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Homescape
Designed For Living:
Sports theme rules in
family entertainment space.
3H
INTERIOR DESIGN ❚ HOME IMPROVEMENT
Home offices
are a boon to
telecommuters
MIDCENTURY METICULOUS
Work space adds value,
can provide tax benefits
By TERI GATTO
SPECIAL TO HOMESCAPE
T
gone in ten minutes.”
The pair staked their claim to the
mid-market buyer and quickly found
a following among homeowners and
set designers. “We’re not hunting for
the rare, high-end furnishings favored
by collectors. We’re looking for good,
well-made pieces for people who love
the design aesthetic; the style, the
elegance, the sleek sophistication that
are hallmarks of the so-called ‘Golden
Era of Danish Design,’” says Singh. he U.S. workforce has undergone a transformation
in the past two decades; more and more people
are self-employed, and those who work for tradi-
tional businesses or industries are being offered
the option to work remotely, usually from the employee’s
house. These changes have created a growing need for
people to carve out work areas where they can earn a liv-
ing from home.
WHAT TO CONSIDER
Whether you live in a spacious suburban home or a cozy
city apartment, telecommuting requires a space where you
can work without distractions.
Some might consider partitioning off an area in a large
kitchen or family room, but don’t underestimate the advan-
tage of having an office with a door. It will not only allow
you privacy, but at the end of the day a door offers a way
to separate your working life from your family life by simply
closing it.
“Whatever its intended
purpose, before plan-
ning a home office it is
important to have a total
understanding of how the
space will be used,” says
interior designer Sharon
L. Sherman of Thyme and
Place Design in Wyckoff.
“Most people underes-
timate how important it
is to keep a home office
as a dedicated profes-
sional space,” she adds.
“I have a home office, as
well as my design studio.
The first thing I commit-
ted to with my office was
PHOTO COURTESY OF
respecting the space.
THYME AND PLACE DESIGN
It has to be treated as a
This nook of office space is
place of business and an located off the kitchen in this
extension of my studio.” Thyme and Place room design.
As you start to plan
your home office needs, you will want to consider some
basic questions, such as: Will you be hosting clients or
colleagues in your home office? The answer may indicate
the need for a dedicated entrance, a waiting area, or even
a small bathroom.
MAXIMIZING USE OF SPACE
Most home offices tend to be on the smaller side — not
as small as a cubicle, but not as large as a traditional office,
so it is important to do the most with the space you have.
Most of today’s telecommuting professionals are depen-
dent on electronic equipment, which can take up a fair
amount of space. “Buy and use what you need and when
it is time to upgrade, clear out the old,” advises Sherman.
“We just changed out our computer systems and the first
thing I did was to recycle the old computer parts we would
not be needing. Any spare keyboards and cables were
boxed, marked and put into our storage closet.”
Another strategy to maximize space is to order supplies
only when you need them. “Be practical about what office
supplies you need to have on hand,” adds Sherman.
See DENMARK, Page 4H See HOME OFFICE, Page 2H
Midcentury Modern furnishings, particularly from the 1950s and 60s and sourced from Denmark, fill the Lanoba Danish
Vintage Design warehouse in Jersey City where they are meticulously refurbished and selectively sold on site and online.
Direct from Denmark:
vintage Modern furnishings
Importers go to the source for iconic Danish designs
By BROOKE PERRY
SPECIAL TO HOMESCAPE
I
n an era of 24-hour television
programming, design trends born
on the small screen are a dime a
dozen. Shows like Million Dollar
Decorators and Design On A Dime
churn out an endless stream of inte-
rior design tips and trends. But who
knew that the American debut of
one of today’s hottest design trends
— Danish Midcentury Modern — actu-
ally happened 60 years ago during
the first-ever televised presidential
debate in the U.S. On a stage devoid
of decoration, candidates John F.
Kennedy and Richard Nixon took their
seats in two chairs that captivated
television audiences with their modern
design and sleek, elegant simplicity.
“The Hans Jørgens Wegner chair
became such an icon that, today, it is
simply called ‘The Chair. It sparked an
enormous export success and, every
week, containers with Danish design
were shipped to the U.S. market,”
explains Lars Noah Balderskilde of
Lanoba Design, a Jersey City-based
importer of Danish vintage furnishings.
Inspired by a shared passion for
history, design and architecture, and
a desire to make Danish Midcentury
Modern furnishings more acces-
sible to everyday design enthusiasts,
Balderskilde and his partner, David
PHOTOS BY TAV JINIVIZIAN
David Singh and Lars Noah Balderskilde search out vintage furniture in Denmark.
Singh, founded Lanoba in 2016. “We
knew that it was possible to find very
high-end pieces crafted by celebrated
Danish furniture makers, for example
chairs for $8,000 to $10,000, yet
affordable pieces where much harder
to come by,” says Singh. A trip to an
estate sale in northern New Jersey
confirmed their belief that con-
sumer demand for Danish Midcentury
Modern furniture was high. “Ninety
percent of that home’s contents were
Danish Midcentury Modern,” recalls
Balderskilde, “and everything was
Mix cabinet colors for one-of-a-kind kitchen
By KATHIE ROBITZ
T
SPECIAL TO HOMESCAPE
he trendy two-tone look is prov-
ing to be one of the most popular
styles in kitchen cabinetry today.
Introducing two colors to cabine-
try adds more visual interest to the room
that is hands-down the most popular gath-
ering spot in the house. And it’s a great way
to give a boost to standard cabinetry.
“This look is really taking hold,” says
Linda Fennessy of Kitchen Magic, a kitchen
renovation firm that builds, installs, and
re-faces cabinetry. “It’s a creative way to
personalize a kitchen’s design, making it
truly one-of-a-kind.” And consumers agree.
According to the National Kitchen and Bath
Association, respondents to a recent sur-
vey say the popularity of two-tone kitchens
is on the rise.
DESIGN OPTIONS
Fennessy explains the best way to intro-
duce a two-tone scheme is with contrasting
or complimentary colors — for instance
light-color wall cabinets paired with a
deeper shade for base units. A popular
example is white or light grey paired with
black, deep blue or a rich wood stain. Or
you might consider an ombre effect that
gradually goes from the palest shade down
to the deepest tone of one color.
Instead of contrasting upper and lower
perimeter cabinetry, another option is using
color on a single bank of cabinets to create
PHOTO COURTESY OF KITCHEN MAGIC
Homeowners are using two complementary colors on the upper and lower cabinets.
Using the same cabinet style in different colors keeps the overall look fluid.
a focal point in an activity area, such as bake
center or coffee station, or a built-in hutch.
Keep colors subtle or go bold. If you’re
color shy, go for a splash of your favorite
hue on the island.
“The island is where people can really
flex their design muscles without much
risk,” explains Fennessy. It’s a safe choice
because when you want to make a change,
re-facing the island down the road can be
an economical, quick style update.”
COLOR INSPIRATION
“With our clients, I’m seeing mostly gray
islands, but also our Colonial Blue, and even
green, says Fennessy. “For some reason,
jewel tones work best on islands.” Indeed,
saturated hues can be dramatic, adding
a punch of color in an otherwise neutral
scheme.
“We also have quite a few blue lower
and white upper cabinets,” she adds. “Our
Colonial Blue is the ‘blue jean’ of our cabi-
net colors. This pairing always reminds me
of a denim with a white oxford button-down
look. It’s classic.”
The sky’s the limit, however, when it
comes to choice. Go with a trendy color or
your favorite hue. But, as Fennessy cautions,
“It’s important to tie the kitchen’s overall pal-
ette together, taking into consideration the
countertop and backsplash for a buttoned-
up design.” In fact, you might want to begin
your color search by picking up a color from
a pretty tile or handsome stone. “If your low-
er cabinet color is bold, the countertop can
be dark or light. The bottom line is, if you’re
going to go with a deep color, repeat it in the
backsplash,” she advises.
In general, it’s smart to factor in all
surface materials, even the appliances, for
a pleasing interplay of colors. It might even
be fun to coordinate your accent color with
a matching fridge or range. Several manu-
facturers, such as Viking, Big Chill, Smeg,
and BlueStar offer appliances in a wide range
of colors from tangerine to apple green,
cobalt blue, pink, turquoise, and more.
See CABINET COLORS, Page 2H