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Room Tour: A Home Office Makeover for a Hard-Working Hubby
This refreshed space is hard-working, yet comfortable and homely
Chiquit Brammall
19 March 2020
Design journalist and freelance editor. Dollhouse architect. Serial renter.
“Tiffany wanted to redo the home office for her husband Brian’s birthday,” says Caroline Chin-Geyler, head stylist at Arete Culture. This was the third phase of the home makeover that the decorating firm have completed for this Singapore-based family in their landed house.
Room at a Glance: Home office
Who lives here: Tiffany and Brian, Americans who have been in Singapore for 8 years, and their two sons
Location: Hougang
Designer: Arete Culture
Chin-Geyler says: “Brian works long hours and also travels often, so Tiffany wanted to create a comfortable, quiet part of the home for him to work in. The home office is located on the same floor as their poker room so we also wanted it to feel like a complementary extension of the space (despite the two rooms having entirely opposite functions).”
Who lives here: Tiffany and Brian, Americans who have been in Singapore for 8 years, and their two sons
Location: Hougang
Designer: Arete Culture
Chin-Geyler says: “Brian works long hours and also travels often, so Tiffany wanted to create a comfortable, quiet part of the home for him to work in. The home office is located on the same floor as their poker room so we also wanted it to feel like a complementary extension of the space (despite the two rooms having entirely opposite functions).”
Because the homeowners have fairly traditional tastes in furniture and prefer sturdy pieces, Chin-Geyler worked to balance the heavy look with contemporary touches.
“The room was already set up as a home office but the pieces were really heavy for the space, so we injected more soft furnishings and contemporary shapes to update the space,” Chin-Geyler says.
The decorator also focused on creating zones within the workspace to maximise and use the space. “It’s a home office but the boys like to spend time with their dad when he’s home, so we created a cosy seating area where the boys can hang out while Brian works. Brian can also take conference calls on the couch.”
“The room was already set up as a home office but the pieces were really heavy for the space, so we injected more soft furnishings and contemporary shapes to update the space,” Chin-Geyler says.
The decorator also focused on creating zones within the workspace to maximise and use the space. “It’s a home office but the boys like to spend time with their dad when he’s home, so we created a cosy seating area where the boys can hang out while Brian works. Brian can also take conference calls on the couch.”
A focal point was created with the seating area through the use of what Chin-Geyler calls wall art. The homeowners chose the wallpaper of antique books. The decorator added bright orange accessories, such as the hanging mirror, decorative pieces on the shelves and cushion covers, to balance the more traditional elements that the owners already had. Metallic accessories brighten and lighten the space, and give that luxe feel.
Wallpaper: Arete Culture
Wallpaper: Arete Culture
Chin-Geyler created a feature wall in the room using the husband’s favourite colour with Old World Blue by Dulux. New shelves were installed to contrast with the blue, and to house the husband’s books and many personal keepsakes.
“The teak table in the corner was an existing piece which Brian was initially very skeptical of keeping but we were convinced it would work in the room,” Chin-Geyler says. The decorator saw its potential as hidden storage to store the books that the husband doesn’t use frequently. It was upcycled into extra window seating for guests and the boys.
The attached bathroom was styled with the same blue and orange theme as the office for a cohesive feel.
“We’d like to mention that Tiffany made life super simple for us because she laid fantastic groundwork for our styling! This was our third collaboration and she clearly picked up a few tips along the way. She took the initiative to purchase key Ikea pieces for storage and also did some retiling work,” she says.
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What do you like most about this room? Let us know in the Comments section.
“We’d like to mention that Tiffany made life super simple for us because she laid fantastic groundwork for our styling! This was our third collaboration and she clearly picked up a few tips along the way. She took the initiative to purchase key Ikea pieces for storage and also did some retiling work,” she says.
TELL US
What do you like most about this room? Let us know in the Comments section.
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