A mural of pink peonies, scaled to fit the longest wall in the room, is strategically positioned as a Zoom backdrop. Walls match the mural’s off-black background, as if the artist had painted directly on them. Highlighting the tall windows, black painted frames add graphic interest against the cream sills. Simple cream drapery emphasizes the ceiling height while absorbing sound and adding warmth. A huge custom rug unifies the seating and working areas and further contributes to the hushed atmosphere. In order for this room to feel more like a retreat and less like an office, we used regular furniture pieces in non-standard ways. The client’s heirloom dining table serves as a writing table. A pair of brass and glass consoles holds printer, stationery, and files as well as decorative items. A cream lacquered linen sideboard provides additional storage. A pair of cushy swivel chairs serves multiple functions – facing a loveseat and bench to create a cozy seating area, facing each other for intimate discussions, and facing the desk for more standard business meetings.

photo: Luis Gomez YO MIAMI…HOLLAAAAH!! It’s Pit Bull power jams, all night dance parties and some of the best beaches in the world. But after all of that you do need some down time and that’s when we come in. As much as we love a good beach day we also love the social times with friends, gathering on the terrace to watch a spectacular sunset or just chilling by the pool. This Miami get-away was designed as an escape from NY – the client wanted a calm and comfortable respite from the big apple. The space is designed to accommodate the occasional house guests or an impromptu long week-end get-away for the owners with a calm and sophisticated color palette. DL featured product: custom ella sofa sectional, Hal dining table, solid walnut dining chairs, custom capiz chandelier, stanhope floor lamp, galaxy silk rug, buffo wool rug, pello alpaca rug, solid walnut daybeds, solid walnut + croc. embossed petis fours platform bed, slabwood coffee table, clear acrylic coffee table, rosewood media case with legs, tipping point saddle leather chaise lounge, powder-filled acrylic writing desk, coral series jesse harris photography, special commission nino painting, hand-blown glass antler candlesticks, mica stone wallpaper.

Donny Osmond Home Stapleton Rectangular Desk in Grey This desk will blend seamlessly into your existing decor. Ideal to be used as a writing or laptop desk, it comes with 3 storage drawers and is mounted on curved pedestals. This desk pairs well with featured side chair.

Study with writing desk and built in bookshelves
Study room - mid-sized transitional freestanding desk light wood floor study room idea in Houston with beige walls

Drop Leaf Writing Desk and Slide Out Hampers. Charles Richardson Photography, (309) 472-9670, http://www.chasrichardson.com/#/home?i=201

Example of a classic home office design in Seattle

A requested color palette of vibrant red and raspberry pink was complemented with cool whites and cream. Striking pattern in the lush window treatments sets the stage. The improved furniture layout maximizes all available space and now supports the requested eating area, writing desk, TV watching/lounging location and a small sleeping alcove. Rugs are intentionally omitted to adhere to the safety principals of Design for Aging in Place. The striking custom fascia cabinet packs a storage punch with concealed mini-fridge, microwave, food pantry and pull out shelf for the printer. To support this fashionista’s need to expand her wardrobe storage, classic white custom cabinetry provides hanging storage, full length mirrors, decorative columns that open to store costume jewelry and ample shoe storage drawers. Photography by David Van Scott

The glamorous transitional "Miramont" collection from Bernhardt is rooted in traditional furniture designs and gives a nod to French forms. It features elegant pieces that bring fluidity and vitality to any home. Crafted of "Flat Cut" cherry veneers with a Dark Sable finish. A silver sand finish is an accent. Nickel plated metal is also used on select pieces. Desk ST #: 437315 Chair ST #: 436655 Contact a Star Furniture store in Texas for more details and availability: http://www.starfurniture.com/storelocator.inc

Photos courtesy of Jesse Young
Elegant hallway photo in Seattle

master bed, ceiling medallion, yellow ceiling, ceiling molding, floral drapes, recessed lights, high ceiling, oversized area rug, writing desk, bench, crown molding ornate headboard, wall paper, leaning mirror, elegant, canopy bed, wood flooring, leather accent chair, dark furniture

We turned an attic into a writer's garret. Honey-toned wood floors combine with warm gray wainscoting to make for an appealing space. Sconces by Portland's own Cedar & Moss. A live-edge wall-to-wall walnut wood desk provides ample room for writing, and mapping out research and story materials. Custom file folder and shelves tuck underneath. A large built-in bookcase turns one half of the attic in to a library and reading room. Photos by Laurie Black.

master bed, ceiling medallion, yellow ceiling, ceiling molding, floral drapes, recessed lights, high ceiling, oversized area rug, writing desk, bench, crown molding ornate headboard, wall paper, leaning mirror, elegant, canopy bed, wood flooring, leather accent chair, dark furniture

The transformation of this living room began with wallpaper and ended with new custom furniture. We added a media builtin cabinet with loads of storage and designed it to look like a beautiful piece of furniture. Custom swivel chairs each got a leather ottoman and a cozy loveseat and sofa with coffee table and stunning end tables rounded off the seating area. The writing desk in the space added a work zone. Final touches included custom drapery, lighting and artwork.

One of our Louisville clients showed her sister what we had done for her Great Room with our Personal Shopper Service, and her sister said, “Do they travel?” The answer is “Absolutely!” When we arrived in the Windy City, we were absolutely blown away by the view and were excited to put the finishing touches on this High Rise condo. We worked with the homeowner’s existing furniture pieces (sofa, club chairs, and media console with towers) and added personality with accent furniture, accessories, lighting, and artwork. We opened up the seating area and made their beautiful rug more visible by selecting a sleek glass-topped coffee table. Accessories in a range of metal tones complement the existing furniture and rug. Oil canisters in pewter tones look fantastic on the coffee table. We added this concrete base lamp with square shade in between the club chairs. The white marble-topped two-tiered side table breaks up the dark leather of the club chairs. The countertops in the small galley kitchen are a grey blue, so we pulled that color into living space by selecting these great nesting tables with a blue soapstone top. We topped it with a metal lamp and organic white vases to soften the edges. The hallway prints and this beautiful blue watercolor pull the colors from the living space into the Entry. The homeowner was not fond of the existing media cabinet, but not anymore! We accessorized with varying metal tones and lots of texture that bring interest to an otherwise generic furniture piece.  With limited space, we made the most of views by placing our favorite marble writing desk in the bay window. We plan to add upholstered arm chairs on either end that can serve as dining chairs or extra seating for the living area. The important thing is to keep that view as open as possible. A big thanks to our Chicago client for having us up there to make her condo more of a home. Maybe we should change our motto to “Have paint deck & measuring tape, Will Travel!” Enjoy!

Notable decor elements include: Lakmos Medium Table Lamp by Visual Comfort, Flynn Metal Writing Desk by Pottery Barn, and the Flower Footstool by Soho Home in Moleskin Velvet.

Notable decor elements include: Flynn Metal Writing Desk by Pottery Barn, Deco Screen by The Inside, Flower Footstool in Moleskin Velvet by Soho House, and Dorset Plug-In Sconce by Hudson Valley Lighting.

Updated Spec Home: Foyer and Great Room In our last post, we introduced you to my mom and sister’s Updated Spec Home; the Foyer and Great Room will be featured in this post. Foyer As you enter their home, to the right is a hall closet and a french door which leads to the Basement. To the left is a long wall which was perfect for an extra long console table in a rustic finish that served as a sofa table in their previous home. I love repositioning furniture, and by using this table in the entry, it makes it feel new. Additionally, we placed a vibrant piece of art previously used in my sister’s Bedroom above the table. This piece not only sets the tone for our color palette, it also makes the kind of statement you want in your Foyer – Wow! We added accessories and an unique lamp to complete the space. Great Room In the Great Room which is open to the Foyer, we installed our inspiration artwork in the place of honor over the mantel. Since the piece was vertical, it did not take up enough space. I do not like a “fussy” mantel with lots of accessories so we found these two vases in a silver leaf finish. They were perfect because they were large enough, but not too deep. Accessorizing mantels can be tricky because the majority of them are not deep. We went to Jan’s Floral Design to add vibrant color and interesting textures to the vases. The original mantel was too small and uninspired. Therefore, we had our contractor Brad Anderson built a new one based on a photo of a mantel we liked. The new mantel has lots of great detail and is the appropriate proportion for the fireplace. We replaced beige 12×12 ceramic tiles with gorgeous large pieces of smoked carrara marble for a striking fireplace surround. Check out this other mantel that we updated. For furniture, we purchased a shorter sofa in a gray tweed fabric. Typically, two throw pillows come with a sofa.We added a fun fringe to the pillows that came with the sofa. I recommend ordering pillows that match your sofa fabric and layering with custom pillows that support your color palette. We added a patterned custom pillow and a striped throw. Next, we got a small scale recliner in a yummy gray leather for my mom and a chair and ottoman in a small scale mint and gray geometric pattern for my sister. We added an accent chair in a fun small scale stripe to fill a corner and add additional seating – which is always a good thing. Remember that this was a Spec Home so there were no built-ins. As a result, we needed a media cabinet for the television and some bookcases to display my mom’s decorative box collection and my sister’s collection of blown colored glass. This set from Ballard Designs fit the bill perfectly. The back is open and airy with nice detail. The wood finish also adds a richness to the space. My mom needed a space for her computer, and this small writing desk fit the space perfectly. Finally, for finishing touches, we added a patterned rug, cornice boards in a mint leaf fabric, and great lamps for ambient lighting. These two rooms are stunning, vibrant and livable. Can’t wait to show you more in our next post! Enjoy!

Grandma's room is vintage chic. Antique brass bed with antique style bedding and throw pillows. There is a nook with a writing desk along with crocheted rugs make this a place anyone would want to stay. Big windows make the room bright.

Black walls set off the room's cream furnishings and gold accents. Touches of pink add personality. A huge custom rug unifies the seating and working areas and further contributes to the hushed atmosphere. In order for this room to feel more like a retreat and less like an office, we used regular furniture pieces in non-standard ways. The client’s heirloom dining table serves as a writing table. A pair of brass and glass consoles holds printer, stationery, and files as well as decorative items. A cream lacquered linen sideboard provides additional storage. A pair of cushy swivel chairs serves multiple functions – facing a loveseat and bench to create a cozy seating area, facing each other for intimate discussions, and facing the desk for more standard business meetings.