These living spaces integrate beautifully with somewhere to work
WORDS EMILY BROOKS
Surveys by the Office for National Statistics (ONS; ons.gov.uk) reveal that, in 2022, the percentage of those working from home varied between 25 and 40 per cent, indicating that homeworking continues beyond the end of Covid restrictions, and despite pressures such as the rise in the cost of living. Designing a home that serves equally well for living and working is a complex matter that involves creating division without isolation, providing the right light, good views and building in flexibility for easy adaptations in the future.
1 SMALL-SPACE SOLUTION Completed in 2023, the refurbishment of a flat in an Art Deco-era apartment block in Tel Aviv, Israel, includes a clever idea for doubling up functionality in a small space. The businessman owner of the 47sqm apartment works from home, but with only one bedroom, there was no room for a separate study. So practice Baranowitz + Kronenberg built a kitchen that can be hidden behind Douglas fir sliding doors. When the kitchen is not in use, the room serves as an office, with a desk in the centre. LED lighting is concealed within notched grooves in the wall close to ceiling height, creating an unusual play of light and shade. The rest of the flat is also lined in Douglas fir, wrapping the walls, ceilings and floors for a cosy, contemporary, cabin-like look. (baranowitzkronenberg.com)
2 THE GARDEN ROOM
After completely refurbishing her two-bedroom bungalow in Holme Valley, West Yorkshire, with the help of One17 Design (one17design.com), Nicola Orme got the practice back on board to design a space where she can work from home. Her new office also serves as a yoga studio and a place for friends and family to stay. Requiring planning permission due to its height, the 25sqm structure extends into the garden from a garage/workshop. The practice brought in timber-frame specialist Bespoak (bespoak.co) to create the oak frame, which is infilled with brickwork and has black steel-frame glazing by Clement (clementwindows. co.uk). Open to its oak-clad rafters, the space has roof windows bringing in light, plus a woodburning stove, kitchenette and WC to make it self-contained for overnight stays.
3 ATTIC EXTENSION This three-bedroom Victorian terraced house in Kensal Rise, west London, belongs to artist Louise de Lima and her husband Nivaldo, who is a leather worker. A renovation and extension project by practice Mitchell & Corti raised the house to three storeys,
