In recent years, I’ve had numerous clients come to me wanting to turn an at-home office into a dressing room...or both! This is a project I’m happy to take on. While more and more people are working from home, their work spaces are becoming increasingly compact due to the mobility of laptops, meaning they don’t necessarily need a traditional at-home office. 

Home offices are typically located in an open room where there’s dead space or in an extra bedroom. Though I approach them a bit differently, both can offer great square footage to build out a sizeable closet. A couple of my clients who have gone this route are Melissa Rivers and Ray Romano. 

In many cases, I’ll design an office-closet hybrid, the perfect way to combine fashion and files.  Christina Aguilera and her husband, Matt Rutler, both opted for this unique design. Christina wanted a true creative space, so I allotted enough room for a small office with some desk accessories where she can work on her laptop. Meanwhile, Matt’s closet includes a folding workstation with a great little writing desk for some quiet work time. 

I recently designed on a project where we transformed an entire living room into a joint space that includes tons of cabinetry, full-length mirrors and storage for clothes, along with a large desk made from the same wood as the cabinets and a robust workstation. The use of the same materials and a consistent aesthetic really streamlined the space and makes it feel natural. 

One of my favorite projects was Monica Rose’s work studio, an 1,800-square-foot industrial space where she can fit clients and also work from a desk.  In addition to racks and racks of fabulous fashion, I created multiple functional work areas, a chic seated lounge and a spacious dressing room, which seamlessly blend into the perfect stylist's office.

The moral here is don’t be afraid to mix staplers and pens with stilettos and purses like a boss!