The WOFFICE
It all started when we (I willfully) moved us to the suburbs. The boys were getting bigger, their crap was everywhere and they needed room to move. I needed room for us both to move. You know, typical story - meet in the city, go out all the time, have kids, go out less, start talking about schools and other inevitable adult conversations, grapple with how we will miss the restaurants, the public transportation, the energy, and yet make the jump and move to the burbs. So I moved us…to a wonderful neighborhood, full of kids, with their own “park” (playground) in the back, a basement for the 8 months out of the year playing needs to happen inside in Chicago, and their elementary school just a few blocks away. And I say “I” intentionally, in that Blake was not as ready as I was. It had so many of the good things we were hoping for, but the commute was going to be twice as hard for Blake. While he goes back and forth to the airport more often than not, the hour and a half plus commute to his office in the city was a bit of a sore spot. The house had recently been renovated with the exception of one room.
And so the dream of the WOFFICE began (read wine room/office). What was once an unfinished collector of the things I didn’t know where else to put, would become the office Blake had been dreaming about. Through our shared passion for wine, several trips where we were romanced by a winery, or just a good night out, we had amassed quite a few bottles that needed a home, and Blake’s office was in the open space where the kids played. While Blake didn’t work so well with the kids in the background, he had no doubt he would be just fine in an office made of wine. So, for our 10th anniversary, I took my work home, acting as his designer and project manager to make this dream a reality. I enlisted my college roommate and amazing designer, Brooke Benfield at B2 interior designs to help me keep organized and be my sounding board, giving me great ideas on how to plan for such a small space and still fit so much in. This April, with the help of Matt and his team at Matt Ross Construction, it finally came to life. The desk acts as both a standing desk and a place to serve our friends, and the monitors double as TVs. Yes, the sofa’s name doesn’t lie; it’s a cloud. Oh, and no kids allowed.
Custom millwork for display, pull out sliders with wooden wine crates for storage, and drawers for office supplies below.
Blake’s standing desk, Cooper Mid-Century Leather Swivel Office Chair, and monitors that double as TVs. We got the idea for the ceiling on a trip to Valdobienne last year and a small - now favorite prosecco winery, PDC Cartizze. We hung 450 corks from steel reinforcing mesh attached to the underside of painted wooden ceiling joists. I wish I would have taken photos of the week Blake and I spent screwing cupholders to the top of corks while watching our night time trash TV.
Bar with hidden refrigerator and freezer drawers, glass storage, and adequate supply of Blake’s other beverage of choice - Bourbon. I love this navy velvet swivel club chair and drink side table for one to join the conversation or to sit back and watch TV.
Illuminated wine wall. Last minute, but well worth it-add.
We’ve basically moved in.