Office
Get the look: Bright & cheerful office
Image: Donna Griffith
Office
Get the look: Bright & cheerful office
How a designer created a room for herself that won't go out of style and she'll love forever.
1 She personalized the palette.
“I don’t want to be calm and serene when I’m designing. I want to be charged and excited, and these hues scream, ‘Let’s get happy!’” says designer Margie Doyle White, referring to one of her favourite colour combos in her most favourite fabric, which covers the desk chair (actually an old dining chair she had reupholstered).
2 She followed the light.
Natural light has a way of making a room. This space suffered from small windows and was way too dark, so Margie replaced them with larger ones that allow her to appreciate the view. “Now, the sun pours in, and I look forward to starting my mornings here,” she says.
3 She practiced smart storage.
Of course, the secret to a stylish office is ample storage. Whether you source them from big-box stores or find unique antiques, lots of shelves, folders, cabinets and cases are a must for avoiding a mess. For corralling smaller supplies, the designer likes to get creative: “I repurpose pretty objects from around the house, such as small vases, coffee cups, bowls and juice jugs.”
4 She considered the view.
Overlooking the leafy backyard, the window brings a lot of green into the room, which is another reason Margie chose it as an accent colour. “If you have large windows, it’s important to consider what they look out on. Make sure your design looks good with your vista and that they flow naturally together.”
5 She incorporated elements that make her smile.
Margie opted for minimal decor, keeping just a few beloved beauties in her line of vision while she works: artwork she adores (a collage by her daughter and a favourite print pulled from a Kate Spade New York coffee-table book) and photos of her daughter. There’s also one of Margie’s mother “back when she was trying to be a rebel,” says the designer. “I can always look up and see things that make me smile or giggle!”
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