Often, events beyond our control create the opportunity to re-evaluate how we would like to redesign our lifestyle and the places where we live. During the COVID pandemic, Alice, who worked for a medical testing company, found that she would be forced to work from home while her expertise was in ever higher demand. She recognized that a more inviting home office would ease this transition by helping her maintain a more emotionally healthy and productive work-life balance.
With this goal in mind, she reached out to Eileen Porreca at Hendrixson’s Furniture and described her priorities for the design. In addition to her practical needs for the room as a workspace, she wanted to create a cozy atmosphere that would be inviting to her dog, Maya and that would allow them both to enjoy the natural light from the windows. To this end, she wanted cushioned window seats for Maya and as she described it, a comfortable “rainy day chair” for herself from which she could enjoy the view outside. She also wanted to upgrade her office chair to one that was both comfortable and stylish enough to blend with the rest of the design. And she wanted to introduce a more vibrant and cheerful colorway to the room that would encourage an energetic state of mind even during overcast days and while working into the evening.
To achieve a bold yet harmonious colorway for the room, Eileen suggested Benjamin Moore’s Palladian Blue for the walls combined with a strong element of fuchsia for the upholstery including Stout’s “Famous” fabric in “Shocking” colorway for Maya’s window seats. She also paired this fabric with a darker patterned fabric from Scalamandre on the Crosby Chair from Jessica Charles, the aforementioned “rainy day chair.” To sit behind her white painted desk, she chose Hancock and Moore’s Beckett Swivel Tilt chair in a soft white leather called Nirvana Snow.
Controlling the amount of lighting in a room designed for hours of work at a computer is essential to avoid both claustrophobia and eye strain. Eileen suggested relaxed Roman shades for the windows in an embroidered floral pattern from the James Hare collection. The simplicity of this design and the natural motif in the fabric invites the outdoors into the room while protecting from excessive glare. Alice and Eileen then chose two lights from Visual Comfort. Behind the Crosby Chair, they placed the Daley Adjustable Floor Lamp from the Ralph Lauren Collection. Finally, Eileen suggested they use the Renwick Spere chandelier from the Aerin Collection which casts light across the room through its crystal prisms, drawing out the room’s vibrant colors.
The result is a home office that perfectly balances work and comfort—a bright, cheerful space where Alice and Maya can both thrive. With thoughtful design, cozy corners and vibrant color, the room invites productivity, relaxation and a little bit of joy every day.
