Interiors
A Family Study
with Space to Lounge
A client in Lexington, who resides in the 1960s Colonial she grew up in, felt nostalgic for the dark original woodwork in her home’s study (which was once her Dad’s office) — but she was ready to update the space to better fit her current family’s needs.
The dark trim and bookcases felt dated, and while the office was used regularly for computer work and book storage, it wasn’t furnished for lounging. The existing desk was both too large for the space and not well-suited for more than one user.
To visually enlarge and lighten the study, we painted everything — walls, trim, cabinets, and ceiling — the same fresh creamy white. The once-underused closet was transformed into an open storage nook: the door removed, with a drawer bank and open shelves added.
BEFORE
This study is full of IKEA hacks, tackled by the owner during the pandemic: the corner sofa was too low to the ground, so she added wooden feet to raise the height; the desk is an IKEA butcherblock countertop custom-cut and placed over a single cabinet, with legs added at each corner for support. The closet cabinet is a modified base from IKEA’s kitchen collections.
