Brian McCourt gives a home office the executive treatment in a family’s high-use shared space.

This home office is part of a family’s great room over their garage and is used daily. In addition to the office and family room, the space included a bar, gym and bathroom. “It was their everything room, but because it was one big open space, it felt messy,” says designer Brian McCourt, who was brought in to pull all the zones into a cohesive, intentional design. Brian wanted to ensure the workspace was more than a desk in the corner, but rather a fully functional office beautifully integrated into the overall design. It required a huge revamp. These designer tips from Brian are so helpful for anyone struggling to fit a home office into a common area. Here’s how he blended work and home in a space that now has timeless appeal and works for the whole family.

Insider Advice

1. The wood floors in the office section were switched out for tile to visually delineate the work zone without adding walls and to facilitate use of a rolling office chair. “We installed 24-by-24-inch concrete-look porcelain tile in a classic checker pattern that runs from the entrance doors into the bath- room,” says Brian. “It gave us a soft graphic pop while still being timeless in aesthetic. Also, porcelain is one of the toughest flooring products.”

2. Beams were added to the lofty peaked ceiling. The dark wood helps to fill the space visually and ties into the other rich wood elements in the room for a balanced design.

3. “The wall of the washroom on the right created an asymmetric angle in the ceiling vault and it felt off,” says Brian. His ingenious fix was to install oak cabinets underneath the desk and paint out the tall cabinet (to the left of the desk) in the same colour as the beadboard. This made the desk a focal point under the window and created symmetry. Also, the wood cabinets connect the office to the family room’s custom built-ins, linking the two zones.

4. Storage in an office is essential: the cabinet on the left hides an unattractive printer/scanner/copier on a pullout shelf for ease of use; a clever trough in the Caesarstone desktop corals computer cords; and deep file cabinet drawers are integrated under the desk.

5. To give the desk character, Brian designed legs with a “hoof” foot, which is mirrored with a similar profile at the top. “It felt appropriate for the thickness of the countertop,” he says.

 

 

“A space with different tones of the same colour can feel much more sophisticated and nuanced than when you repeat the exact colour.” 

6. Choose durable surfaces. “We spent a little extra on durable quartz counters and the porcelain tile floor,” says Brian, but the materials will stand the test of time in the heavily used space.

7. “We painted the existing beadboard wainscotting a bit darker than the rest of the walls. Given the height of the ceilings, I felt like the space could handle it,” says Brian. The trim is similarly darker than the walls – it’s practical, says Brian, as these areas are prone to fingerprints and dirt, and it adds depth and character without darkening the space.

8. “We wanted some drama in the three-piece washroom, so we colour-drenched the space by painting the walls, trim and ceiling with the same deep colour,” says Brian. “I love how the reddish wood vanity pops, and the paint treatment brings a modern touch to some of the more traditional elements in the space.” Quick hits of black in the main room (sconces, frames for art) connect the spaces.

9. The overall goal was for a bright, open space, but the contrast of black accents ensures it doesn’t feel boring. That said, Brian advises to use contrast sparingly. “We weren’t afraid of dark elements, but they only make up about 5 percent of the main space and are peppered throughout.”

10. Don’t forget the small touches. To achieve a timeless look, Brian blended modern elements, like lighting and upholstery, with found treasures, like an antique typewriter. 

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