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The home office—which, for many of us, was once an afterthought—has recently become a necessity: a place to work and a welcome refuge from tension and distractions. Here are some ways to spruce up even small spaces with built-ins, color, and lighting. Try a few of these techniques.
You may like your office so much you will linger there more often, even post-corona.
This small 14′ x 10′ room was a “plain Jane room, nothing special,” says interior designer Raji Radhakrishnan, founder of Raji RM Associates in Washington, D.C. Her goal for the Kip Bay Decorator Show House was to create a home office for an imaginary client: in this case, the chief curator of the Metropolitan Museum of Art. “It is a pensive, thoughtful room… I expect the curator to be somewhat intellectual,” she says. In every project she undertakes, she spends a short while inhabiting the mind of her client. In this case, the curator, though modern, had the heart of an 18th-century person. With this in mind, Radhakrishnan covered the walls and ceilings in Venetian plaster, designing a large scale classical mural to command the room. In a unique mix of eras and styles, the rare bronze pyramid coffee table by Philip LaVerne complements a bespoke Line Vautrin-inspired piece that adds sophistication to the ceiling. With its attention to detail and a nod to history, the room is both cerebral and cinematic.
“Design is like directing a movie. A good director would always play every role, even the smallest role. That is exactly how I design. Every piece is a part of the puzzle I have seen in my head first.” The stage is set for action and contemplation.
Raji RM Associates, rajirm.com, Washington, D.C. | Photo Courtesy Marco Ricca
A home office is a surprisingly intimate place, notes interior designer Wesley Pehlke of Simply Wesley in Annapolis. “Offices are so personal; you have to ask how a person works and what they need.” In this case, her client wanted a cozy and inviting environment. Pehlke created an airy yet neutral office enlivened by shimmering textures. Because the space was small, a heavy desk did not make sense. So Pehlke fashioned a “writing table” out of shagreen, a material composed of shark skin remnants. Rather than taking up valuable wall space, she situated the desk in the center of the room and added shimmery metallic grasscloth wall coverings. Custom built-ins hide a charging station with room for a printer and other supplies. Two comfortable swivel chairs flanked by wall sconces provide seating. The office is finished with a metallic hide rug, hand-stitched in geometric patterns. Nothing in this room is incidental. An antique brass lotus chandelier sheds more than just light. “Lotus has lots of meanings, for good luck, calm, purity, and rebirth,” says Pehlke.
Simply Wesley Interior Design, simplywesley.com, Annapolis, Maryland | Photo courtesy Maureen Porto Photography
This rectangular waterside office has intimate dimensions yet feels expansive as it opens out to the horizon and unlimited natural views. The homeowners, says Pyramid Builder’s Dave Attenberger, wanted a room that would” inspire their creativity and imagination, allowing them to truly tune out the distractions of the everyday world. In this space, they wanted the interior and exterior to become one, removing all obstacles in creative thinking.”
With this in mind, the interior design by Jenkins Baer Associates is especially tranquil and serene, and not theme or personality-driven. Rather, meditative colors and textures are inspired by the late afternoon light, forest and sea.
Builder: Pyramid Builders, pyramid-builders.com, Annapolis, Maryland | Interior Design: Jenkins Baer Associates, jenkinsbaer.com, Baltimore, Maryland | Photo courtesy David Burroughs
Even before the COVID pandemic drove us all indoors, Gina Fitzsimmons’ long-time client had decided to work more from home. An executive juggling multiple large-scale projects, her office needed a makeover. “She told me she wanted this to be a happier, more uplifting space,” recalls Fitzsimmons of Annapolis-based Fitzsimmons Design Associates. “She then asked me ‘to go work your magic; it’s so dark and dreary here.’ ” Fitzsimmons performed a vanishing act, banishing clutter and all vestiges of darkness found in the desk, walls, and floors. She finished all the wall surfaces in whites and added a decorative grasscloth ceiling and built-ins. Several things make this cheerful room work. The rug is “a happy rug, with lots of floral movement in it,” says Fitzsimmons. The fretwork wallpaper below the chair rail also evokes a light feeling. The desk is angled just the way the client prefers. To the side, there is a guest chair, perfectly positioned. And, when taking a stressful phone call, her client can swivel to the picture behind her desk. “It’s just a nice photograph with a vanishing perspective… it draws you right in,” says Fitzsimmons, who proves with this design that happiness has many forms.
Fitzsimmons Design Associates, fitzsimmonsdesign.com, Annapolis, Maryland | Photo courtesy Steve Buchanan Photography
Annapolis Home Magazine
Vol. 11, No. 3 2020