Space of the Week: This Vibrant Home Office Proves the Power of Paint (and Pattern!)

Dustin Peck

When Berkeley Minkhorst and Kelley Lentini, the best friends behind House of Nomad, a design firm in Charlotte, N.C., were tapped to transform a blank-slate room, they went all in on a single color—a moody blue. They installed floor-to-ceiling shelves to act as a backdrop for some favorite vessels, and hung geometric wallpaper to frame out a luxe and intimate workstation. If your own home office could use extra energy, let this vibrant work space lend some inspiration.

Commit to Color

This office makes the case for using a bold hue in a small space. Painting the walls, shelving, ladder, and ceiling the same color made the snug space feel bigger. Berkeley and Kelley used a custom graphic wallpaper by Jill Seale to complement the blue and draw attention to the desk niche.

Keep a Simple Setup

The pair left the desk area sparse for a focused work space. The drawers hide supplies, while baskets on the shelves provide additional storage. As many jobs have gone digital, you may find you no longer need the notebooks, printers, staplers, and other office accessories that once cluttered your desktop.

Have Fun With Styling

When decorating the shelves, the designers placed large items—like the white ceramic vases and handwoven baskets—first, then balanced them out with other shapes and colors, like the brass figurine and bright art books. Play around with sizes, materials, and shapes until you create a visual balance. Styling is a game of trial and error, and even small adjustments can make a big difference.

Get the Look:

An Angular Armchair

If you don't work from your home office all the time, swap in a sculptural rattan armchair for the ergonomic office chair. The combination of rattan cane and black A-shaped legs balances warmth with elegance.

Burl Wood Desk

The geometric shapes continue in this vintage-inspired burl wood desk made up of an oval table top resting on half-moon legs. In the dark blue room, natural wood tones provide a break from the monochromatic color scheme.

A Glamorous Desk Lamp

Forget everything you thought you knew about desk lamps. This brushed brass mushroom lamp proves that office lighting can be fun and stylish, without compromising on functionality.

Match Your Paint and Paper

This patterned wallpaper complements the geometric shapes featured throughout the room. Once you land on a patterned wallpaper you love, bring a swatch to your neighborhood Sherwin-Williams, and they can create an exact color match. Everyone will wonder how you achieved such a seamless transition between paint and wallpaper.