Style Magazine - Readers Choice Awards - Roseville Granite Bay Rocklin 2022

| home & garden |
Cathy Tonks, founder
and interior designer at
Designs With You in Mind
(designswithyouinmind.
net), says many of us have
spaces in our homes
that we don’t use to
their fullest potential.
“The room pictured
to the right—now a
luxurious and inviting
contemporary home
office—was once a dining
room that hadn't been
used in 11 years!” she
says. “Don’t let spaces go
unused—it’s time to start
getting the most out of
them, and this might
mean transforming
an existing space into
something else. Once
you let go of how a room
‘should be’ used, the
possibilities are endless. You might even end up with a new home office, too.”
Lauren Jacobsen, principal designer and owner of Lauren Jacobsen
Interiors (laurenjacobseninteriors.com), says the past couple of years has
given many of us a pause for thought about the importance of a home office
setup. “Working from home is now a fixture in many of our lives, and now’s
the moment to revisit how your work space fits into your home,” she says.
“A home office should be an inspiring place to spend your time, while also
showcasing your personality and interests.”
TAKE IT OUTSIDE
“One of the greatest things about working
from home is being able to move your
office outside when the weather is nice,”
says Whitney Critchley, creative director
at Terra Outdoor Living (terraoutdoor.
com). Here, she shares everything needed
for a functional alfresco office.
1. Comfortable seating. “When you need to
settle in and focus on work, it’s important
to have the right chair—[one with a] strong,
well-proportioned frame and supportive seat
that [works] for office hours, and even outdoor
dining,” says Critchley.
2. Easy-to-clean surfaces. “If you’re anything
like me, you need space to spread out and snacks
to keep you going while you work. Ceramic-style
glass tabletops are smooth, expansive, and
remarkably easy to clean, so you always have a
fresh surface. Infused with opaque color, they
offer the attractive look of ceramic with the
exceptional durability of tempered glass.”
3. Zoom-friendly backdrop. “Background
envy is for real. Make your setup the talk of
the Slack channel by positioning yourself in
front of bright blooms, a sparkling pool, or a
lush wall of greenery. Natural light is the most
flattering when you’re on camera. A movable
umbrella will let you keep the sun in front of
you, so the illumination is soft and even. If the
weather is uncooperative or your kids have
commandeered the pool, download a backdrop
to set the perfect scene.
Top photo by Sang An and Dave Greer. Bottom photo by Liz Zimbelman, lizzimbelman.com @liz_zimbelmanphoto.
56 stylemg.com | OCTOBER 2022 | /stylemediagroup /stylemediagroup /stylemediagroup /stylemags