Planning a workspace and looking for home office decoration ideas? We talk to Lexi Wareham-Dart, founder of Always Sunday, about her plans for a modern office design in her own home that's inspired by her favourite TV series. From the perfect midcentury terrazzo tiles to the burgundy office aesthetic she can't stop pinning on pinterest right now, find out how to design a home office like an entrepeneur.
We have a skeleton space below our kitchen on the lower ground floor of our home. I refer to this as a skeleton because it’s not insulated and it’s in such a raw state. Thus far it’s had one purpose which has been to hold all of our junk! It’s been great as an onsite space for storage so obviously really useful but in reality it’s not reaching it’s full potential for our family’s needs nor does it provide value to the house.
The goal is to create something that feels separate from the daily working and running of our house lifestyle and allow us flexible working space. My husband and I oversee several different businesses that range from sales to development and the environment we work in to accomplish this is integral to us fulfilling our duties, but also giving us inspiration to generate the ‘out-the-box’ ideas that have allowed our businesses to flourish thus far.
We’ve been working from various rooms in the house, from the reading nook to the dining room, but running your own business is so often about creating solutions and it’s difficult to think creatively without being able to focus. A designated home office means we have a proper base to work from.
You’ve mentioned you’ll be referencing Mad Men in this design, why this particular reference? What is it that attracts you?
Mad Men is a series from the states which I adore and during lockdown I got my now husband hooked on it too. Bring on the era of men and women in fantastic hats, offices designed to be the future of modern business, and a mix of materials that were utilitarian and sleek as they crossed over into new decades.
It also reminds me of some of the midcentury designs I grew up with when visiting my Great Grandmother’s home and my Grandfather’s early offices - all wood paneling, richly coloured seating and bold artwork. I’ll be bringing in more of the terrazzo that I’m currently in love with, that really hit its stride in the 1960's backed by Italian mid century designers. It’s a welcome progression from our marble kitchen floor that is such a focal point upstairs, ensuring the natural flow of the house down to the lower ground level where the home office will be. Plus it’s easy to clean which means practically the dogs (who are often our office companions) will be able to come in and out from the garden.
Which brands will you be working with to renovate the home office?
Ca'Pietra tiles are superb in quality and exactly on trend with the feelings and aesthetic I want to evoke. I can not see how I would be able to create the flooring effect without them! I will also be topping up with Dagny silk cushions from our store and a signature scented candle for every season for sure! This autumn I'll be burning The Man of My Dreams candle for the leather and tobacco scents that feel very Don Draper!
I am considering the addition of an Oi Soi light shade so that I can add some drama to the less than grand ceiling, but also bring in the Eastern influence that was very strong in the late 60’s and 70’s like my Great Grandmother had in her home with some lacquer and intricate prints. It will be great fun to utilise our collection of vintage furniture that we have, and definitely showcase some artwork from our favourite gallerist Sophie of Among the Pines.
What are your top tips for a productive home office?
Productivity for me at home is all about clearing clutter, visually and mentally, and this is not just what’s on the desk. I mean clearing ‘distraction’ so that my environment is tidy and attractive, an organised room with an almost meditative atmosphere.
Any practical space needs to have a purpose so items from outside the office are not stored here nor are office items removed to other parts of the house. I need to know where everything is when I arrive into the room and not waste extra time searching for things. Easy clean and clutter free surfaces are essential because much of our work ends up revolving around laying out masses of paperwork, drawings or swatches and noone wants to waste time putting things away first!
We will be building a hidden door to a small room of shelving and filing cabinets that will house our project binders and the ugly (yet practical) printer along with surplus paper and stationery. This way we have all our essentials just three steps from the desk, but hidden from us. Overwhelm is easily spurred and nobody needs to look at a printer whilst on a conference call.
Hide the ugly, celebrate the things that inspire you and your work space will reward you with endless creativity and productivity no matter it’s size.
