Office/den
Maher says she had no idea what to do with the entryway space when she first moved in. “It was suggested that we could put our couch and TV in here and call it the living room so that the room next to it, the current living room, could be used as a third bedroom instead,” she says. “Since it’s such a small space, using it as an entryway made more sense.”Table: Terrace console, West Elm; mirror: Infinity 36-inch round brass wall mirror, CB2
The closet in the living room serves as Maher’s organization space for her business. She says having different work spaces for her and her boyfriend is important. “I really like spreading out my artwork on the dining room table and being able to hear Dan practicing guitar in the guest room,” Maher says. “The house has a really calm, slow vibe about it that I love. There are lots of nooks and crannies, and different places for you to escape to for a change of scenery, which I think is really vital to your creativity when you spend basically all of your time at home.”
Go custom. This little home office is clever on several fronts. First off, rather than feeling thwarted by that low, skinny window, the owners simply worked around it. The desk cuts through it, but by painting the desktop and the window frame the same color, the two features work with rather than against each other. Investing in custom design for a space that needs to be functional is also a good tip to take from here: Just look at how much storage has been packed in and at how deep the desk is. It looks so obvious when you see it now, but the secret of good design is that it’s so often deceptively simple.
Q