Home Office
Decorating, renovating, and updating advice from Maryann Fisher
For many of us, the home office is now more of a priority room. Your work environment (like your home) is important to your emotions. Production is improved when you are working in a pleasant and efficient space.
In the featured home office, we first discussed my client’s goals and how he would use this space. It was important to have a place for him to work on his laptop. The room is long but narrow, so a desk that was not too deep would be the best solution. The finish on the desk is black (a great look against the gray walls). Since he didn’t use paper files, filing cabinets were not needed. Another important function of this space was conversation with colleagues. To accomplish this, we used the corner to place two custom and comfortable chairs that would share one square ottoman when the conversation was relaxed. My client would also use this area for personal conversations with his wife, since this was a kid-free zone. A round end table in the corner holds a lamp for ambient or task lighting.
On the decorative side of the project, the existing beige carpet in a warm tone didn’t fit well with the cool gray walls. To bring the warm and cool tones together, I added classic Roman shades in different grey tones, black, and beige plaid. This was a great fit for this traditional, historic home. With four large windows, these shades also added light control and privacy.
Decorative details can make a big difference in any space. In this room, the fabric on the chairs and ottoman is a texture of gray and beige. To accent the lines of the chairs, contrast welt in black goes up the back and around the base. The base of the ottoman is accented in the same fashion.
The round end table adds a warm wood-tone top with a black base. I added a “pop” of color to the room with red. There are three wall art pieces added to this space, all with touches of red. Two of them have slim black frames and the one in the corner offers a wood tone similar to the tabletop. A large floor vase in red was placed on the floor.
Home Office Tips
1. Decide on function.
2. Choose quality products.
3. Remember the decorative details make it special!
4. Work hard but enjoy!
