The Office Gets A Reboot

WFH is here to stay—which means it’s time to do it not just right, but also in style.

- Words: Tom Weijand Photography: Heather Talbert, James McDonald, and Nico Wills

MAKING THE MOST of your office hours looks quite a bit different when you're clocking in a short stroll from your bedroom, which has become the norm, at least part of the time, for many professionals. With the usual distractions—children, pets, the regular household buzz—and spaces built before the ubiquity of telecommuting, many are still playing catch-up to optimise their home for productivity, but without sacrificing a room to resemble an information technology hub.

According to Charlotte Green, an interior designer and co-founder of Mayfair-based design studio Sixty3 London, a proper home office is now “an essential, as opposed to a nice-to-have”. Multi-hyphenate designer and author Kelly Hoppen agrees. Her London firm has seen an uptick in requests for workspaces in the home “that are not only functional but also comfortable, luxurious, and balanced”. Today, architects and designers are creating more customised quarters brimming with advanced technology and bespoke furniture. Here, expert advice on everything from where to locate a home office to the high-end technology that will make your Zoom calls sound like you're actually in the room.

Location, Location, Location

Ground-up builds and full guttings mean you can choose the placement of your office, but think twice before defaulting to a central spot. “The floor plan from four years ago doesn’t work anymore,” says New York-based interior designer Nate Berkus. “The home office used to be in the middle of the home, off the kitchen or family room, but people are moving it down the hall to feel a separation between the home and the home office.” The physical remove helps delineate work from home, making the office a destination unto itself.

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