Office Space

Molly Sims' fabulous office in the home she recently sold in Los Angeles was designed by fuse ID.

It is true that form must meet function in any well-designed room. However, with the exception of the kitchen, I can think of no room where this is more true than in one's office. One's office should be both beautiful and inspiring, as well as very functional. While a couple of the images in this post are located in actual office spaces, the majority are home offices. Let's be honest, even for married couples, the office tends to truly belong to one person. Perhaps that person works from home or brings a lot of work home from the office and therefore, dominates the space. Whatever the reason, one's office should not only be a reflection of one's style, but it should be a place where one feels both inspired and at peace.

Most well -designed offices share some common elements such as great lighting, storage space, comfortable and attractive chairs, a paint color that is either soothing and neutral or bold and inspiring, and some type of artwork. Almost all of these elements can be found in each of these work spaces which I find incredibly beautiful and inspiring. Let's face it, if you work from home, you probably spend a great deal of time in your work space, so why shouldn't it be beautiful and inspiring?


Let's begin with masculine spaces:

This workspace is located in David Jimenez's carriage house. I love the way he arranged the frames on the wall.

This space by Nate Berkus features a beautiful saw horse desk and chrome Chippendale-style chair, as well as a great, bold rug.

This home office belongs to the owner of Visual Comfort. It is a very masculine space, complete with a fireplace. The colors and lighting are all very soothing, but a zig-zag rug was used by designer J.Randall Powers to add some interest.

This sleek space was featured in Nuevo Estilo. I am envious of the level of organization!

Now, let's move on to some more feminine spaces:

I can't think of a more feminine space than Mary McDonald's, which was featured in Domino back in 2006. The color is lovely and it is filled with feminine details.

The lavender built-ins give this space from Elle Décor a feminine touch.

This space is also from Elle Décor. I suppose it is more gender neutral than the other spaces I have shown so far, but I do consider the Chippendale chairs to be more of a feminine touch.

I love what Steve Miller did with the wall here! The mouldings are so pretty.This space (probably located in a bedroom or living room) may be tiny in size, but it is very stylish!

The office of Melissa from Ruby Press was recently featured on coco + kelley and quickly became a favorite of many readers. I love her Robin's Egg Blue chairs and various organizers.

Monique L'huillier's office is as chic as her designs. She opted for a more moody palette, choosing a very dark grey hue. It must be a reflection on her personality. Some people work best in spaces painted in subdued neutrals, others like Monique, prefer greys, which I consider to be introspective colors, and some people like bold colors or patterns, which can be inspiring.

This space is part of Drew Barrymore's office, which was featured in Domino last year and was the first post in my Domino's Greatest Hits series. It belongs to her business partner, Nancy Juvonen.

There is no doubt about it. This space from Country Living is very feminine. The earthy palette is brightened with pops of fuchsia.

I adore this office from Chicago Home Magazine! The paint color on the walls is just gorgeous. The chandelier and series of botanical prints are fabulous and add a feminine touch and that huge demilune desk is awesome! There is so much space!

This whimsical office space was designed by Celerie Kemble.


This room by Burnham Design has been emulated and recreated in many "The Look For Less" type blog posts and for good reason. It features substantial furniture piece brought together in what could be considered a modern traditional look. The damask curtains and crystal chandelier are loved by many and appeal to many aesthetics. In classic Burnham fashion, the room is made a little more eclectic through the use of fabric, like that on the upholstered desk chair and the blue ceramic table lamp.


Another blogger favorite, Tori Mellott's little workspace is eclectic perfection!

Vanessa de Vargas of Turquoise L.A. modernizes a traditional Queen Anne desk by painting it white and pairing it with a zebra rug and bold metallic wallpaper.

This office from Better Homes & Gardens also utilizes a Queen Anne style desk, although this one is more ornate. Paired with black lacquered bamboo chairs, the result is decidedly more eclectic.

Moving on! Let's take a look at some funky spaces that may not work for everyone, but are a true reflection of personal style.

This office really personifies what a work space should be. It belongs to Ashley Edwards and was featured in Domino. Not everyone would be at home in a space with black walls, but it works for her, which is what truly matters. The rules will only take you so far. If someone else doesn't like your design choice, then oh well! You are the one who has to live with it. The room is sleek and contrast is provided by the vintage chandelier, white Parsons furniture and series of framed prints.

This office, also from Domino is also quite personal. Not everyone (myself included)could work in a room with electric blue walls, but it is quite chic. I love that all of the furniture is white with the exception of the black wrought iron chair. The chrome lamp is gorgeous!

This library/office is quintessentially Jonathan Adler. I love that the built-ins are painted a rich espresso color with white mouldings. The lighting fixture is unique and adds a touch of whimsy and Adler's fabulous lime green chairs make for a lovely color combination.

Another bold office space by Adler. I love the fact that the color palette is very focused and based on three colors. The graphic rug is fabulous. If I am being totally honest, though, as pretty as this is, it wouldn't work for me. There is no place to store anything!

This is one of my favorite work spaces ever! Mary McGee used a brown and white palette here and combined it with a zebra rug and Philippe Starck's ghost chairs. Again, not for everyone, but very stylish AND there is an abundance of storage space.

This decorator's studio by fuse I.D. is divine! It is definitely feminine (notice the rug) and is truly eclectic with a mixture of styles, along with vintage (like the floor lamps with fringe shades) and new pieces.

An Alternate View of the Studio

So, which style appeals to you the most? What colors work best for you in an office space?