Design, Products
April 17, 2012
By Amy Feezor
For the past eight years, Apartment Therapy has been conducting its “Small Cool” contest, which lets readers post photos of their compact spaces (1,000 square space or less) in order to earn a shot at the prestigious annual title. This year, thanks to Gregory Han of Apartment Therapy Tech, we’re noticing a few home offices featuring Herman Miller pieces (like the Eames Molded Plastic Side Chair with Wood Dowel Base in the Seattle home of contest entrants Lauren and Kyle). Take a look at some of the workspaces on our radar, then cast a vote for your favorite here. Read more
Balance, Design, Products
January 13, 2010
By Cerentha Harris
Patrick Conner, design manager at Fossil, lives near downtown Dallas in a duplex imbued with a distinctly mid-century modern aesthetic. The home he shares with his family is decorated with a strong mix of modern and vintage finds. His home office? Patrick has cleverly confined it to a single piece of furniture. “I have to be organized before I can get any work done! This red Chinese secretary serves as a great workstation. It closes completely up to hide my work. And looks great open too. I also love clocks- any kind of clock, especially Nelson clocks and vintage finds.” You can read a full interview and see the complete house in all its glory at Design*Sponge.
Balance, Design, Products
December 18, 2009
By Cerentha Harris
Writer Heather John often finds herself working from the couch – at least until her garage gets converted into an office.
Heather John, who works from her home in California, has the enviable job of writing about wine and spirits for Bon Appetit magazine. She also blogs about food, fashion and design. I asked Heather about her plans to set up a new home office in her garage. Look out for more posts from Heather in the coming weeks as her renovation takes shape.
Give us an idea of the overall design? We’re adding French doors to let in more light, built-in bookshelves for my “library” of fashion, design, food, wine/spirits books as well as an area for wine/spirits tastings. The fantasy is to set up shop with a George Nelson table and an Eames Aluminum Chair (in light blue or tan, a girl can dream!), and mix in some antique rugs I “liberated” from my parents. I’m also OBSESSED with paint, specifically Farrow & Ball. I’d love to paint the walls in Dix Blue and then do something dramatic with the bookcases, either somber with Down Pipe (the color of lead pipes), or outrageous like Incarnadine—a crimson red similar to the paint David Hicks used at Baron Court in the 1970s.
Farrow & Ball Blue ‘Night’ was chosen for the dining room walls – more blue is planned for the workspace.
Keeping a workspace tidy is key. What will you do for storage? I’ve asked my husband to check out what kind of desktop storage is on offer at Muji while he’s in New York this week. I’d also like an industrial looking file cabinet. There are some affordable options at CB2. And some not-so-affordable options at Rehab on Beverly, specifically some vintage steel basket lockers recycled from factories and schools. Guess which ones I’m angling for?
What’s the desktop accessory you can’t do without? X-Acto Electric Pencil sharpener. I hate mechanical pencils, and nothing beats a freshly sharpened No 2!
What has the transition to home been like? I’ve been working in an office for the past 10 years, the first half of which were spent at the Los Angeles Times, and the second half at Bon Appetit Magazine. Transitioning to home has been more challenging than I would have imagined, mainly due to distractions—namely a 17-month-old toddler! Also, psychologically there’s something strange waking up in your work environment. This is ultimately why we decided to convert the garage instead of a spare room inside the home—that way I’m leaving the house and going to a dedicated work space, even if it is a few feet up the driveway from my kitchen door.
Wine tastings will move from the kitchen to the garage once the renovation has taken place.