пятница, 19 мая 2017 г.

Creating the Perfect Home Office

Create a Perfect Home Office, Home office ideas, home office furnishings.jpg

There are a lot of things to think through when designing a home office. Whether you use the space to work full time from home or just as an organizational hub for volunteer and household activities, it needs to be functional. BUT it also needs to be attractive - especially if it is adjacent to the public rooms in the house.

Plan your layout for function

We talked about this already…I wrote THIS POST last year with a list of some of the things you should think through when planning an office layout. With careful planning and the right layout, the office can even do double duty as a library, media room, or dining space. See THIS POST for some great dining room/office combo inspiration. The most natural combination is library/office…since libraries offer shelf and book space and most offices need at least SOME shelf space. Besides, it’s kind of inspiring to work surrounded by books. Bookshelves with lower cabinets offer hidden storage for all the files, printer, and office supplies that are usually involved in a home office, and a wall of storage can often incorporate a credenza to house a desktop computer if that is a necessity for you.

Many of the images of offices that I find appealing follow the same sort of layout - a furniture piece or built-in bookcase wall (or three) with a floating desk. If you have storage available in a piece behind the desk, then you can often get by with a pretty writing table as a work surface.

Below is an ooooold picture I that I saved a long time ago of a gorgeous office. It is obviously styled for photography more than set up for function in the image, but the elements to make it functional are there and it is so darn pretty. It belongs to Brooke Giannetti of Velvet and Linen. She had just moved her “office” out of a built-in desk in the kitchen…remember those? It was THE thing, back in the dark ages, as a sort of command center for the busy mother who apparently was never allowed to leave the kitchen. In any case, Brooke was moving to this gorgeous space in the sunroom. The desk is from Tritter Feefer and the pendant lantern from Wisteria. I love the idea of a chandelier or lantern over a floating desk, and it solves the cord problem of a desk lamp in this sort of layout. The lantern pictured is no longer available BTW, I checked, but Tritter Feefer is still making that desk!

gorgeous  sunroom office of Brooke Gianetti with Tritter Feefer writing desk and Wisteria lantern

Sunroom Office of Brooke Giannetti (2009)

Plan your lighting with multiple light sources

Here is a library/office from the Southern Living Showcase Home by Hatcliff Construction. The deep navy on the walls has a bit of a sheen which keeps the dark color from absorbing all the light. The rich woods of the furnishings look spectacular against the blue, and the built-in has library/picture lights along the top. This is an excellent way to add some accent lighting to a room with built-ins.

Navy library/office in the Southern Living Showcase Home by   Hatcliff Construction
Navy library/office in the Southern Living Showcase Home by Hatcliff Construction

Another alternative to picture lights or articulated arm sconces above the shelves, is sconces placed on the vertical stiles between the bookcases like the ones in David Hicks marvelous library shown below.

David Hicks library via   Domino  . Photography by   Brittany Ambridge
David Hicks library via Domino. Photography by Brittany Ambridge

Some favorite lighting options shown below (click each the image for more information)

bird lantern pendant
bamboo chandelier
articulated arm wall sconce
shaded pendant 3 light chandelier
picture/bookcase light

Pay careful attention to the details - these are the things that will make working here a pleasure!

We are currently working on a home office design as part of a larger project. The office is a small space adjacent to the living room, separated only by an open archway. It will be a library/office space and serve as part of the entertaining area when our client hosts parties. She fell in love with the inspiration image we found (shown below). There is something SO appealing about a windowseat nestled between bookcases, even though it is likely no one will ever sit on it, except maybe the cat, since it is too small and narrow for lounging. Another thing to note here is the wallpaper lining the backs of the bookshelves - an opportunity for a bit of subtle texture and pattern and accent color that adds another layer of richness to the room. For foolproof blue paint colors and another gorgeous dark blue library, see THIS POST.

via   House Beautiful  , Photo by   Ngoc Minh Ngo  . Design by   Lindsey Coral Harper
via House Beautiful, Photo by Ngoc Minh Ngo. Design by Lindsey Coral Harper

If using furniture pieces instead of built-ins, an alternative to a windowseat might be a chic bar cart under a window and reading chairs in front of the bookcases if space permits. Below is a mood board for a functional and pretty library/office in shades of blue and ivory with warm woods and gold accents.

Shop the look:   Bar Cart   |   Lantern   |   Bookcases   |   Desk Chair   |   Wool Rug   |   Writing Desk   |   Credenza   |   Table lamp   |   Club Chair   |   Throw Pillow   |   Side Table   |   Slipcovered Chair

Here are some other fabulous desks and writing tables I found (click on each image for more information). They include a marble topped oval desk with a wrought iron base that reminds me of a pastry table from a Parisian bakery, a sleek gold and glass desk, and an eglomise mirrored writing table that would be equally at home in a glam office or in a master bedroom suite as a vanity!

Marble topped oval writing desk with iron base
Chic navy writing table by Barclay Buttera
Glass and gold writing desk
Eglomise writing desk
Wood X leg writing table
rubbed black 3 drawer desk

Light and bright offices are beautiful too. The one below features soft pastel colors and a built-in with shelves, storage and a credenza in a room flooded with natural light.

Jennifer Pacca Interiors
Jennifer Pacca Interiors

Splurge on some things and save on others

Splurge on a great desk chair and on a comfy reading chair if you plan to use the room as a library space. Splurge on furnishings and built-ins that make the room as functional and efficient as possible. Save on guest chairs like the really inexpensive slipcovered one shown below - it has great lines and a washable slipcover. Cheap chairs won’t stand up to the heavy wear and tear of constant use, but for an occasional guest to sit in you don’t need it to.

Here are some chairs and stools with great style and reasonable pricing (click on each image for details). The swivel desk chairs and spool chair are all available in a variety of fabrics and wood finishes. I included the bamboo accent chair because it has such great lines - and wouldn’t it be fabulous with the bamboo chandelier from earlier in a combo office/dining room space? And the rope and seagrass stools would add great texture and a casual vibe to any space…unless you have the aforementioned cat, in which case they are destined to become scratching posts!

swivel desk chair available in multiple fabrics and finishes
spool chair with many fabric and finish options
bamboo occasional chair
slipcovered guest chair
rolled back tufted desk chair, available in multiple fabric options
club chair
rope and seagrass stool
damask print linen weave pillow
Make Your Home Office Work for YOU

It’s time to get your home office ready for a beautiful and productive 2019!

XO,

Janet

*Please note that this page contains affiliate links meaning that if you make a purchase, I might make a small commission at no extra charge to you.

Original article and pictures take https://www.jrlinteriors.com/blog/2019/1/3/creating-the-perfect-home-office site

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