In residential design, I think many of us have gotten in the habit of ‘going big or going home’, in the literal sense. Every space in the home has to be bigger and better than before, and as residential design evolves and progresses over the years, there is a continuous upwards trend to having bigger better spaces, with more storage, more capacity, larger and more high end furniture, more substantial artwork, etc. However, I don’t think ALL spaces in the home should be designed this way. I think all homes should contain at least one quaint space that is specifically designed for quiet leisure, focus, and mental repose, and I think a cozy office nook is the perfect solution.
In residential interiors, particularly in the case of Dallas Texas (in my experience anyway), home offices are a big deal. They are often designed off of the foyer of the home, they are very spacious, and they typically have a sofa or accent chairs, a large window, a fully built-out custom bookcase of cabinets and shelves taking up an entire wall, and some sort of large focal point whether it is a TV, or a massive canvas artwork, or gallery wall.. and then you have a desk in the middle of the space that the whole room is anchored around. But back in the day we used to have home office nooks and they were often off of the kitchen, or a bedroom, or even off of a hallway in the back of the house, and they were quite quaint. I think these should come back. There is something inviting about a very intentional yet casual office nook. Ok, to be fair, it doesn’t have to be just a ‘nook’.. I’m calling it a nook, but really what I mean is it can be a ‘smaller’ room that can be closed off, away from noise in the house. Still accessible for frequent daily use, just steps away, but contained by a simple pocket door enclosure.. A space where you can truly immerse yourself in your work. This type of office space is not meant to be seen by the guests in your home, and not off of the foyer of your home.
In more recent years as there has been a wave of more and more corporate people working from home, we have learned that there is going to be a time when we need to work from the comfort of our homes, and it needs to be a space where you can focus, have creative freedom, and/or just a stimulating thinking space where you can shut the door and knock out some emails. A space for just your laptop and your notepad, or whatever mediums you use for work, or even just for casual reading or artistic leisure. That’s the point, is it should be a space designed specifically for you, or whoever in your home the space is primarily intended for. There should be a safe space for that. Sometimes I think we have lost sight of journaling, reading, and deep diving into our creative minds. And I think (sometimes) residential design should be less centered around ‘hosting guests’ with having open concept floor plans, and more about creating functional and intentional, customized intimate spaces throughout the home that you actually want to use on a daily basis.
These nooks don’t have to feel like the Harry Potter closet, in fact, I recommend atleast a 7’x7’ space. You should have some fixed built ins, it shouldn’t be all free floating retail furniture. I recommend at least ONE anchored element. If you have an anchored built-in desk with an adjacent cabinet or bookcase, then you can add a free floating furniture piece like a bench-seat settee. If you have a built-in window seat with storage built up around it or beneath it, you can have a furniture desk that is against the other adjacent wall or window. I will always recommend a desk against a window so that you can face out and have depth of view, as opposed to desks that face a solid wall, but that is just personal preference. It should be functional by having some storage that is clean and clutter-free. I think an upholstered window seat, or a casual bench settee is the perfect way to add the lounge-essence. This is essential, because without the cozy, it’s just another desk that you dread sitting at because you’ve got work to do.
I found some examples on Pinterest of cozy office nook designs that seem inviting, functional, and more stimulating to work in than your traditional large showcase home-office (that is often rarely used). I could easily picture someone being able to curl up in an upholstered chair with an espresso in hand, and enjoy working in these spaces, or similar spaces.
When you design your next home, will you be adding a small office nook somewhere in the floor plan?
PS: None of these examples pictured are of my design work. Sources are unknown and have been found online via Pinterest.
Comments