1 Room, 3 Looks: Three Casaza Designers Take On the Home Office Challenge
With this year giving our home offices more mileage than ever, we asked three designers from Casaza.com, Drew and Jonathan’s design-inspiration platform, to upgrade reader’s WFH office spaces.
The Challenge
Between working from home and virtual learning, the New Jersey–based Reyes family of two had trouble making their home office feel functional and uncluttered. “We live in an 850-square-foot condo, and we need to make better use of the small office—which shares a space with our living room—without overcrowding it,” says Damarys Reyes. To help them, we called on three talented Casaza designers to turn this WFH corner into a space they’ll love. (All products available at casaza.com.)
Meet the Experts
Kate Pearce
Known for her eclectic mix of styles, patterns, and time periods, Kate doesn’t mind breaking a few rules when she’s designing for a client. She lives in Long Island, NY, where she and her family are renovating their 111-year old home.
Yumi Murayama
Principal designer at YU+ME Design in Vancouver, BC, Yumi describes her style as Japanese-Scandinavian fusion with pops of color; she’s a regular design contributor for Canadian Home Trends magazine.
DuVäl Reynolds
Based in the DC area and principal designer of his eponymous interior design company, DuVäl focuses on creating spaces that are clean, modern, and reflective of his clients’ personality and lifestyle.
Kate Pearce
To create a space that felt both relaxing and inviting during work hours, Kate started by mixing a neutral geometric wallpaper with black shiplap—a pretty backdrop for Zoom calls. Pops of color convey cheeriness without being distracting, and she added plants for a natural element. “They’ve long been proven to create a sense of calm, which is especially important with so many of us stuck in the same room for hours at a time,” says the designer.
“Zoom meetings by day, board games by night. I love an office that works both shifts—functional for work and for fun!”
—Drew
Yumi Murayama
Natural elements were a must for Yumi, who wanted an earthy, calming vibe for the Reyes’ work and study space. She mixed cane, marble, and feather with a toile wallpaper in soothing shades of green and added a fiddle-leaf fig for good measure. Since the office shares room with the living area, she chose a round table instead of a traditional desk so it could be multifunctional.
“Now the space can be fully utilized as a hangout spot for playing games with family or relaxing when it’s not work time,” she says. A key to having a home office that does double duty is making sure you have enough concealed storage space—enter this bookcase—to tuck away your cords, computer, and any other unsightly things that will remind you of work. Just shut the cane doors and it’s time for game night!
DuVäl Reynolds
To differentiate between the work and play spaces, and to add architectural interest, DuVäl used wainscoting and a faux column in the home office corner. “This makes it feel like two different rooms despite the open floor plan,” he says. Next, he chose a comfy accent chair as a relaxation area, so tired eyes can get a break from screens, and a simple shallow desk to keep the small corner from feeling cluttered. To finish his design, he added some color with an abstract indigo wallpaper, a teal rug, and some playful art. Zoom time!
Shop the Looks
Get a little help for your least favorite room. Email casaza@revealmagazine.com and submit a photo for a chance to have our designers give it a digital redo!
Renderings by Michael Panov | Product images courtesy of Casaza | Kate Pearce headshot by Bill Pearce | Yumi Murayama headshot by Sophia Hsin Photography | DuVäl Reynolds headshot by Markus Wilborn of MW Concepts
