Tips for a Clutter-Free Home Office

The office where Poorter and Femke Holdrinet work looks onto the canal just beyond the building. The statement pieces in the space are a pair of lamps by Ghent-based designer Jos Devriendt of Low Tech Design. Poorter and Holdrinet have several lights by Devriendt, though these two are unique designs and not in regular production.

A second bedroom was converted into a home office/dining room. A Dieter Rams 606 Universal Shelving System (below and opposite) lines the wall. The “Ziggy Diamond” wallpaper (behind the surreal Erle Loran painting) comes from Flavor Paper, a New Orleans firm that prints wall coverings to order, and the ingenious folding table is by Swedish designer Bruno Matthson.

In the office, Steelcase’s “Think” chair is what Scholtus calls “a masterpiece of cradle-to-cradle design—fully recyclable and very comfortable.” The desktop is a large piece of salvaged plastic.

Boglione's terrarium-like bathroom doubles as an office. Every morning he sits in his armchair with his laptop before venturing further afield.

In his home office, Wardell runs his online art gallery Chester's Blacksmith Shop and researches his next project: opening a boutique hotel in New Zealand. His nephew peeks down from the "napping nook" secreted above the office. The desk is from Room & Board.

Each unit has its own outdoor space, but none are physically bounded, facilitating spontaneous interaction. Taeko Nakatsubo, an architect with the Office of Ryue Nishizawa, enjoys a quiet moment outside.

The office houses the letter “U" as well as cameras.

In the third floor office that doubles as a bird sanctuary, the owners share the magnificent views with their cockatiels. Interior designer Jodi Macklin kept the decor spare and windows unadorned for a clear look at the outdoor setting.

The bedroom overlooks an office, which floats above the kitchen and dining room. The railing and banister were fabricated by a local metal worker a few miles away.

Van Everbroeck’s home office occupies the end of one arm of the building. An industrial outdoor light fixture is mounted on a black-painted steel post. The orange of the back wall was chosen to work with the glowing rays of the sunset and the silhouetted, dancing shadows of leaves.

Van Beek’s extra space is home to her office. She works on a Tense table by Piergiorgio and Michele Cazzaniga and Flow chairs by Jean Marie Massaud, both for MDF Italia.