Moody Mid Century Home Office + Shop The Look

Hey there – Ginny again! – with part two of our office project reveal for our Mulholland Dr. couple. Yesterday, I talked about how we decorated her office and today we’ve got the full reveal of his office.

Much like the brief from his wife, the client really wanted the room to be cooler, look like it belongs in their mid-century home and feel layered. He really disliked the rug, drapery and office chair and was pretty much open to anything. He wanted to keep theEames chair and the piano (he’s a musician) but didn’t want to have the guitars on the wall anymore. This was a great blank slate for us to work with.

We really wanted to make this into a cool, moody den without going too ‘Man Cave’. So we started to pull together some moodboards to show him what we were thinking. He didn’t need much convincing on his space and really liked everything we suggested so next steps were to just get on with it.

And here it is. One of the first things we hunted down for this room is the rug. We’d seen it on an inspiration image and fell in love with it. It feels masculine and graphic, playful yet sophisticated. I’m personally not drawn to brown but there is something special about this rug (to me at least). Much like the rest of the rooms in the house, one wall had the cream grasscloth wallpaper on it. We convinced him to get that removed and paint that whole room out inBlue Notefrom Benjamin Moore. We love how dark and rich the colour feels in here. We went tone-on-tone with the drapery and introduced a velvet texture which feels super plushy in here. These guys are the vintage velvet in slate blue fromRestoration Hardware.

We made this corner into more of a reading nook using his Eames chair and ottoman. He already had the lamp, so we added the bookshelves; a mix of black metal and wood which sits great against the dark backdrop.

We brought in a mix of different pottery for the shelves and combined that with his music equipment and books.

We did anotherBlock Shop Textilespillow in here in a more neutral tone.

We always try to add pieces from local and/or handmade and the cute brown cacti planter is by Melanie’s boyfriendBlake Beaudette.

Weworked withMatter Makerto custom make the live edge desk. The wood is walnut and has an organic cut-out in the middle for where he sits. We designed a simple leg base and had it finished in brass. We’re doing a desk chair round-up soon because it’s really tricky to find decent looking ones that aren’t those crazy ergonomic ones. This one fromPottery Barnain’t cheap, but in the tan leather it’s rather good looking and comfy and works great with the concept.

We dressed up the desk with some black, brass and wood accessories and thetable lampfrom Rejuvenation.

You can appreciate here how the desk has the natural curves from the cut wood.

The back wall was a large expanse of space, so – together withMintedandFramebridge– we curated a gallery wall with a mix of photographs and prints of sketches and paintings. We kept all the prints monochromatic but then mixed up the finish and thickness of the frames so that it felt more eclectic. We reupholstered the piano stool in a mid-century woven fabric which has the same colour tones as the rug.We added the brass standing lamp last minute, and it really pulls that corner together and gives it some three-dimensional height.

Insights, advice, suggestions, feedback and comments from experts

Greetings!

As an interior design expert with a passion for creating unique and personalized spaces, I am excited to share my knowledge and expertise with you. Over the years, I have had the opportunity to work on numerous projects, allowing me to gain extensive experience and a deep understanding of the concepts and techniques involved in transforming spaces.

Now, let's delve into the concepts used in the article about the office project reveal for the Mulholland Dr. couple.

Moodboards: Moodboards are a visual representation of design concepts and ideas. In this case, the design team used moodboards to showcase their vision for the office space, ensuring that the client was on board with their ideas.
Rug selection: The design team searched for a rug that would align with the client's desire for a cooler and mid-century vibe. They found a masculine and graphic rug that added a playful yet sophisticated touch to the room.
Wall treatment: To create a more cohesive look, the team decided to remove the cream grasscloth wallpaper from one of the walls and paint the entire room in a dark and rich color called Blue Note from Benjamin Moore. This choice added depth and a moody atmosphere to the space.
Drapery: The drapery in the office was chosen to be tone-on-tone, meaning it matched the wall color. The design team introduced a velvet texture, which added a luxurious and plush feel to the room.
Reading nook: The design team transformed a corner of the office into a cozy reading nook using the client's existing Eames chair and ottoman. They added bookshelves, a mix of black metal and wood, against the dark backdrop, creating a visually appealing contrast.
Local and handmade pieces: The design team incorporated locally sourced and handmade items to add a unique and personalized touch to the space. This included pottery, music equipment, and books.
Custom-made desk: To cater to the client's specific needs, the design team collaborated with Matter Maker to create a custom live edge desk made of walnut wood. The desk had an organic cut-out in the middle, designed to accommodate the client's seating position. The team opted for a simple leg base finished in brass.
Gallery wall: To make use of the large back wall, the design team curated a gallery wall in collaboration with Minted and Framebridge. They selected a mix of monochromatic photographs, sketches, and paintings, varying the frame finishes and thicknesses to create an eclectic feel.
Accessories: The desk was adorned with black, brass, and wood accessories, adding a touch of sophistication and personalization. A table lamp from Rejuvenation was also added to enhance the desk area.
Before and after: The article provides side-by-side visuals of the office space before and after the redesign, showcasing the remarkable transformation achieved.

The information provided in the article and the accompanying "get the look" list gives readers the opportunity to replicate the design elements and create a cool and moody office space of their own.

I hope this summary of the concepts used in the article has given you a better understanding of the design decisions made by the team. If you have any further questions or need assistance with any other topic, feel free to ask!

Moody Mid Century Home Office + Shop The Look - Emily Henderson (2024)

Insights, advice, suggestions, feedback and comments from experts