walk on, easy to clean and does not reduce the overall height of the space.

Mariko Reed
Example of a 1950s kitchen design in San Francisco

Urban home office photo in Chicago

Atherton has many large substantial homes - our clients purchased an existing home on a one acre flag-shaped lot and asked us to design a new dream home for them. The result is a new 7,000 square foot four-building complex consisting of the main house, six-car garage with two car lifts, pool house with a full one bedroom residence inside, and a separate home office /work out gym studio building. A fifty-foot swimming pool was also created with fully landscaped yards. Given the rectangular shape of the lot, it was decided to angle the house to incoming visitors slightly so as to more dramatically present itself. The house became a classic u-shaped home but Feng Shui design principals were employed directing the placement of the pool house to better contain the energy flow on the site. The main house entry door is then aligned with a special Japanese red maple at the end of a long visual axis at the rear of the site. These angles and alignments set up everything else about the house design and layout, and views from various rooms allow you to see into virtually every space tracking movements of others in the home. The residence is simply divided into two wings of public use, kitchen and family room, and the other wing of bedrooms, connected by the living and dining great room. Function drove the exterior form of windows and solid walls with a line of clerestory windows which bring light into the middle of the large home. Extensive sun shadow studies with 3D tree modeling led to the unorthodox placement of the pool to the north of the home, but tree shadow tracking showed this to be the sunniest area during the entire year. Sustainable measures included a full 7.1kW solar photovoltaic array technically making the house off the grid, and arranged so that no panels are visible from the property. A large 16,000 gallon rainwater catchment system consisting of tanks buried below grade was installed. The home is California GreenPoint rated and also features sealed roof soffits and a sealed crawlspace without the usual venting. A whole house computer automation system with server room was installed as well. Heating and cooling utilize hot water radiant heated concrete and wood floors supplemented by heat pump generated heating and cooling. A compound of buildings created to form balanced relationships between each other, this home is about circulation, light and a balance of form and function. Photo by John Sutton Photography.

Home Office for a Lady. Concealed printer. Custom shelves and cabinets. Hand-block printed wallpaper pattern Uzu by Adrienne Neff Design. Sold to the Trade. Don Freeman Studio photography.

Example of a transitional home office design in Salt Lake City

Inspiration for a 1960s light wood floor foyer remodel in Minneapolis with white walls

Example of a mid-sized transitional master carpeted bedroom design in Charlotte with gray walls and no fireplace

Steven Brooke Studios
Inspiration for a modern built-in desk home office remodel in Tampa

Dimension: 60" L X 24" D X 57" H For all those who like a bit of literary flair to their office furniture, our PPerrinton Rustic Solid Wood Home Office Computer Desk With Hutch is going to be a dream come true. Combining a dignified and stately aesthetic with simple interpretation, this home office computer desk would be the perfect addition in both small and large interiors. It’s tall, charismatic, and contains enough organizational compartments to fit your entire office in its body. Made from the sturdiest solid wood, it also warrants a requisite heirloom quality, and is visually versatile enough to befit a number of unique interior design styles. The design of this solid wood home office desk starts off with a hutch style top that comprises of several small and large shelves – specifically 3 small, 3 slightly larger, and 1 big compartment – for all sorts of assorted accessories including books, documents, trinkets, file folders, and a larger one where the desktop monitor can slide in. its extended top frame neatly segues into decorative posts at the hutch side. The bottom half comprises of a table desk with a smooth work surface. On its left is a recess for your chair to slide in topped off with a horizontally oriented slim drawer that converts into a keyboard tray and has a sister on the right side. There is a tall computer cabinet, another closed drawer, and a pullout filing cabinet that have been compactly arranged right below it. The decorative posts from the hutch top are also carved out on the periphery of the desk and blend in nicely with the platform base. Special Features: • 100% handcrafted • Solid wood craftsmanship • Hutch style top with various organizational compartments • Desk style lower half • 2 horizontally oriented slim drawers • 1 pullout drawer • 1 computer cabinet • 1 pullout filing cabinet • Decorative posts on every periphery • Platform base • Gorgeous wood grain • Beautiful hand-rubbed stain • Heirloom quality • Visually versatile • Easy maintenance Note: Real wood is a product of nature, and as such, no two pieces are alike. Variations in solid wood grain patterns are to be expected and make each furniture uniquely beautiful, just like us humans.

Interior Design: Lucy Interior Design Architect: Kell Architects Builder: Olin Construction Photography: SPACECRAFTING
Inspiration for a transitional living room remodel in Minneapolis

Mid-sized transitional built-in desk light wood floor and beige floor study room photo in Minneapolis with gray walls

Mid-sized trendy freestanding desk dark wood floor and brown floor study room photo in Ottawa with beige walls

Inspiration for a mid-sized transitional freestanding desk dark wood floor and brown floor study room remodel in Bridgeport with beige walls

Inspiration for a mid-sized contemporary formal and enclosed concrete floor living room remodel in Nashville with gray walls, no fireplace and no tv

Design: The Interior Collection; Photography: Blu Door Studios
Home office - transitional home office idea in Dallas

Example of a large arts and crafts master light wood floor bedroom design in Oklahoma City with beige walls

Mid-sized transitional freestanding desk dark wood floor and brown floor study room photo in Other with beige walls

Inspiration for a tropical home office remodel in Tampa