Home Office

I recently made the switch to an adjustable standing desk in my office, and it has made a world of difference. That said, I soon realized that my regular desk chair just wasn’t going to cut it anymore. With a more active desk I needed a more active seating option — and it turns out that the medical community agrees. Active seating — specifically ergonomic stools — helps to strengthen core and back muscles, while allowing the spine to achieve its natural curve.

You may have heard that Amazon is sending cities into a tizzy by announcing that they’re hunting for a place to open a second headquarters outside of Seattle, which will be dubbed HQ2. They’ve got a lot of work cut out for them on making that big move, so we thought we’d decorate the new digs for them—with stuff from Amazon, of course.

Just like any place where you spend a lot of time, your home office can easily get overrun by daily minutiae—think: sticky notes, to-do lists, and piles of printouts—that make it difficult to concentrate. That’s why it’s important to create a dedicated workspace that not only keeps you organized, but also helps you stay positive and focused throughout your day, too. Luckily, there are a few items on sale right now on Amazon that can revitalize your workstation in no time.

If you’ve had it when it comes to dreary home office spaces, listen up. Those who are short on space or privacy (i.e. roommates) needn’t look further than the room you sleep in for home workspace, and while writing emails may not be high on your list of favorite bedroom activities, these nine bedroom office nooks are so good they’ll have you reducing your commute time in big way.

If you are nervous or unsure about adding color into your home, consider using 60-30-10 color rule when planning your next room makeover. The 60-30-10 rule is a very easy-to-follow approach that designers often use to create well-balanced rooms using color. This concept follows the classic rule of three (which is also used in everything from marketing, to floral arrangements, to writing). In this case, three color families are used to add balance and depth to a room.

I know I’m not alone in the intensely pleasurable emotions I feel when opening a door or drawer and finding a perfectly lined-up, organized set of containers. It’s a joy matched only by the excitement of seeing an unattractive (but useful) home element smoothly reveal itself from its hiding spot…and then slide right back out of view. Sure, this post has some organizing and camouflaging ideas, but it’s also unabashedly full of some moments of sweet and simple zen.

Project by: Tina Rich Location: SoHo — New York, New York We here at the Apartment Therapy Media offices fancy ourselves cool, calm and collected New Yorkers, but that all flew out the window when we heard none other than Karlie Kloss would be setting up shop in our building. Once we got a peek at her incredible new office (and let’s be real, also that outfit) we became full blown fans.

I know it’s still August, but Yankee Candle released their new scents for fall, and now I’m suddenly wearing a sweater. Also a perfectly cozy oversized scarf. By the way, where did this pumpkin spice latte come from? It’s autumnally delicious. After a whiff of this candle, I’m the kind of person who has their shit (and shared Google calendars) together enough to organize an early season apple picking excursion. The reward?

When we think of staying in a cabin, we tend to envision a cozy hideaway in the woods situated far away from the hustle and bustle of metropolitan life. But there’s an unusual form—definitely not your idea of the traditional log house—in east London that’s hiding in plain sight on top of a row of artists’ studios, warehouses and event spaces.

If you don’t already know that I’ve spent the last year and a half building a house, you should check out my posts that have documented the process since last January 2016. As I approach the finish line (move in some furniture next week), I want to use my Fantastic Find slot to showcase some of the remarkable sources and products that I’ve put into the project.

Walk into any modern office today and you’re bound to spot at least one standing desk somewhere — they are all the rage in home and corporate offices alike. Somewhere along the way The Edge Desk got thrown into the mix, though it is surely in a league of its own when it comes to unconventional desks: it’s the world’s first all-in-one desk, easel, and chair, completely designed for a kneeling posture.

Project by: Style Mood Location: New York, New York The office of Sid Lee New York a) doesn’t really look like an office at all b) is designed to inspire creativity c) isn’t trying too hard to be cool, making it basically the coolest space around.

It’s not just how you work, but also where you work that’s important. Here at Apartment Therapy, we understand the influence that your physical environment can have on your state of mind, and that’s particularly true for the place where you work—whether that work is writing, or catching up on business, or just composing a few emails.

I often end up on the sofa in a nest of throw pillows and blankets when I work from home. While comfortable, this arrangement doesn’t really provide focus to the tasks at hand. It’s why experts recommend carving out a nook where you can have an established space to buckle down and work. You don’t need much to get started, just a desk, a lamp and a chair. I built a few home office setups using secondhand and vintage finds from Marketplace.

Seoul, South Korea is now home to a green oasis in the middle of the city. The Asian metropolis has become the latest to hop on the urban planning trend of turning overpasses into parks, and the results are vibrant and visually stunning. The project titled Seoullo 7017 represents a huge contribution towards the city’s efforts to make its streets greener and more pedestrian-friendly.

Beyond satiating curiosity, getting to see how different people tackle the layout of homes with the same floor plan is also illuminating. Do the same people have the same design challenges? Do they use space in the same way? Does architecture have a strong affect on the furniture and accessories selected? Tirsh and Minky share a lovely North Oakland loft with their dog Arnie. As the owners of Hunter & Lew, a design studio, having a home that fosters creativity is clearly important to them.

There are a few privileges to being an editor in the design world, one of which is getting to see the future (a.k.a. what’s going to be in stores well before anyone else is privy to that information). This comes in handy when trend forecasting happens to be your sport of choice.

After 20 years of working there, Alvar Aalto’s architecture practice outgrew the modest studio space in his home near Helsinki, and in 1956 he re-located it to a building just down the road. The new spot, designed by Aalto himself, was an architect’s architecture firm, with soaring spaces, wide expanses of glass, and abundant light. In short: it was the perfect space to work.

There’s a homelessness crisis in Los Angeles, with an estimated 50,000 people sleeping on the streets every night—a figure that’s jumped 35% in the last year alone. Architecture students at the University of Southern California have worked with city officials and nonprofits to come up with Homes for Hope, a single-occupancy pod that can be built quickly and cheaply, and can help provide safe spaces for homeless people while more permanent solutions are in the works.

Loyalists to the Apartment Therapy Marketplace know that tons of great new stuff is added every day. But since we live in a busy world, you might not get the chance to check for new listings as much as you’d like. That’s where I come in. I spend a good amount of time digging through the latest uploads each day, and am more than happy to spread the love when it comes to great deals.

The Swedes certainly know how to do small spaces. Case in point: this small but stylish apartment, whose living room cupboard conceals a clever surprise. This little apartment has two cupboards in the living room, one of which opens up to reveal the world’s coziest little bedroom. It’s private, tucked away, and, I would imagine, very warm and snug on a Nordic winter night.

Inside an old box factory in Baltimore, in a loft apartment with minimalist decor and structured industrial features, lies a studio bursting with color, erratic splatters of paint, and a kaleidoscope of paper scraps. This is artist Nicole Mueller‘s think space, a celebration of paradox. After an inspiring house tour with Nicole and Dave, I wanted to learn more about Nicole’s artwork and her relationship with the apartment as a living space, a working space, and a revolving gallery.

Nothing beats the real deal, but when your wallet hasn’t quite caught up to your great taste, there are ways to get the look without going ridiculously over budget. Lookalikes abound, but not everyone is in the “ok with it” camp. For those who are, we offer up the following scenario: The second you win the lotto, you’ll be on board to pony up for the originals, but until that day comes, we might find you lounging on these knock-offs of classic beauties.

Lindsay Jackman is the Southern small-town gal behind The White Buffalo Styling Co., a lifestyle and design blog dedicated to helping everyone “create a life with style and purpose.” Take a peek inside Lindsay’s joyfully eclectic office that represents all things her. Name: Lindsay Jackman of The White Buffalo Styling Co.

Desk. The word can incite passion, great ideas and inspiration or evoke a slight nausea at the thought of logging one more hour in that dreaded, dimly lit space. While some may be the former, I myself am the latter, working amidst an uninspiring collection of junk mail, laundry, discarded receipts and so many Post-It notes that I can’t recall which ones I’ve completed and which I haven’t. It got me thinking: Shouldn’t your desk be the yin to your productive yang?

New does not always trump old. In fact, at Flea Style in Dallas, Texas, it never does. Come take a peek inside owner Brittany Cobb’s warm and inviting office full of well-loved treasures. Name: Brittany Cobb of Flea Style Location: Dallas, Texas Out with the new and in with the old! The transposed popular saying is the core of Brittany Cobb’s Flea Style. Brittany’s childhood was in many ways spent as a business tutorial and foreshadowing of what was to come.

We have officially crossed the threshold into the dog days of summer (which actually has nothing to do with canines, but rather the dog star Sirius…who knew?). To commemorate the stretch of heat (and lethargy) associated with this period, we scoured Etsy and rounded up 9 super cool, modern pet houses—from cat friendly cardboard to designer edifices—for your furry friends to ride out the season.

Not everybody has an entire room (or even an entire wall) to set aside as a workspace. But living in a small space doesn’t mean you can’t carve out a spot to do a little work or let your creative juices flow. For inspiration, look no further than these examples of inspiring workspaces that fit quite nicely into not very much space at all. Above: A sunny small workspace in a San Francisco home from Cup of Jo.

People have been sharing that photo of Justin and Britney all over my Facebook wall again (was that really 15 freakin’ years ago?), so that can only mean one thing: the Canadian tuxedo is back, baby! Or maybe not. Maybe the all-denim look is something that’s only cool in my dreams. You know what else has been floating around in my dreams lately? These denim rooms. Once you see them, you cannot un-see. Proceed at your own peril.

Are you looking to carve out a small little spot in a corner of your living room or dining room (or maybe even bedroom) for a work or hobby space? Just a little bit of room that’s all for you to flex your creative muscles? You might find inspiration for what should be in that corner from this beautifully appointed home office set-up.

Now that the kids are back in school and life is slowly getting back into a regular routine, it’s time to think about getting your own work and routine back in order. For some (like me!) the excitement of getting new school supplies never really fades and this time of year is a great time to rethink, reorganize, refresh your home office or perhaps create one from scratch.

Do you dream of a dedicated space to work from home, write that novel, pay the bills or the dozens of other ways that people with gorgeous home offices feel inspired to do thanks to their amazing work-centric space? ANYONE can find room for a home office in their home (even people in tiny studios). All you really need are these eight elements arranged in a way that fits your space’s size and your lifestyle. Why put any time or effort into carving out a home office in the first place?

When you’re clicking around the internet with inspiration in mind, you sometimes come across those great photos that make you gasp. But why? Can you pinpoint exactly what you like about a beautiful picture so you can recreate that element in your own space? It’s probably one of these things. Even if you don’t love large lemon art, you might be drawn to how bright and happy the above photo feels. Or maybe a moody, dramatic photo really gets you going.

Today’s assignment is a quick one. Five minutes of reading and you’re done, but the color concepts you’ll learn will start you thinking in the right direction when it comes to color for your room. It’s time to gain some confidence for your upcoming design choices – you can do this AND you’ll do it well – but it’s important to feel prepared.

Name: Bitium offices, designed by Kate Strickland of West Haddon Hall Location: Main Street in Santa Monica, California Size: 3,500 Ssquare feet, 2 floors Years worked in: 1 year When Kate Strickland completed this office design project, she asked me to photograph it for her portfolio. However, I immediately felt its incredible design deserved to be showcased in a workspace tour.

Name: Ben Kaufman, Founder of Quirky Location: West Chelsea, New York, New York Size: 45,000 square feet Years worked in: 2 years; Rented Quirky’s offices occupy the top floor of a great old industrial building in west Chelsea — a former self-storage site that once housed the famed 1980’s nightclub The Tunnel.