A do-everything wall - home office design - Brief Article

Sunset, April, 2001 by Mary Jo Bowling

This home office is multifunctional

PROBLEM: Fred Silverman and Gerard Buulong needed to fit a home office, storage space, display shelves, and a television into one room of their small Craftsman-style bungalow.

SOLUTION: Designer Tony Cooper turned a wall at the gable end into a built-in unit that meets all the requirements. The 10-foot-wide, 10-foot-tall, and 2-foot-deep structure is divided into two equal sections: A desk and bookshelves are on the right; a television cabinet rests over a storage cabinet on the left. Four down-lit mirrored display niches across the top of the unit mimic nearby windows and visually expand the space. The television slides out of the cabinet and pivots for easy viewing.

The fir-and-mahogany cabinetry blends seamlessly with the open-beam architecture of the home. As one houseguest said, "This home office looks like it grew here."

DESIGN: Tony Cooper, Splinter Furniture Design, San Francisco (415/252-1540 or www.splinterdesign.com)