With everyone working at home on laptops, having a space of your own is more desirable than ever. A stool or a chair pulled up in front of a console can make for a wonderful work area. But if the size of your house allows, I think having a room that you can call your own may be a relationship saver. If you have an extra room in your house, a study, or even an extra guest bedroom is a perfect place to create an inviting work atmosphere. Think of your new space as a getaway to have private time whether reading a book for pleasure or teleconferencing for business it is your space….your retreat.

A look at my personal retreat space

Personally, I prefer an office that does not look like an office. My office, for example, has walls upholstered in taupe – colored linen and is filled with, beautiful custom cabinetry that houses all of my fabric samples, wonderful comfy upholstered chairs, and a love seat with a fluffy down cushion and a warm cashmere throw in case I get cold. I have created a library feel with floor to ceiling bookcases. Reverberating acoustics can sometimes be a problem, and book collections can help solve that. My shelves are filled with a collection of design books that are easily accessible, along with fabric samples. I have wonderful sisal baskets that were purchased from all over the world, they hold my samples of tassel trims and decorative cording. I have custom linen skirts over my prefab wood sawhorse desks that can conceal small file cabinets and all my computer wiring. The wonderful thing about my desk skirts is that they hide all of my clutter and keep the area looking nice and neat.

Upholstered walls and custom cabinetry

A desk is essential in most instances. When positioning your desk always try to face a window or a piece of artwork that is pleasing to the eye. You need to have a pleasant visual distraction to momentarily relieve the sometimes tedious concentration on work. I have two desks in my office, one that houses my computer, printer, fax machine, and copier and another for spreading out my notes and perhaps paint samples for a current project.

My desks with different purposes

You always want to make sure to have plenty of lighting in whatever space you choose. If the budget will not allow for recessed lighting, you can always add floor lamps or a pair of table lamps one placed at either end of your desk is optimal. The higher the lamp wattage the better, but position the lighting in a way that avoids distracting reflections. A bookcase is always a wonderful place to incorporate a lamp or sconce for extra lighting.

Recessed lighting and as many bookshelves as possible

A few years ago I designed a study for a gentleman in Pennsylvania. He wanted a masculine, cozy feel, so we upholstered the walls in a Ralph Lauren cotton flannel tartan and purchased a beautiful leather antique desk and chair. A cordovan-colored leather chesterfield sofa added extra seating for guest or lounging with a good book. The room had closets that were converted to storage cabinets with plenty of shelving. The room was filled with windows and turned out to be a wonderful space that he retreated to when he was at home proof once again that we all need a space of our own.

Tartan office similar to this one

The best part about our job is customizing spaces to ensure they suit our clients, and no space is that more important than those where you’ll be spending the majority of your time. While that is typically your bedroom and living room, with the current situation there are likely new places that need to feel more like your own in your home and we’re happy to discuss the best ways to achieve that over the phono or video call, while we’re all practicing social distancing!

Below is a video of my own office to discuss the finer points!