Work at Home – Lynda’s Home Installment 1

The big question over at our home for the past 6 months or so has been “where will we work?”

After some seriously strenuous conversations, we’re almost entirely convinced that we’ll work out of home. What that means, is that we’re going to need to make some changes around here. Working from home means that our previous plans for renovations are now scraped, and new concepts are emerging that allow for a flexible work/live arrangement. This is not an easy project when we’re talking about less that 1200 square feet!

We have a friend who is in the same boat as us. She also lives and works in a small vintage house. Her line of work is much different than ours; Lynda owns a fair-trade silk business.

The design  factors for both our home renovations are the same:

a). We need efficient work space that is separate from the rest of the home, yet still feels like it’s part of the home.
b.) We need flexible rooms that can multi-task (thinking about: guests, re-sale, entertaining).
c.) We need to take advantage of as much natural light as possible. (site “re-orientation” for renovations).
d.) We need to create key design features that showcase our personalities.
e.) We need to design on a foundation of “quality”, “classic”, and “timeless”.

f.) and of course, we both want to design around what we LOVE.

I’ll get to sharing plans for my home/workspace eventually – but for now, I’d like to share a concept for Linda’s home inspired by the bright colours of some of the beautiful silk goods available through Lynda’s business, Floating Stone Silks.

Work:

These silk purses and silk headbands are goods from Floating Stone Silks. I’m really enjoying the ruffle on the dainty bag… very feminine.

The office image shows a neat and tidy work area with a timeless good quality wood desk. I think this is a great idea because it’s likely it will last a long time, and it’s neutral enough to decorate around when/if changes in design down the road. I also like nod to re-claimed with the vintage shutter as a place to keep notes.

The image of the fabric is so lovely! Lynda won’t need to hide away her fabric samples – they would look beautiful on display!

Home:

The row of images at the top is from theBemz e-newsletter. When I received this in my in-box a couple weeks ago I knew my colour prediction for BRIGHT and BOLD and possible FLOURESCENTS was right-on. Europe is always a few steps ahead of us…
The slip cover concept, seen here on dining chairs, is a practical one - a) it protects your furniture b) it can be changed when you’re ready for something different.

This yellow barn-style door (via SourthernLiving) is just beautiful. I think the steel elements have a nice contrast to the silk. Also, the salvaged wood and metal combination is an elegant infusion of humble materials.

Lastly, this sleek, simple kitchen is a blank canvas for creating culinary art after a long day at the office (down the hall – hehe) – or for entertaining friends on the weekend. A tip from this picture? Paint can do marvelous things!

Keeping it Local:
Resources for this project – right here in the Comox Valley!

1. Antique oak school desks at Coopers Government Surplus.
2. Shutters from Habitat for Humanity ReStore (but sorry, I may have purchased them all!).
3. Sturdy solid-wood shelving from the John’s Bedroom Barn.
4. Barn-Door systems – We can help you with that.
5. Modern-style kitchens from Acacia Decorating and Design – the display model at the Spring Home Expo was beautiful!

Stay tuned for another concept for Lynda’s work at home space…

ps. The Sunrise Veterinary project will be complete this week. There is a block party this Friday and the community is welcome to come by. This also marks our first Design-Build project and naturally we’re very proud of it and want to share! Details will be in the Comox Valley Record on Wednesday.