I think we find a real sweet spot in our homes when we figure out what they need in our current stage of life AND we decide to make that beautiful. This amazing client has been working from home for a few years now. In the beginning she found the necessities and turned her dining room into a home office. It worked and if we’re being honest, her home is so beautiful it doesn’t need much, but she wanted more.
Our homes play a big roll in how we feel. It's not just a matter of cleanliness, though that matters. (I am exponentially happier when my floors are clean!) but in how they function for us. That can mean something as simple as having the right furniture to meet your needs or making a space something you enjoy be in. And if we’re being totally honest most of us can use all the help we need to make going to work (even at home!) more enjoyable.
But let's start from the beginning with a few before and after pictures then we'll talk about why this space works and what we can learn from it.
1. Downsize when necessary: Never have I ever asked someone downsize their rug. You typically want a rug to be as large as possible for a room. At least the front feet of the furniture needs to be anchored on it. Most people struggle with this but the original rug followed the rules… but that rug was for when this space was a dining room. I drew this room out several different ways and the best fit was a smaller rug. It still followed the “front feet” rules but was proportionate to a desk and not a large dining table.
2. Keep what works: We worked hard to keep this space on a tight budget. Notice the light fixture didn’t change. They splurged on this when they built the house and it is beautiful. It didn’t make any sense to take out something so gorgeous and replace it with something of lesser quality but within the budget. Now if it was a 1980’s chandler that might have been a splurge in 1980, that would be a different story but in this case it worked so stayed.
3. Iron Ore has never let me down: I know, I know, I am obsessed with this color, but I didn’t even pick it in here! The day we met my client told me she was thinking about Iron Ore and I fell in love with her right then and there. There is a reason it’s on everyone’s mind (and that I keep using it in my own home) it really is the perfect color. You get all the luxurious, rich, darkness of black but it’s not so stark so it still feels warm and inviting and really just perfect.
4. Pay attention to the view: Most floor plans are at least a little open these days (thanks, Joanna Gains) so we really have to look at the flow from other areas. This space connects to the kitchen and foyer so we rotated the desk area so the view from each space was still good and you can move between the spaces. Not to mention the credenza and show stopping lamps behind the desk give a great zoom background when needed.
This one was so much fun! I'm so happy that my client prioritized this in her home. She works really hard and I hope having a space she loves helps her enjoy in all the more. Our homes matter. When we invest in making them work for us, they only get better and better.