A few months ago, my husband and I purchased our first home. As a single-family architect, he’s designed and reimagined homes all over the world, and there was one unexpected feature in the 1959 beach cottage that we couldn’t resist: the A-frame office. Originally a walled off bedroom, this light, airy second-story space was opened up thanks to a glass panel overlooking the living room below. So, it only made sense that our first project was setting up our favorite spot in the house.
Blake Bakkila
Even before the Zillow-ing started, one TikTok lived rent-free in my head for months. TikToker Josh Herbert surprised his wife Abbie with a fully renovated home office, complete with the dreamiest desk I’ve ever laid eyes on. Last October, I did a deep-dive and identified it as the Ridge Bleached Oak Desk from CB2. Our little condo was cramped, and we squeezed a desk into the corner of our living room for my husband’s workspace. In our new home, this desk is the focal point in his new office. And while I didn’t break out a drill to install cabinetry like Josh, I’m pretty proud of the transformation.
Blake Bakkila
After making moves on the substantial, statement-making desk, we wanted to round out the office with other light oak furniture pieces. The Wooster Sideboard from Serena & Lily was an immediate “yes,” with a cohesive wooden frame and textural linen doors.
My husband has been wanting a Herman Miller Eames Lounge Chair and Ottoman, but after making such a big purchase on the home itself, we were on the hunt for a good dupe. We ultimately landed on the Emma Lounge Chair and Ottoman from Keeks Design. It’s virtually identical and at about one-seventh of the price, it was an easy choice for an accent piece.
Blake Bakkila
For a grounding element, we turned to our go-to flooring brand FLOR, which makes carpet tiles that are ultra-versatile and easy to arrange. The lines on the Tweed Indeed pattern replicates the legs on the CB2 desk, and the Lichen colorway had a warm neutral tone that worked well with our furniture.
Blake Bakkila
Looking around at our finds, there was a lot of… beige. Fearing a monochromatic millennial concept, we brought in two fiddle leaf ficus in QCP’s Bayamo Round planters to bookend the desk, and scoured the internet for an art piece that could tie it all together. We were drawn to Slim Aarons prints and Gray Malin aerials, but locally owned and operated Helm + Oar won us over with “Out of Office” by Anna Landstedt. The colorful striped umbrellas and irony of the cardboard sign were just too good. Helm + Oar’s made-to-order framing made for an exceptional piece that arrived within one week. The large size (38” x 26”) created the perfect balance over the Serena & Lily console table, which we topped with a succulent-filled concrete herb trough from March SF.
Blake Bakkila
With one wall left, storage was a priority. My husband has accumulated a near-countless architecture book collection, which we hauled across Manhattan to a new apartment and then shipped out to California when we moved to the opposite coast three years ago. The Trent Austin Design Flythe Ladder Bookcase from Wayfair checked all of our boxes, giving us plenty of room for books and decor. Plus, they’re wall-mounted, an anti-tip perk that gives us peace of mind with our restless and oh-so-curious toddler. We ordered two and added photos, plants, artwork my husband made for me while we were dating, and we stocked a few Mustard Made baskets with our son’s books and toys—just in case he needs to get some “work” done with Dada.
