This client wanted a place he could work, watch his favorite sports and movies, and also entertain. A gorgeous rustic luxe man cave (media room and home office) for an avid hunter and whiskey connoisseur. Rich leather and velvet mixed with cement and industrial piping fit the bill, giving this space the perfect blend of masculine luxury with plenty of space to work and play.

Andrea Calo

Bright white home office space

These homeowners came to us wanting to upgrade the curb appeal of their home and improve the layout of the interior. They hoped for an entry that would welcome guests to their home both inside and out, while also creating more defined and purposeful space within the home. The main goals of the project were to add a covered wrap around porch, add more windows for natural light, create a formal entry that housed the client’s baby grand piano, and add a home office for the clients to work from home. With a dated exterior and facade that lacked dimension, there was little charm to be had. The front door was hidden from visitors and a lack of windows made the exterior unoriginal. We approached the exterior design pulling inspiration from the farmhouse style, southern porches, and craftsman style homes. Eventually we landed on a design that added numerous windows to the front façade, reminiscent of a farmhouse, and turned a Dutch hipped roof into an extended gable roof, creating a large front porch and adding curb appeal interest. By relocating the entry door to the front of the house and adding a gable accent over this new door, it created a focal point for guests and passersby. In addition to those design elements, we incorporated some exterior shutters rated for our northwest climate that echoed the southern style homes our client loved. A greige paint color (Benjamin Moore Cape May Cobblestone) accented with a white trim (Benjamin Moore Swiss Coffee) and a black front door, shutters, and window box (Sherwin Williams Black Magic) all work together to create a charming and welcoming façade. On the interior we removed a half wall and coat closet that separated the original cramped entryway from the front room. The front room was a multipurpose space that didn’t have a designated use for the family, it became a catch-all space that was easily cluttered. Through the design process we came up with a plan to split the spaces into 2 rooms, a large open semi-formal entryway and a home office. The semi-formal entryway was intentionally designed to house the homeowner’s baby grand piano – a real showstopper. The flow created by this entryway is welcoming and ushers you into a beautifully curated home. A new office now sits right off the entryway with beautiful French doors, built-in cabinetry, and an abundance of natural light – everything that one dreams of for their home office. The home office looks out to the front porch and front yard as well as the pastural side yard where the children frequently play. The office is an ideal location for a moment of inspiration, reflection, and focus. A warm white paint (Benjamin Moore Swiss Coffee) combined with the newly installed light oak luxury vinyl plank flooring runs throughout the home, creating continuity and a neutral canvas. Traditional and schoolhouse style statement light fixtures coordinate with the black door hardware for an added level of contrast. There is one more improvement that made a big difference to this family. In the family room, we added a built-in window seat. This created a cozy nook that is used by all for reading and extra seating. This relatively small improvement had a big impact on how the family uses and enjoys the space.

This home office is a sanctuary of calm, its dark and inviting, its eclectic but not over the top and its the perfect spot to create in! The views beyond are complemented by the dark walls drawing your eye to the delicious arched window and the countryside beyond.

The office has two full walls of windows to view the adjacent meadow. Photographer: Daniel Contelmo Jr.

This Beautiful Multi-Story Modern Farmhouse Features a Master On The Main & A Split-Bedroom Layout • 5 Bedrooms • 4 Full Bathrooms • 1 Powder Room • 3 Car Garage • Vaulted Ceilings • Den • Large Bonus Room w/ Wet Bar • 2 Laundry Rooms • So Much More!

Ric Forest

With both parents in this Chiswick family working from home for the foreseeable future, there was an urgent need to create more space as the home office wasn’t big enough for the two of them. So the simple solution was to create a garden office - one that embraced the outoors but which was also within easy reach of the kitchen for a coffee top up. Reclaimed cladding was used externally to give the office a weathered look, whilst colourful wallpaper and painted doors helped to brighten the space and make it feel more homely. Re-used laboratory worktops form the desk and shelves, and vintage furniture was found for storage. As an added extra, it was designed so that the concertina doors could open right up to view the television - suspended on an extending bracket - so that the whole family can enjoy movies and sport outside in the summer months.

Nestled in the countryside and designed to accommodate a multi-generational family, this custom compound boasts a nearly 5,000 square foot main residence, an infinity pool with luscious landscaping, a guest and pool house as well as a pole barn. The spacious, yet cozy flow of the main residence fits perfectly with the farmhouse style exterior. The gourmet kitchen with separate bakery kitchen offers built-in banquette seating for casual dining and is open to a cozy dining room for more formal meals enjoyed in front of the wood-burning fireplace. Completing the main level is a library, mudroom and living room with rustic accents throughout. The upper level features a grand master suite, a guest bedroom with dressing room, a laundry room as well as a sizable home office. The lower level has a fireside sitting room that opens to the media and exercise rooms by custom-built sliding barn doors. The quaint guest house has a living room, dining room and full kitchen, plus an upper level with two bedrooms and a full bath, as well as a wrap-around porch overlooking the infinity edge pool and picturesque landscaping of the estate.

Phillip Jeffries wallpaper defines this entry nook

The library, with its 10-by-10-foot window wall, is the centerpiece of the home.