Sommer sent in a good question: "Our small real estate firm recently took up residence in...well, a residence. We've updated a bit, but working with a space that wasn't built as an office has sometimes been challenging. Our current challenges are as follows:
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CHI Good Questions: Design Ideas for Residential Office?
-Our "coffee" area is of course mandatory, but we only had room for it in the room that serves as a meeting space...mostly with each other, but sometimes with clients. We'd love any suggestions for that room that would help us make it better looking!
-The room with two desks in it needs...something. We think some kind of cool room divider would be neat also need the room to still feel open.
-Our fax/printer/storage area looks awful! Plus, some guests use our back entrance, and so this is the first thing they see. I'd love to tear it out, but we need the storage space.
-The room and in particular the walls by the stairway need some oomph! I was thinking plat maps decoupaged on the walls? Black and whites of clients?
I know all the savvy AT readers out there will have good ideas for us! Help!
More photos of the office can be seen here.
Please share your decor ideas and suggestions with Sommer in the comments below...
Comments (6)
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Well, I think you've got a great space to work with---and it already looks nice, but I see it does need tweaking.
3form has some panels that would make gorgeous room dividers in that space (if---ahem---your business is doing well); almost randomly (because they have lots more), these strike me as good choices:
http://www.3-form.com/materials-varia-organics-birch_grove.php
http://www.3-form.com/materials-varia-organics-tiger_thatch.php
http://www.3-form.com/materials-varia-organics-tiger_thatch.php
view Aulaire's profile
Great office space.
Fax machine area: I would close that space up. Tear out the cabinets and replace with a full wall of bookshelves on both sides from floor to ceiling. You can include some sort of closet door cabinet for the fax machine and other machines.
I would keep the color scheme you have in the space...maybe add a few enlarged photos of buildings or projects that you all are working on or have worked on.
You should also consider putting up a few cool sayings, your logo OR a belief that you want your employees to have in mind as they work.
Kitchen does not look terrible...maybe change out the counter tops--make it look like it more stylish...right now it is a little bland. Chalkboard wall. I would leave a huge square of chalkboard but not the entire wall. It will always look a little messy-never super clean. I have chalkboard paint on the back of my door in my condo-can not ever get it clean.
I wish you success!
view 335ktt's profile
Easiest thing that I can see would be to paint the blue door the same color white as the rest and to pick up a (dark) rug or two. Putting pretty much anything on the wall will also help a lot. I liked the idea of plat maps but not so much the decoupage, maybe find some a couple and frame them similarly.
view jick's profile
rugs. (especially under the chairs. dont want to screw up those floors.. and those clear plastic chair mats are no good)
large plants.
about the fax area- I dont think the placement is THAT bad.. I think a big part of the problem is the cords hanging over the edge. You could bore a hole in the countertop right under the fax and have all the cords and cables running directly down into the cabinet.
view antimatt's profile
What about an Ikea Expedit see through bookcase between the desks?
Can you take the doors off of the cabinets in the fax area? If not, get new ones, I think that's what makes this area not so great.
Rugs and artwork, definitely. As someone who's sat in my fair share of real estate offices, I would say my first choice is for real artwork. Second choice would be some really nice framed photos of what makes Chicago great (that's where you are, right?). At the escrow office where we had our signing they had a beautiful vintage panoramic photo of the Golden Gate bridge. It's good to remind people of why they are paying so much for their house!
view SFGail's profile
You are SO lucky to have so much space!! My "office" in my soon-to-be new condo will be a mere... 7 x 9 or so.
view mrsemerald's profile