There’s a reason home improvement and decor shops have seen an influx over the last year.
As we spend more time at home, we’re rediscovering the importance of beautiful, functional spaces. Chris Goddard, founder and principal designer of Goddard Design Group in Springdale, walks us through one of his stunning recent home office renovations.
What did you want to accomplish with this space?
We designed this space for a busy executive who wanted a workspace integrated into a library/family room. I took the largest guest room and transformed it to an office library by removing the traditional sliding closet doors and turning the interior of the closet into bookcases and a niche to place the desk. This allows our client to work while his family uses the large seating space we created by paneling the room in cerused oak and beam details on the ceiling.
When you’re designing a home office, what are the must-haves?
We are working on more home offices than ever before. I love the space to be integrated into a main living area so one can be in the middle of all the action while still getting work done. We are all multitasking more than ever, so it’s important to be in a central location and not tucked away in a corner.
Most of our lives are paperless now, so I love large tables or simple desks to work at and spread out. The days of chunky filing cabinets and heavy credenzas are gone. The most important elements are comfortable seating, especially a great office chair, and places for others to gather around the work station.
How has your approach changed since COVID-19?
COVID has really made us take a look at the form and function of each space. People are using their entire homes now, so no wasted or purely decorative spaces anymore. Design is all about creating beautiful, but practical, and functional spaces.
What is your favorite corner of this space and why?
I love the fact we were able to transform a large, boring white box of a bedroom into a luxurious, comfortable and practical space for the entire family to lounge and work. The sofa converts to a bed, so we still have that extra room and the space is truly multifunctional.
What are your favorite pieces here?
I love the layers of texture and rich colors. I used warm tones on the furnishings, but as the ceilings are low, I designed the paneling and beamed ceiling to create volume. And by going with a lighter cerused oak (sandblasted and lime-washed wood), I was able to keep the space from feeling heavy and remain timeless and elegant.
