Rivera Home Reveal: a Calming, Neutral and Textural Home Office
Where as Meka is all about beauty, Jon is all about “function, function, function.” So that’s exactly what we went with when designing the Rivera’s home office this past spring. A multi-use space, the office is a place where Jon goes to read, pray and prepare his sermons; while also counseling people. It was important that not only the room function well with adequate storage and seating, but that it also provide a calming, Christ-centered environment. We did this through the use of a neutral color palette, decluttering the bookcase, and providing seating, allowing the room to breathe.
THE FUNCTIONAL NEEDS:
STORAGE: Initially looking at Jon’s book collection you may be tempted to think, “how could someone read all of those books?!” But you guys, Jon has! Stemming from childhood, his love for books and learning continues today, as he continues to grow in his knowledge for Christ. Often referencing books when writing his sermons, we needed to make sure that we maintained adequate storage for his collection.
SEATING: While it made sense to have a desk, desk chair, love-seat and accent chair, the pieces were to large for the space; so we downsized to smaller ones. Putting the love-seat in front of the bookcase, helped to calm some of the visual noise. We placed the new desk in between the windows, with a chair that can swivel towards the lounge, when Jon is in a counseling session. Down-the-road, there is room for a small accent chair, if desired.
BALANCE: Between the bookcases that were filled to brim and the large pieces of furniture, the office initially felt overwhelming. To calm the visual and physical clutter, we asked Jon to go through his impressive collection and let go of some books, so that we could add greenery and pottery, allowing the eye to rest.
THEIR STYLISTIC DESIRES:
NEUTRAL COLOR PALETTE: Taking into account that whereas Meka is all about color and pattern, Jon prefers a neutral color palette; we kept the bones of the space neutral, using grays, beige and ivory. To warm up the gray walls, we brought in a jute area rug and some brown furniture.
CALMING: since this room is primarily used for study and counseling, we wanted to make sure that room had a very calming affect. To do this, we quieted some of the visual noise on the bookcase by downsizing the book collection, and incorporating picture frames, pottery and greenery. We also added in soft elements such as these linen drapes and a cozy shag pillow on the loveseat.
It can be hard to declutter a collection. While I’m not as attached my collection of books, my closet is another story! The majority of pieces that I own I love and use on a regular basis however every now and then there are a couple that just sit there. It might be that I bought them for their beauty but in reality they don’t fit in with my lifestyle. Whatever the reason, if I notice pieces just sitting there, I give myself a specific amount of time, let’s say two months, to wear them, or else it’s time to let them go.
If there are pieces that I know in my heart, it’s time to let go of but am still having a hard time, I sometimes set them in a brown paper bag, on the floor of my closet. If after a couple of weeks I don’t feel the urge to pull them back out and wear them (or I forget that they’re even there), I realize that its time to donate them. If in the future, I find myself needing something similar I know that I can always borrow or buy new. Holding onto them and not using them though would be a waste.
One of the things that I love about Jon is how he likes to have pictures of family and friends all throughout his home. Knowing this, I made a point to buy some picture frames for his home office (these scratched bone ones are my absolute favorite! We actually have some in our home!).
GREENERY: When I was putting the office together this past summer, Meka shared how she now views greenery in a new light. “Until working with you, I never knew the impact that greenery could have in a room. It brings so much life!”
SEATING: When working with a client, I’m always open to keeping old pieces of furniture and decor if they it makes sense, however more often than not we bring some new pieces in. This is was certainly the case with the Rivera’s home office, where we kept the loveseat (they actually just bought a new one!) but purchased a new desk and chair, that better fit the space. Buying new pieces can be expensive, so I love to shop at stores such as Target or World Market. They have beautiful, quality pieces that you can often check out in the store, to see if you like them and if they’ll work in your space. This desk here is from Target whereas the Riveras got the chair off of Amazon.
CHRIST-CENTERED: Even more important than “function”, is Jon’s desire to keep things Christ-centered. We did this by strategically placing his special piece of art on the wall above his desk. With no other wall art in the room, you can’t help but notice this moving piece.
Campaign Desk | 2. Jute Area Rug | 3. Landscape Framed Art | 4. Brown Leather Office Chair | 5. Carved Dot Frame | 6. Vase | 7. Frame | 8. Linen Loveseat | 9. Scratched Bone Frame | 10. Eucalyptus Stem
Interior Styling: Making Room for Peace | Photography: Luke & Ashley Photography
“I feel as if I stepping into a spa,” our client recently remarked. “It’s just so peaceful and elegant.”