The client's brief was seemingly simple: transform a boring guest bedroom into an elegant home office. But Barbara Elliott and Jennifer Ward Woods, partners at the Atlanta-based design firm, Sisters and Company-Part of Study interior decoration, A collection of independently owned and operated design firms across the United States, the office quickly realized it had to strike a delicate balance: The homeowners wanted the office to have a decidedly masculine feel—”a casual gentleman's space,” as the designers put it. But because the room is located just off the front door and immediately visible upon entering through the front door, the décor needed to blend in with the rest of the home.
Additionally, the office acts as a private retreat, but also needed to function as some degree of public space, as the attached bathroom doubles as a guest bathroom—a paradox they realized they needed to achieve: a sanctuary where visitors would feel welcome.
Elliott and Ward Woods solved this puzzle with a clever design that still has the feel of a luxurious (albeit small) living room, while still providing a fully functional workspace. The guiding principles behind their transformation were:
Giving up on “office furniture”
The duo quickly rejected the idea of a traditional, heavy executive desk; they wanted the space to feel open and inviting, not obstructed by a giant block of wood. Instead, they built a wall of custom cabinetry that could accommodate the owner's dual monitors (creating a space that's truly suited to work) as well as provide storage, giving the freedom to choose a desk that was as aesthetically pleasing as it was practical. Rather than stacking heavy drawers on the sides, the wood-and-lacquer model they chose “floats” off the floor on slender legs, and its rounded corners and slim shape evoke a design table rather than just a filing cabinet.
Likewise, a bolster-back chair (“the centerpiece of the space,” according to Elliott) faces the desk for meetings, but its eye-catching pattern and delicate hammered-metal frame make it a suitable perch for party guests. To further enhance that “come-in” vibe, Elliott and Ward Woods placed a pedestal cocktail table nearby, which reflects the room's modern design. do not have All work and no play.
The chair's upholstery, a mix of black and earth tones, also served as the starting point for the room's color palette, which the designers anchored with bold black paint jobs on the walls and cabinetry. “I think it feels atmospheric and casual yet elegant,” Ward Woods says. “It definitely makes a 'masculine' statement.”
Seen style shelves
Another trick the designers used to make the space private yet inviting is to keep office supplies and other practical items in enclosed storage, freeing up open shelving for beautiful décor, making it an artfully curated display rather than just a place to store things. The backs of the shelves are lined with wallpaper woven with shimmering quartz, creating a textural effect that mirrors the room's colors and provides the perfect backdrop for stone and ceramic artwork and accents. The result is an office that, from the guest chair, is only visible through two monitors.
Bring a little sparkle
The clients wanted the office bathroom (which doubles as a guest bathroom) to “feel like you're in a swanky nightclub,” says Ward Woods. Achievement: The black-and-white color scheme, floor-to-ceiling dimensional tile, and dramatic crystal teardrop pendant are clearly meant to be seen and admired, and anyone entering this flashy space shouldn't feel like they're invading anyone's private property. Especially since the large backlit mirror and light under the vanity turn on automatically when someone walks in. It's another ingenious detail that makes this home office a place for business as well as pleasure.
