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    Offices & Workspaces

    January 20 2015

    13 Double-Duty Offices

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    Inspiring multiuse spaces.

    1 of 13
    Multifunctional Basement
    1 of 13
    Coordinated Work-Live Space
    1 of 13
    Youthful & Eclectic Living Room
    1 of 13
    Dining Nook & Work Space
    1 of 13
    Lynda Reeves' Kitchen Desk
    1 of 13
    Vancouver Vignette
    1 of 13
    Vintage-Chic Space
    1 of 13
    Mission-Style Daybeds
    1 of 13
    Boldly Striped Den
    1 of 13
    Neutral Contemporary Bedroom
    1 of 13
    Colourful Condo Bedroom
    1 of 13
    Attic Office Space
    1 of 13
    Bright Attic Bedroom
    1 of 13
    Up Next

    Deb Nelson’s Office Makeover Tips

    View Gallery
    Multifunctional Basement

    White walls brighten up a lower level.

    Designer and homeowner Barbara Purdy maximized space in her basement by arranging furniture into distinct zones. A small desk adds a quiet work area without taking up too much floor space. A mix of sofas and chairs provides plenty of seating for movie nights.

    Watch an Online TV tour of this basement, plus see more Double-Duty Offices.

    Photographer:
    Angus Fergusson
    Source:
    House & Home June 2011 issue
    Products:
    Sofa reupholstery, Cooper Bros.; rug, side table, Elte; leather chair, Absolutely Inc.; coffee table, Boo Boo & Lefty; floor lamp, Angus & Company; leather folding stools, ChairTableLamp; black and white pillow, Ikea; dotted mustard pillow, West Elm; wall colour, Oxford White (CC-30) from the Designer Classics collection, Benjamin Moore; artwork by Agnieszka Foltyn, Art Interiors.
    Designer:
    Barbara Purdy
    Coordinated Work-Live Space

    Matching patterns create continuity.

    To freshen up an office nook in a living room, add an upholstered corkboard behind the desk in the same fabric as throw cushions to ease flow from one area to the next.

    For more design and decorating ideas, browse our Quick Home Makeover Tips photo gallery, plus read an interview with this homeowner here.

    See more Double-Duty Offices in our photo gallery.

    Photographer:
    Angus Fergusson
    Source:
    House & Home Makeovers 2011 special issue
    Products:
    Bulletin-board design, Harold Abbou; wood boxes, West Elm.
    Designer:
    Jennifer Reid, Barlow Reid Design
    Youthful & Eclectic Living Room

    A piece of art anchors an office area in a living room.

    Homeowners Lindsi Mandelbaum and Lorne Rose delineated a bright space near the patio doors for a small desk. A large contemporary painting above the desk makes the office area feel grounded. The living room in their narrow single-storey townhouse isn’t large, but white walls and a clear coffee table make it appear more spacious.

    See more Double-Duty Offices in our photo gallery.

    Photographer:
    Angus Fergusson
    Source:
    House & Home September 2010 issue
    Products:
    Sofa, G.H. Johnson's Trading; sisal rug, West Elm; waterfall coffee table, Structube; white chair, Putti.
    Designer:
    Montana Burnett
    Dining Nook & Work Space

    An oversized table serves as a desk, too.

    In designer Mazen El-Abdallah’s narrow townhouse, a large walnut table bolted to the wall acts like a built-in and works overtime as both desk and dinner table. A Serge Mouille light doubles as sculpture.

    See more Double-Duty Offices in our photo gallery, plus see video tours of El-Abdallah’s main floor and second floor.

    Photographer:
    Angus Fergusson
    Source:
    House & Home September 2010 issue
    Products:
    Table, Parallel General; bentwood chairs, Commute Home.
    Designer:
    Mazen El-Abdallah
    Lynda Reeves' Kitchen Desk

    A multitasking kitchen side table is the perfect spot for a laptop.

    A corner of the kitchen has been set aside as a work space: this grey tin side table makes a stylish desk and ties in to the dark grey linen fabric on the island chairs.

    Photographer:
    Michael Alberstat
    Source:
    House & Home October 2007 issue
    Products:
    Chairs, Hollace Cluny; painting by Zhu Lan, Roseland Art & Decoration; wall, trim and ceiling colour, White Down (CC-50), Benjamin Moore; Venetian plaster wall finish, Scandinavian Painting Inc.; oiled white oak floor, Glen Stagg, Stagg Wood Flooring.
    Vancouver Vignette

    A small nook in an entryway is enough space for a small desk.

    “Built-ins are great, but sometimes it’s fun just to throw it all together and see what happens,” says designer Wendy Williams Watt. In The Real Housewives of Vancouver star Mary Zilba’s weekend home, temporary installations give her room to move and create. By leaving space for freestanding pieces like this desk, the focus can be on one beautiful lamp or vase.

    See more Pets & Interiors in our photo gallery, plus see more Double-Duty Offices.

    Photographer:
    Kim Christie
    Source:
    House & Home May 2012 issue
    Products:
    Desk, chair, Bravura; cashmere throw, lamp, vase, tea set, Grace.
    Designer:
    Wendy Williams Watt
    Vintage-Chic Space

    Multiuse furniture allows for a work space, lounge area and guest beds.

    An old apothecary cabinet in designer Karen Cole’s guest bedroom opens up in several ways, including a drop-leaf desk. Antique twin beds loaded up with brightly patterned throw pillows offer an inviting spot to curl up and read, but can be made up as guest beds within minutes. Bold art and antique rugs contribute to a space that’s as cosy and useful for Karen as it is for her guests.

    Watch a video tour of Karen’s house, plus see more Gorgeous Guest Rooms and Double-Duty Offices.

    Photographer:
    Angus Fergusson
    Source:
    House & Home March 2011 issue
    Products:
    Beds, Angus & Company; black and white pillow, Y&Co; table, Hardware.
    Designer:
    Karen Cole?
    Mission-Style Daybeds

    Smart furniture placement at a cottage leaves room for a desk.

    Custom-made beds in this former schoolhouse-turned-cottage work as seating by day and as a sleeping area for guests at night. The worn desk and chair continue the schoolhouse theme.

    Photographer:
    Angus Fergusson
    Source:
    House & Home October 2010 issue
    Products:
    Blankets, Swans Island Blankets; wall colour, Marble White (OC-34) from the Off White collection, Benjamin Moore.
    Boldly Striped Den

    Ever-so-common in the city, small dens can be used for home offices and guests.

    Striped wallpaper helps move the eye up and across the ceiling, making this tiny den appear larger. The thrift store lamp base (with a Jonathan Adler flavour) looks like a million bucks thanks to a coat of white spray paint.

    See more Double-Duty Offices in our photo gallery, plus more photos and an Online TV tour of this home.

    Photographer:
    Donna Griffith
    Source:
    House & Home Makeovers 2008 special issue
    Products:
    Wallpaper, Farrow & Ball; sofa, Bliss Interior Design; art, desk chair, Hollace Cluny; light fixture, Ikea.
    Neutral Contemporary Bedroom

    No den? No problem. A small desk in a bedroom can work overtime for accessories and a laptop.

    The neutral scheme found throughout designer Christine Ralphs‘ home continues in the principal bedroom, accented with bold hits of black. A small mirrored desk reflects light below the window.

    See more Interiors By Lloyd Ralphs Design and Double-Duty Offices.

    Photographer:
    Virginia Macdonald
    Source:
    House & Home March 2011 issue
    Products:
    Throw, Calypso St. Barth; table lamp, Queen West Antique Centre; lampshade, Aristocrat Lamps and Lighting.
    Designer:
    Lloyd Ralphs Design
    Colourful Condo Bedroom

    A desk positioned in front of windows creates a bright space to work from home.

    Apply colour directly to the walls with paint or wallpaper. Or leave the backdrop neutral and play up juicy-toned accessories like pillows and drapes, like designer Sabrina Linn did here in her cheery bedroom. Either way, a carefully chosen palette can change the look of a room like nothing else.

    How To
    First decide what your room needs. More light? More warmth? If you choose to paint, plan to do the whole area instead of colour-blocking just one wall. For less of a commitment, consider painting or wallpapering large canvasses or wood panels and hanging or leaning them against the wall. Bring in accent colours in finishing touches such as pillows, throws, rugs, curtains and trays.

    See more Double-Duty Offices in our photo gallery. Plus, watch an Online TV tour of this loft and browse photo galleries of the interior and patio transformation.

    Photographer:
    Michael Graydon
    Source:
    House & Home August 2009 issue
    Products:
    Desk, stool, Elte.
    Attic Office Space

    A mostly unused attic can become a quiet home office.

    Homeowner and stylist Deb Nelson eked out a work area in the attic’s guest bedroom by tucking a table she made herself below the eaves.

    Find more inspiration in our photo galleries of Amazing Attics, Double-Duty Offices and Cosy Winter Cabins.

    Photographer:
    Janet Kimber
    Source:
    House & Home July 2010 issue
    Products:
    Floor colour, Cloud White (CC-40), Benjamin Moore.
    Designer:
    Deb Nelson
    Bright Attic Bedroom

    A large attic can accommodate both a guest room and home office.

    Tucked into the top floor of the 2009 Princess Margaret showhome, this small room can easily accommodate a guest for a short stay. A low daybed was the right choice for this narrow space. A desk placed near the window is practical for guests who wish to unpack their luggage and can be used by family members as a home office when the room isn’t occupied.

    Get more ideas in our Gorgeous Guest Bedrooms photo gallery, plus see more Double-Duty Offices.

    Photographer:
    Michael Graydon
    Source:
    House & Home April 2010 issue
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    Photographer:
    Angus Fergusson
    Tags:
    condo den Desk guest room home office Office work space

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