September 17, 2014 | Sandy Giardi
Singular home offices and genius workspaces make the grade—and then some.
Virtuoso Office by California Closet Company, Inc.
After all of those years of schooling, we’re convinced that as adults we’re hardwired to get a little more frivolous come June and a little more serious come September. Whether you have a designated office or are carving out a study hall in an existing room, creating a pleasing workspace can help focus, motivate and inspire you.
In any office space the desk is central. If you have the luxury of a spacious home office, the desk can be as deluxe as it is functional. Michael Humphries Woodworking can design and create desks tailor-made to your needs and style. His custom millwork graces upscale Boston hotels and dream homes and ranges from sleek to traditional with mixed wood species and elaborate hand carvings. And to think you were jazzed by that new box of sharp, yellow pencils as a kid….
Furniture by Dovetail also offers signature desks and credenzas that score an A+ in our book. The premier furniture maker has outfitted executive offices and customized libraries and study halls for prestigious universities, so naturally there isn’t a learning curve for residential needs. Enlist Dovetail to build the piece you have in mind, or put the Vienna and Post & Panel Bowfront Table desks shown here to work for you. Both are standouts for their craftsmanship and sophistication.
Vienna Desk, Furniture by Dovetail
Post & Panel Bowfront Table Desk, Furniture by Dovetail
Standing desks are making a comeback, and since they worked brilliantly for the likes of da Vinci, Churchill, Dickens and Hemingway, we’re singling out contemporary home store Il Décor’s mod Sit-Stand Desk by Jesper. Studies have shown that standing while you work can benefit your health (to paraphrase “Papa” Hemingway, writing should broaden the mind, not one’s posterior), and this adjustable model allows you to do just that and still have downtime when you want it. Plus, you can switch up its location thanks to its mobile pedestal.
Sit-Stand Desk with Mobile Pedestal, Il Décor
Troy Cabinetmakers gets top honors for those looking to build or renovate a study from top to bottom. Troy works with the client, designer, architect and builder to create bespoke studies in the richest hardwoods and finishes. In business for over 40 years, Troy Cabinetmakers uses old-world mastery and cutting-edge technology to fashion bureaus worthy of the highest office, as well as coordinated built-ins, bookcases and more.
Troy Cabinetmakers, Millwork and Cabinetry Specialists
It’s been said that a cluttered desk is a sign of genius, but we think that Roche Bobois’ impossibly clean-lined Morphos Desk designed by Daniel Rode couldn’t be smarter. Made of reinforced polyurethane, the minimalist desk demands an uncluttered mind and looks dynamite paired with the Arum chairs and Denia bookcase, which answers the desk’s oval cutout with apertures in four different patterns and 13 colors.
Morphos Desk, Arum Chairs and Denia Bookcase, Roche Bobois; photograph by Michel Gibert
If space is at premium, fret not, because cabinetmakers, millworkers, home storage specialists and product designers have found genius solutions to fashioning a workspace where there isn’t one.
For an existing house renovation, the architects tucked this gem of desk right into the landing of a stairwell. Comprised of the richest mahogany woodwork by Horner Millwork, the workspace fits in seamlessly between floors. It’s as handsome as it is practical and boasts a drawer and apothecary-style shelving for added storage at a height that lets a stool slide comfortably underneath.
Millwork by Horner Millwork, architecture by HMD Architects; photo by Horner Millwork
Scandia Kitchens takes a similar approach with a kitchen design that extends its display cabinetry into a dedicated desk area. The distinguished cabinetmaker deserves extra credit for conceiving a clean-lined space for conducting household business in the home’s most highly trafficked area. It’s the perfect place to sign a permission slip or write that note to teacher.
Scandia Kitchens; photography by Richard Mandelkorn
Deans of organization California Closet Company, Inc. solves the quandary that often stumps homeowners who are deciding whether to turn that extra room into an office or guest bedroom. Designer Chloe O’Keeffe of California Closets New England has invented a way to do both with the Day-to-Night Office + Guest Bedroom. This bright idea features workstations for two by day and transitions into a guest bedroom for nighttime use, complete with ambient LED lighting and space for a media center. Mixed materials and finishes including Tesoro Cassini beach imported from Italy and textured “wave walnut” cabinet doors ensure that the space looks as interesting as it is clever.
Day-to-Night Office + Guest Bedroom, California Closet Company, Inc.; designed by Chloe O’Keeffe of California Closets New England
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