Office furnishings should express user’s personality

The traffic flowed freely that day, no doubt due to the hour, and as I crossed the valley from west to east I noticed that the sun was just beginning to rise above the surrounding mountaintops. Early morning meetings are not the most desirable thing in the world to me, but this was on behalf of a favorite residential client who was in the process of opening a new corporate office and wanted my input for her personal space. So I agreed to meet with her architect, review the plans and report back to her.

The space she would occupy as her office was in reality quite small, which presented a whole set of challenges from the start. This was compounded by the fact that this client loved only the very best and always wanted her surroundings to be elegant, yet functional and inviting. Still, this was a commercial workplace. What was I to do?

Simply, I had to approach my design as if the office were in her home; I knew she wouldn't settle for anything less than that.

In reality, I had only three of the four walls to work with, as the fourth wall was sure to be broken up with artwork and, of course, the doorway. It was truly a very tight space, much the same as many of us will encounter in a home office where the smallest room in the house is often allocated for this purpose.

And to make matters even more challenging, the wall that would take the floor-to-ceiling, wall-to-wall cabinet that was needed for storage and display was broken in the middle by a "nasty," inconvenient window.

Immediately I thought of using zebra wood highlighted with steel trim for the wall unit, desk and as part of a very functional coffee table that came to mind. I felt that this would be an exciting and elegant look for my client and I would jazz things up for her by using bold contrasting colors of suede and printed fabric on the sleek contemporary seating I was planning. The seating would be a two-piece sectional that would be 30 inches deep at the most due to the confines of the space.

I especially liked the concept for the coffee table that I presented to her with a great deal of enthusiasm since I've always been drawn to tables that can serve a dual function. The table I suggested was round, which helped a great deal with space planning, and was composed of two independent halves that could be used separately or together. One side would be upholstered in suede cloth and be a bit higher than the other, which would be covered in zebra wood. The higher half could be used for additional seating, when necessary, and the lower wood half more as a coffee table. She loved the idea.

This office was an extremely personal statement in a corporate environment and clearly reflected the client's taste and enthusiasm for bold, elegant design. Close attention was paid to form following function and all of the furniture was scaled to maximize use of the space.

I'm always happy to encounter a client who isn't uncomfortable seeing a different perspective and is willing to go a little "out of the box" when approaching the design of an office, be it for the home or otherwise. Why hire a designer if you don't want him (or her) to design?

Another home office that stands out in my memory (where creativity surely was encouraged) was based on a geometric design that I have used several times since then to great success. This particular client had a wealth of memorabilia that he loved, including a full-size working juke box, and he literally chose to be surrounded by these prized possessions while working at his desk. Each piece was measured and assigned a particular space in a wall unit that wrapped around the room. Some of the spaces were vertical and slim, others were horizontal. Each area also was illuminated. It all worked brilliantly and the final product was certainly dazzling.

My own home office space is truly eclectic: real bamboo wallcovering, a large tree, zebra rug, olive ash burl wood wall unit and curved glass-top desk complete with the sound of running water and pictures of loved ones and dear friends. It is a sanctuary in which to work.

An office can be a wonderful project to design, be it for the home or the workplace. It should be designed rather than come together haphazardly. Too many of us still hold ourselves to a rigid and traditional idea of what a room with a desk and telephone needs to look like. In doing so, we deprive ourselves of the kind of environment that might truly express who we really are and miss the things we love that could surround us and encourage our peace of mind and ultimately our productivity.

Stephen Leon is president of Soleil Design International and has been designing and manufacturing custom furniture and cabinetry for more than 25 years. He is on the board of directors of the Central California/Nevada Chapter of the American Society of Interior Designers. Questions can be sent to soleildesign@cox.net.