Office Space

The fashion term “business casual” is taking on a whole new meaning these days, due – in part – to the number of people who are working from home. While business attire of a bathrobe and bunny slippers may be the common joke regarding people who work at home, the truth is not that far off.

The home office surroundings, however, are anything but tattered. People are investing heavily in the design of their home offices, enveloping them-selves in an atmosphere that promotes productivity and serenity.

As with kitchen and bath design, understanding the customer is the first step to successful home office design.

“I have found that home offices can be much more personal and custom than kitchens and baths,” stresses Melissa Wilson, CBD, kitchen and bath sales/designer, Insignia Kitchen and Bath Design Group, Ltd., in Barrington, IL. “It is very important to interview your client as to how they work and also how they would like to work at home.”

Nick Geragi, general manager for kitchens, Klaff’s, in South Norwalk, CT, notes that what customers are asking for is as varied as his customers. He has, however, discovered an underlying theme.

“When people are doing their home office, they like to feel like they’re in an office environment – even though they might just be in another room in their pajamas. Somehow it lessens the guilt if they feel it’s a little bit more formal. So, the room needs to have that formality but still be part of the home.”

But, since clients are likely working out of this space a few days a week, it has to do more than look nice. It has to function beautifully, too.

The Classic Library
“We’re doing a lot of library-style home offices,” states Geragi. “While this doesn’t mean they have to be big, they do have to have some of those amenities – large bookcases, cherry paneling, cherry countertops.”

Dave Heigl, CKD, v.p. for CabinetWerks Design Studio, in Milwaukee, WI, concurs that the majority of customers want a classic look. “They want nice woods – cherry, mahogany, walnut,” he adds. “We often panel the walls, whether it’s to wainscot height or all the way up to the ceiling. And, we’re seeing so much going on with the panels themselves. They’re almost upholstered. We did one that was ostrich skin, and another that was similar to a grass cloth. Leather is also a popular choice for the center of the panels.”

For the overall design, most customers prefer a furniture look, according to Bill Shafer, designer for Distinctive Kitchen & Bath Design, Inc., in Escondido, CA. He uses mouldings in almost all of his designs to help achieve this look.

In fact, mouldings are a mainstay for any designer creating a home office, because they help achieve the built-in, library look people are seeking. They are also another way kitchen and bath designers can add to their bottom lines.

“I’ve done some really beautiful layering of mouldings, where you’re using three- and four-piece crown mouldings that really give that built-in look,” comments Diane Godfrey, CKD, designer, Tidal Kitchen & Bath Design Center, in Annapolis, MD. While it’s not something we need to do, a lot of people are willing to pay for it to give that beautiful look."

Many designers bring the cabinets and bookcases all the way to the ceiling for that built-in look.

“One of the nicest projects I did featured bookcases in 10-foot ceilings,” adds Godfrey.

And, for Heigl, those 10-plus-foot ceilings require an added bonus. “A lot of times I’ll design the room with a library ladder that swings back and forth,” he remarks.

Godfrey stresses that detail isn’t just up high, however. “I also make the bases look like furniture, as well,” she states. “In a home office, you don’t need the toe kick when you’re working, so I’ll make that look like a piece of furniture in different ways – by adding mouldings at the bases, or by incorporating little feet.” She notes that cabinets can also be ordered with different valences at the bottom, which gives the pieces a furniture look.