Tosha got in touch with us a few months ago regarding the spare room in her house, which she wanted to use for her home office. It turned out that by “home office” she meant office, craft room, memorabilia display, reading nook, quiet room space, and she-shed—no small feat for a room that barely clocks in at 100 square feet! Tosha had a room in mind that would be all of these things, with a vibe that was totally feminine, organic, bright and breezy, with lots of natural textures and warmth. I’m so excited to show you what we came up with.
One of Haven’s core philosophies is that organizing and decorating are not two separate fields: beautiful spaces require them to be organized so that the décor isn’t ruined by clutter, and organization that looks ugly is inelegant and less likely to be maintained. Since Tosha’s room would be functioning in so many different ways, we started with the closet. It was originally set up as a typical bedroom closet with a hanging rod and a single shelf. We designed a system that would put Tosha’s craft supplies and not-insignificant collection of gift bags right where she needed them. Magazine racks, file holders, and a rolling cart of office supplies ensure she has flexibility with whatever project she’s working on.
Next we focused on layout. We relocated her work space next to the closet so that all her supplies are at hand. Luckily, the desk she already had was the perfect size for that wall. We incorporated a small hanging shelf for some additional storage so she’s able to keep the desktop clutter-free.
With the work functions of her office taken care of, we turned our attention to the reading nook. Tosha wanted plenty of space for her next to-read stack, as well as storage for college textbooks, a commemorative basketball, and some other items. This gorgeous brass and glass bookshelf brings a ton of storage without weighing down the small space.
The reading nook itself was also key. The rule of thumb is that furniture ought to be scaled to the size of the room, but sometimes using small furniture in a small space can actually shrink it. To maximize comfort for her personal retreat, we went with an oversized chair and a half from West Elm, ensuring she has plenty of space to curl up with a book.
Finally, it was important to Tosha that her room included a place to honor her father, who was incredibly special to Tosha and who passed away recently. He had a sweet habit of writing poems for her at important milestones in her life, and she wanted those to be prominently displayed. As a special surprise for her, we re-layed out the two poems for her and framed them, and hung them alongside photo frames where she can add pictures of her and her dad at the corresponding moments. They hang across from her reading nook so she can see them whenever she glances up.
Here are a few more, just for fun.
We were so honored to help Tosha create the perfect “home office-plus” for her. Next up is Susan’s living room/kitchen/dining/office space. Stay tuned!
-Jennifer
Photos courtesy of the marvelous Cascades Photography