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Room of the Week: A Light-filled Home Office in Uplifting Colours
This full-time working space is easy on the eye and on the budget
Designer Kristen Montero worked with a blank slate when she helped these first-time homeowners in Pasadena, California, decorate and furnish their new space. “The clients had nothing when I arrived for their consultation,” she says.
Although most of the home now reflects the couple’s blended aesthetic, the home office is one space where there was no need to compromise. The wife, who works from home full time as a software engineer, asked Montero to tailor the room to her tastes and needs. “She wanted this space for herself,” the designer says.
Although most of the home now reflects the couple’s blended aesthetic, the home office is one space where there was no need to compromise. The wife, who works from home full time as a software engineer, asked Montero to tailor the room to her tastes and needs. “She wanted this space for herself,” the designer says.
Desk, Lamps Plus. Filing cabinet, CB2. Desk chair fabric, Ballard Designs.
Check out 11 ways to style your desk at home
Check out 11 ways to style your desk at home
The rug came early in the project. It’s pink and delicately patterned, as the homeowner wanted, but in a classic style that lent an ageless feel to the room, as Montero wanted. “We loved it so much,” the designer says, they decided to design the room around it. “That was a fun adventure to go on.”
Although Montero normally doesn’t design a room around a rug, she says it can be a great place to start in a redecorating project, especially if the rug is colourful. “Create the colour palette of the room based on the rug, if you want, or a piece of art,” she says.
Rug, Lulu & Georgia.
Although Montero normally doesn’t design a room around a rug, she says it can be a great place to start in a redecorating project, especially if the rug is colourful. “Create the colour palette of the room based on the rug, if you want, or a piece of art,” she says.
Rug, Lulu & Georgia.
With the rug in place, Montero designed the rest of the room’s colour palette to complement it. Using other shades of pink and a mix of neutrals, she sought to keep the room on trend and energetic, but cohesive and not overwhelming. Pieces with texture add depth in a subtle way.
“The pink rug goes great with the rattan chair and leather ottoman, because it’s still on trend, but it adds texture while keeping it interesting,” Montero says.
To pull the design together, she also kept everything at somewhat the same scale. “There are a lot of textures and layers, but they are proportional to the room,” she says.
Wall art, Minted. Leather ottoman and side table, Etsy. Armchair, Dot & Bo.
“The pink rug goes great with the rattan chair and leather ottoman, because it’s still on trend, but it adds texture while keeping it interesting,” Montero says.
To pull the design together, she also kept everything at somewhat the same scale. “There are a lot of textures and layers, but they are proportional to the room,” she says.
Wall art, Minted. Leather ottoman and side table, Etsy. Armchair, Dot & Bo.
Montero used a variety of sources to furnish the room, both to give it more depth and to manage the budget. “We used eBay and Craigslist, and would refurbish things,” she says.
They found a vintage desk chair at a charity shop and reupholstered it in a dalmatian fabric, inspired by another version they’d seen in an upmarket vintage shop.
Shelving unit, Ikea, painted gold.
They found a vintage desk chair at a charity shop and reupholstered it in a dalmatian fabric, inspired by another version they’d seen in an upmarket vintage shop.
Shelving unit, Ikea, painted gold.
“I always mix my pieces when clients are conscious of the budget,” Montero says. “If we select a higher-end rug, then we may pair it with a chair purchased from a flea market or house clearance.”
Regardless of price, she says all pieces should reinforce your concept to create a cohesive vision. But, she adds, don’t be afraid to have fun. “I often like an element of play.”
Bar trolley, Target.
See 12 ways to work a glamorous bar trolley into your home
What do you think of this light office? Share your thoughts in the Comments below.
Regardless of price, she says all pieces should reinforce your concept to create a cohesive vision. But, she adds, don’t be afraid to have fun. “I often like an element of play.”
Bar trolley, Target.
See 12 ways to work a glamorous bar trolley into your home
What do you think of this light office? Share your thoughts in the Comments below.
Location Pasadena, California
Size 90 sq ft (8.4 sq m)
Designer Kristen Montero Design
The homeowner wanted to include a bar area for entertaining and shelves for knick-knacks from her travels. From there, Kristen Montero explored the mood the client wanted to convey in her office. “She likes pinks and of-the-moment trends,” he designer says. Additionally, the homeowner requested that Montero stay within a conservative budget.
Montero set to work creating the homeowner’s dream space from scratch – one that would feel contemporary while incorporating features that would make it seem timeless. “I wanted to add some unusual touches to make it more ‘collectable’ and unique,” she says.
Walls painted in Decorator’s White, Benjamin Moore.