on the up&up

More home offices are going vertical. Shelves reaching to the ceiling were originally driven by necessity, but people are realizing the storage potential of their office spaces. We love how the shape and color of these cabinets is mirrored by the ceiling design.

Drawing the eye upward makes the area feel grander; everyone’s office needs a sense of gravitas! Vertical lines will help elongate the space. Pedestal tables, framed glass doors, built-in shelving, interesting ceilings, tall plants and geometric furniture can help pull off this design trick.

If you love this look, what should you avoid? Heavy, bulky desks can “weigh down” the bottom half of the room; on the flip side, large, excessively decorative lighting can have the same effect on the top half. Aim for balance –good advice for any situation, right?