Vote for the Best Office Space in the Remodelista Considered Design Awards: Amateur Category

A truly successful home office does more than look handsome in a photograph. It needs to support concentration, contain the inevitable paper avalanche, provide decent light, and remain comfortable after the novelty of the new desk lamp has worn off. The five finalists in the 2014 Remodelista Considered Design Awards Amateur Office Space category approached that challenge from radically different directions.

The shortlist included a former kitchen measuring roughly 30 square feet, a backyard shed, a converted mudroom, an organized student workspace, and a renovated sunroom. None was designed as a generic corporate cubicle. Each reflected the owner’s routines, budget, architecture, climate, and personalitywhich is precisely why the category remains useful as a source of home office design inspiration.

Remodelista’s judges selected five finalists, including choices made with guest judge and fashion designer Jenni Kayne, before inviting readers to determine the winner. The 2014 competition welcomed amateur and professional entrants from the United States, Canada, and the United Kingdom, with public voting deciding the winners across 17 Remodelista and Gardenista categories.

Why the Amateur Office Category Still Matters

Professional interiors can be thrilling, but amateur projects often answer the question most homeowners are actually asking: “What can I do with the odd room I already have?” Few people begin with an empty loft, a heroic renovation budget, and an architect quietly waiting beside a mood board. Most begin with a shed full of rakes, an outdated sunroom, a leftover cabinet, or a corner suspiciously close to the laundry basket.

These finalists demonstrate that considered design is not synonymous with expensive design. It means understanding the purpose of a space and making deliberate choices. A thrift-store shelf can be considered. So can a five-year-dried slab of black walnut. The price tags are different, but the thinking is the same: What belongs here, what should be removed, and how can the room make everyday work easier?

That practical perspective aligns with modern workplace guidance. OSHA, NIOSH, Mayo Clinic, and Cornell University all emphasize arranging chairs, monitors, keyboards, work surfaces, and frequently used tools around the user rather than forcing the user to adapt to a badly planned workstation. A room can be magazine-ready and still become a neck-pain laboratory by lunchtime.

Meet the Five Amateur Office Space Finalists

1. Tessa Neustadt’s Los Angeles Bungalow Office

Tessa Neustadt transformed a tiny former kitchen in Los Angeles into a warm, personal workspace. At approximately 30 square feet, it was the smallest finalist, but it may have contained the most storytelling per square inch. Existing built-in cabinets remained, while a white desk, a modest shelf, plants, family photographs, thrifted accessories, and found objects supplied the character.

The office’s appeal came from its refusal to behave like a showroom. A family snapshot, a postcard, ceramics, an old brass porthole, a garden-found crystal, and other collected pieces made the room feel accumulated rather than installed. Neustadt reportedly sourced nearly everything except the desk for less than $50 per item, proving that limited funds do not require a personality-free workspace.

From a design standpoint, this finalist succeeded through editing. Small offices cannot support endless decorative ambitions. Neustadt used light finishes and open surfaces to keep the room visually manageable, then concentrated meaningful objects in a few deliberate locations. It is the spatial equivalent of wearing one interesting necklace instead of emptying the entire jewelry box onto your sweater.

Best quality: Affordable personalization without overwhelming a tiny footprint.

2. Caitlin Long’s San Francisco Office Shed

Caitlin Long converted a 100-square-foot backyard garden shed into an office for early business calls and late-night study sessions. The transformation retained the building’s rustic identity instead of disguising it as a miniature downtown conference room. Exposed cedar, dark gray-painted walls, a compact woodstove, layered rugs, plaid textiles, vintage art, and a leather chair established a cozy cabin atmosphere.

What made the office especially convincing was the relationship between exterior and interior. The shed looked like a shed, and the inside embraced that fact. The cedar paneling added warmth, while darker paint gave the compact room visual depth. Textiles softened the hard surfaces and likely helped the workspace feel less echo-prone and more comfortable during long sessions.

The project also created something many home workers crave: psychological separation. Crossing the yard to begin work can provide a clearer transition than opening a laptop on the dining table beside last night’s mail. Even a short physical journey can help mark the start and end of the workday.

Best quality: A strong sense of place combined with meaningful separation from the main house.

3. Corinne H.’s Dartmouth Converted Mudroom Office

Corinne H. approached her converted mudroom like an architectural excavation. Multiple layers of plywood and linoleum were removed to reveal original pine flooring approximately 140 years old. A tall window brought daylight into the computer area, while a gray accent wall, black industrial lighting, an antique oak mantel, vintage glass, a kilim-covered chair, and an old Dutch pie cabinet created a layered conversation between past and present.

This was the most historically expressive finalist. Instead of replacing every irregular surface, the design treated patina as an asset. Even the storage contributed to the narrative: files disappeared into an antique cabinet rather than a standard metal unit. The result felt collected and atmospheric without becoming a stage set where one might expect a costumed interpreter to demonstrate butter churning.

Its most instructive move was uncovering what the room already possessed. Before purchasing new finishes, remodelers can investigate whether original flooring, masonry, woodwork, or hardware is hiding beneath later additions. Preservation can sometimes produce more characterand less wastethan replacement.

Best quality: Respect for historic materials balanced with contemporary work needs.

4. Rebecca Hepburn’s Vancouver Home Office

Rebecca Hepburn designed her Vancouver home office while studying interior design, and the room reflects an unusually clear understanding of workflow. Shelves were positioned within easy reach. Pens and drafting tools remained accessible. Lidded boxes contained reference materials and miscellaneous supplies. Most importantly, the desktop was protected as an open working surface rather than becoming long-term parking for receipts, chargers, and seventeen pens that may or may not function.

The centerpiece was a locally made live-edge desk constructed from black walnut slabs that had been dried for five years. Crisp white shelving and containers provided contrast, while greenery brightened the room during Vancouver’s many gray days. The combination of natural wood, plants, and disciplined storage created a modern office that felt organized without becoming clinically perfect.

This finalist offered perhaps the strongest lesson in task-based design. The owner began with the work she needed to performdrawing, drafting, studying, storing samplesand arranged the space accordingly. The attractive result followed the function rather than competing with it.

Best quality: Excellent organization centered on a durable, beautiful work surface.

5. Jane C.’s Light-Filled New England Office

Jane C. converted a dilapidated three-season sunroom in Waban, Massachusetts, into a flexible office with Scandinavian influences inside and a modern New England character outside. Windows on three sides overlooked the garden, while an opened ceiling stained white helped the small room appear taller and airier.

The office connected to a compact deck with a built-in planter and served as a media room at night. Its clean-lined desk kept visual weight low, while a childhood desk chair introduced memory and continuity. This room did not merely photograph well; it solved several household needs while preserving access to outdoor views.

Daylight was the dominant design material. Research and building guidance from Harvard’s Healthy Buildings program, the University of Illinois, GSA, USGBC, and workplace surveys have associated access to light, views, air quality, and environmental control with occupant comfort, sleep, well-being, and cognitive performance. Glare still requires management, of course. A window is a lovely coworker until the afternoon sun turns the monitor into a mirror.

Best quality: Natural light, garden views, and flexible use throughout the day.

How Should You Judge the Best Office Space?

Begin With Function, Not Styling

A strong office should support the work performed there. A writer needs focus and room for reference material. An illustrator may need a large uninterrupted surface. A consultant may care most about video-call backgrounds and acoustic privacy. A maker needs storage that prevents every project from becoming an archaeological layer.

When comparing these finalists, ask whether the room’s layout serves the owner’s tasks. Hepburn’s reachable shelves and clear drafting surface excel here. Long’s detached shed supports private calls and concentrated study. Jane C.’s sunroom handles office work by day and entertainment at night without asking the main living room to absorb both functions.

Look for Ergonomic Potential

Photographs cannot reveal every ergonomic detail, but they can suggest whether the room allows proper adjustment. A suitable chair, sufficient legroom, a monitor near eye level, comfortably positioned input devices, and frequently used objects within easy reach matter more over time than the fashionable species of ficus in the corner.

OSHA and Mayo Clinic recommend coordinating chair height, monitor placement, keyboard position, desk clearance, and posture rather than evaluating each component separately. Cornell’s guidance similarly treats ergonomic design as a flexible arrangement based on the user, task, and equipment.

Consider Light, Air, and Acoustic Control

Windows and attractive lamps are only part of the equation. A useful office also needs controllable glare, ventilation, manageable temperatures, and enough acoustic separation for the work being done. EPA guidance identifies ventilation, layout, HVAC operation, and pollutant-source management as important parts of indoor air quality. GSA, WELL, and international acoustic guidance likewise treat lighting, privacy, thermal comfort, and sound as core workplace considerations.

Jane C.’s windows delivered abundant daylight and views. Long’s shed created separation and intimacy. Corinne’s tall window illuminated the workstation. Each project addressed environmental comfort differently, which is useful because there is no single perfect office recipeunless the recipe begins with “remove the buzzing fluorescent tube.”

Reward Storage That Matches Real Behavior

Storage works only when it is located where the stored objects are used. Hepburn’s supplies stayed within reach but behind lids. Neustadt retained built-in cabinets from the former kitchen. Corinne transformed an antique pie cabinet into file storage. These solutions differ visually, yet all reduce friction.

The best storage is neither completely exposed nor completely hidden. Open shelves help with frequently referenced books and attractive tools. Closed storage handles cables, backup supplies, tax documents, and anything sold in a package featuring the phrase “value pack.”

Notice Personality and Restraint

Personal items can improve emotional connection to a workspace, but every object should not demand equal attention. Neustadt’s family photographs and found objects felt meaningful because they were edited. Corinne’s antiques worked because the surrounding composition remained relatively calm. Long’s textiles shared a coherent rustic vocabulary.

A successful amateur office often feels more convincing than an anonymous catalog room because it contains evidence of a life. The trick is allowing personality to inspire rather than distract. One cherished photograph can be motivating. Forty-seven framed quotations about hustle may begin to feel like management has entered the room.

Which Finalist Earned the Strongest Vote?

Each project could win under a different judging priority. Neustadt offered the best model for decorating a very small office on a limited budget. Corinne delivered the richest architectural character. Hepburn created the most disciplined creative workstation. Jane C. achieved the strongest connection to daylight, landscape, and flexible family use.

Caitlin Long’s office shed, however, assembled the broadest range of strengths. It repurposed an overlooked structure, established a clear boundary between home and work, responded honestly to its architecture, layered warm materials without clutter, and created a memorable atmosphere in only 100 square feet.

Readers apparently agreed. When Remodelista announced the 2014 results, Long’s San Francisco office shed was named Best Amateur Office Space. The second annual awards received more than 1,000 project submissions and over 50,000 public votes across the competition.

Its victory did not mean the other finalists failed. Design awards are snapshots of preference, and different workers require different rooms. The shed’s lasting achievement is that it made work feel like a destination. It was practical, distinctive, and cozy enough that opening a spreadsheet there might almost seem recreational.

Experience Notes: Lessons From Remodeling a Real Home Office

Start by Observing a Normal Workweek

One of the most useful experiences in planning a home office is discovering that imagined habits and actual habits are not the same. A homeowner may picture quiet mornings spent sketching beside the window, then realize that most working hours involve video meetings, two monitors, charging cables, and repeated trips to the printer.

Before remodeling, track what happens during an ordinary week. Record which tools are used daily, where papers accumulate, when glare appears, which sounds interrupt calls, and whether the room becomes too hot or cold. This simple observation period prevents expensive solutions to imaginary problems. It also reveals modest fixes, such as relocating a shelf or adding a task light, that may matter more than replacing the desk.

Test the Layout Before Buying Permanent Furniture

Another common experience is finding that furniture dimensions look reasonable online but behave very differently in a room. A desk that appears compact may block a door swing. A deep chair may consume the walking path. Shelving may fit perfectly until someone tries to open a cabinet beneath it.

Use painter’s tape, cardboard boxes, folding tables, or existing furniture to test the proposed footprint. Sit in the planned position at the time of day when the room receives the strongest light. Pretend to reach for the printer. Open every door and drawer. A temporary mockup is not glamorous, but neither is returning a 180-pound desk because it has trapped you between the radiator and the wall.

Build Around the Hardest Working Surface

The finalists show that a successful office usually has one dominant functional element. For Hepburn, it was the black walnut drafting desk. For Jane C., it was the light-filled desk zone. For Long, it was the entire enveloping shed interior, where seating, rugs, wood, and heat created a place suited to extended concentration.

In practical terms, choose the primary working surface first and protect its function. Determine the required width, depth, height, equipment placement, and clearance. Then add secondary pieces. Reversing that order often creates a beautiful room with nowhere to spread out a document larger than a postcard.

Accept That the Office Will Evolve

Even a carefully planned workspace changes with new equipment, new clients, and new routines. Storage that was sufficient for a laptop may fail when a second monitor, microphone, camera, and label printer arrive. An office designed for solitary work may later need guest seating or a neutral video-call wall.

Flexible choices age better than tightly choreographed ones. Adjustable lighting, movable storage boxes, open wall space, modular shelves, and furniture that can serve more than one purpose allow the room to adapt. Jane C.’s office-to-media-room conversion is an excellent example. The room supports more than one household activity without losing its visual calm.

Create a Ritual for Entering and Leaving Work

The most valuable lesson from Long’s winning shed may not be cedar paneling or vintage rugs. It is the power of a threshold. Walking out of the house and into a dedicated building creates a small but meaningful transition. Not every home has a backyard structure, but the principle can be recreated.

Closing a door, turning on a specific task lamp, placing the phone in a drawer, or beginning with a short planning routine can signal that work has started. At the end of the day, clearing the desk, shutting down equipment, and turning off the office light helps restore a boundary between professional and personal time.

Dedicated space also supports visual recovery. The American Academy of Ophthalmology recommends regular breaks from close screen viewing, commonly described through the 20-20-20 approach: periodically look away from the screen toward something farther away. An office with a garden view makes that habit considerably more pleasant than staring into the refrigerator, although the refrigerator does contain snacks.

Final Thoughts

The 2014 Remodelista amateur office finalists remain compelling because none depends on a single design formula. One celebrates thrifted objects. Another creates a rustic refuge. A third preserves historic materials. A fourth turns organization into an aesthetic. The fifth uses daylight and flexibility to transform an aging sunroom.

Caitlin Long’s office shed deserved its official win because it balanced function, atmosphere, architectural honesty, and separation from domestic distractions. Still, the most useful takeaway is not that every homeowner should install cedar and a camping stove. It is that an office should respond to its user and its setting.

Begin with the work. Respect the room. Use what already has value. Add comfort where it matters, storage where it is needed, and personality in controlled doses. Do that, and even the forgotten space beyond the back door may become the best room in the houseor at least the only room where nobody asks where the scissors went.