Introduction

It's that time again, we are designing an office with a library! The finishes are in the style of Industrial Modernism. These finishes include raw exposed materials such as wood, stone, brick, and an earth-tone color palate. As I continue my journey as an Owner Builder building my first house I am currently in the planning phase I love to envision each space of home. The office space is a place where I would spend most of my time, so it important that is has a level of comfort and space for collaboration with peers. I do plan on having a workshop that will have large pieces of equipment such as a CNC machine, a 3D printer station, and an oversized worktable for model-making and design creations. The office will be adjacent to the workshop in the overall house plan. The one key feature of my home office is an accessible library. I love books because within each book there is a world that captive you and inspires you for greatness. Let’s begin and envision the home office with a library in our mood board collection.

Design Considerations

Designing an office is all about personal identity and freedom. The office is a space where you will spend most of your time. It is important to cover comfortability, functionality, and space efficiency. Space planning considers the layout of where you will have your desk location and the circulation of the space once. When sitting is your back to the door? Or is your back to the windows? Another design consideration is storage and shelving, think about the best way to optimize books, magazines, and office supplies. How do you plan to integrate storage for personal items, bags, and important papers? These are a few design questions to consider for creativity spinning. Next up are a few selections that I plan to add to my office as an Owner Builder of my own home.

Mood Board Collection

Lighting – Wide LED Ring Pendant Light

By Elk Home

I love to capture my guest with some type of eye-catcher object or in this case the light fixture. The 33-inch-wide LED pendant ring light is a show-stopper in its own right. It adds a design flair of modernism as well as balance lighting to the office space. The ring light is available in matte black, bronze or stainless-steel metal. The lighting cover area is about 8 feet with a color temperature of warm white (3000K) which is a soft touch when working in office space. The lighting coverage makes this ideal to be placed directly in the main desk area. I look forward to seeing this fixture in my future office

Library – Dawinna Metal Library Bookcase

By Wayfair (East Urban Home)

The second thing your guest will notice is wall hung metal bookcase library located on the opposite wall with any the large window openings. We will discuss more about the windows shortly. The beauty of this metal bookcase it has a duality for not only books but for small décor items that can help add character to office space. Such as family portraits, candles warmers, small desk plants can paired along with the books. One things I love aesthetically about this book case is that it is made of black metal with 6 shelf tiers. Most importantly it add storage space to the room. Here a construction tip during the framing phase of building the home be sure to note to add blocking on wall that will be hosting the metal bookcase. You want to make you have ample support for with a lot of books it can become a very heavy.

Wall Finish – Old Chicago Faux Brick Wall

By Barron Designs

Once you have ordered your Dawinna Metal Library Bookcase, let's consider the wall finish. I recommend the old Chicago Faux Brick Wall Finish. Mainly exposed brick is a staple feature within industrial Modern Homes. The beauty of this product is that it Fuad Brick assemble in wall panels. The beauty of this product is the efficiency of transforming any interior wall with a brick finish. Available in several different color finishes each gives off a character of time and edginess. These reclaimed bricks are resistant to fading and deterioration. They are made from a lightweight polyurethane material. A great option for DIY and quick for an instant transformation.

Floor Finish – Concrete Porcelain Tile

By Tilebar

The Floor Finish in a typical home you can carry out the main floor finish into the office. When I design for different rooms, I find great admiration for transforming a space from Top to Bottom. To help anchor the office into more Industrial style, I have selected Instinct Dark Gray 24 inches by 24 inches Concrete Matte Porcelain Tile. There are various tile sizes available, we selected the larger tile size to reduce grout lines for a cleaner look. This tile is very versatile in application it also great as a wall finish, kitchens, backsplash, outdoor uses, and as well other applications. The natural dark gray matte finish is also part of out base color palette.

Ceiling Finish – Black Mission Ceiling Tile

By Ceiling Connex

When it comes to ceiling design it usually remains as a blank canvas. Construction of a ceiling design such as adding faux beams, drop ceilings, or suspended ceilings are all great alternatives to adding depth and character to the office space. I am not sure yet how I would physically go about the construction of the design. I know I would love to implement the 24 inches by 24 inches molded black Tiles. These are made from PVC material, great option for easy maintenance as well the installation process. I personally love the matte black finish color and the square impression designs. Not only it pairs well with the 33-inch-wide ring light mentioned earlier, the tiles pattern anchors the industrial finishes packaged style.

Furniture – Nord Galaxy Gray Chair

By Article

The office space is incomplete without furniture. The Nord Galaxy Gray Chair I love because of it sleek design. The two main materials are wood and fabric. Having these chairs is a great addition to the office for your guests or a place to read and study. The Chair has two arms aiding to comfort for long periods of seating. As well as a deep seat for better relaxation, natural wood finishes pairs nicely with the overall theme for industrial style office. I can envision myself sitting in the Nord Galaxy Chair with a Hot Chai Latte Cup enjoying a good read.

Furniture – Rectangular Coffee Table

By Four Hands (Hughes)

The next furniture piece I cannot wait to add to the room is the 33 inches wide bluestone rectangular coffee table. This is a great texture table because of the bluestone stone tabletop finish. Also, this coffee table is heavy, weighing about 88 pounds. The table legs are iron finish which falls in the raw metal finish of industrial modern stye. Here are five books I consider as must in arm reach. One is “Becoming” by Michelle Obama, I look forward to the day I meet her in person! The Second is called “The Chiffon Trenches” By Andre Leon Talley he is an visionary, did you know the super bowl LVII performance by Rihanna. The opening act the world saw the Iconic Red Coat was in fact designed by Andre Leon Talley. The next two are Sci-Fi, number three “The Memory Librarian: and Other Stories of Dirty Computer” by Janelle Monae this is truly a gem. Number Four is called “Binti” by Nnedi Okorafor wonderful series collection. Number Five is “The Hate U Give” by Angie Thomas an emotional ride so gets comfortable! Having these books on display are great conversation starters.

Natural Lighting – Large Windows

By Black Badge Doors and Windows

Natural Lighting in any room should use to its full advantage, during construction I look forward to having these oversize large Steel metal casement windows. The window million style gives me a Chicago warehouse allowing ample natural lighting.

Plants – Faux Shady Lady Olive Tree

By Williams Sonoma Home

To wrap up the mood collection is adding greenery to the office space. Small décor desk plants are great additions added to the bookcase or the coffee table. These can be accent pieces to add nature to the room. If you do not have a green tumb not great at keeping plants alive no worries, you should consider this Faux Lady Olive Tree for purchase. Available in three different base basket color finishes black, brown, and grey. Seeing an olive tree daily can boost your mood because an olive tree is known for their longevity and ability to thrive in challenging environments even produce fruits in harsh conditions. An olive tree can a be subtle reminder to keep persevering in life and move forward no matter how hard the day may become.

Conclusion

Times fly when you are loving what you do. I sense my future office space is going to be my favorite place in the home. I know I’ll be working on my next house design. This collection will continue to evolve over time, I look forward to bringing this office with a library to reality soon. If you have any suggestion to add to this mood board collection email me or connect with me on social media. Another aspect of the office I did not cover is technology integration for power usage and different workstations. I think this will expand the office to the next level. Stick around and find out what I decide next.