Here at Sander Architects, we pride ourselves on being one of the top residential architects in Los Angeles. We take the time to notice how lifestyle trends influence the lives of our own clients. The movement towards home offices has impacted homes—and companies—across America. We read one statistic that estimated 80% of people surveyed still expect to work from home at least 3 days per week. One of our clients, whose firm employs over 100 people, told us that most days less than 20 people come into work. In person. Post pandemic.
Think about that.
We imagine folks working off the dining room table, tucking a desk into the corner of the living room, taking over a spare bedroom. In our house, our son’s school desk, from pandemic days, still lurks in the corner of our kitchen.
This leads us to wonder what we would do, in an ideal world, to create the home office of our dreams. We have designed several home office / guest bedrooms over the years. In fact, this week we are presenting ideas to one of our clients who needs to be able to work from home.
Join us in a journey through some ideas that might provide inspiration for your own space.
Ocean view home office:
This is a small space carved out next to the kitchen at the request of the client. It is open to the space but still well hidden. A glimpse of the desktop computer, barely visible over the railing on the far side of the entry stairs, the only visual clue. The reason for the placement becomes clear as soon as you see the view to the ocean. This home office, with its minimalist furnishings, comes with a magnificent view of the ocean and horizon. Very little design needed: sometimes the key thing is placement.
This home office is just off the kitchen, above the entry stairs.
The view from the desk is spectacular: ocean stretches to the horizon.
A Master Maker’s Home Office:
This client came to us with an unusual set of requirements. As a skateboard designer and enthusiast, as well as the owner of a letterpress business, he needed a space to display his collection, work on projects and still pay the bills. He also asked for a roll-up door for ease of loading and unloading his materials. The immediate thought was to give him the space usually reserved for the garage with one twist: a double-height ceiling and dramatic windows that convert his maker-space from one of perspiration to one of inspiration. The resulting wallspace nicely lends itself to displaying a small sample of his extensive skateboard collection. Concrete flooring was a natural choice for an “office” that needs to work as hard as this one does.
Tall walls not only give this home office plenty of display space for the owner’s skateboards
but also keep a room filled with machinery from feeling too compact.
Home office with a “brag wall”:
When your business is world-class, awards and other memorabilia need a home. This client came to us with a request to design a home office that would have a floor-to-ceiling brag wall to display a career’s worth of awards and memories.
What I liked most about this design process was that the owner did not want this display in the main room. Instead, the guest bathroom is accessed through the home office. That allows for a choreography of discovery. The main house has minimal art and lots of glass to capture a stunning view. Excusing yourself for a private moment, however, leads you past the impressive display. It’s humble yet proud.
Shelving and cabinetry lines the entire wall from the entry to the window. That leaves the rest of the floorplan open for a desk, guest chairs and a small convertible sofa for the rare nights that an extra sleeping space is needed.
This home office is a hardworking room. Much like the owners.
Brag wall, square scheme: Bookshelves, lower storage and lighting for art & fresh flowers.
Brag wall, vertical scheme: Bookshelves, lower storage and lighting for art & fresh flowers.
Brag wall, centerpiece scheme: Bookshelves, lower storage and lighting for art & fresh flowers.
Let us know if you are working from home—and please share your best ideas for making your space an inspiration.