Working on it
PROJECT: Kelly and Steven Lagman’s (shared) home office in Madison, Wis.
PROJECT GENIUS: Paul Schulman, owner of Paul Schulman Design, a Chicago furniture design and manufacturing company, 773-279-0044, www.paulschulman.com
THE CHALLENGE: Even though the Lagmans’ 3-year-old home measures a generous 3,200 square feet, there was little space left for a home office. The indoor gym with half-basketball court (Steven’s means of relaxation; Kelly’s bargaining chip, forever) consumed much precious footage. But both Steven, an anesthesiologist who handles administrative work from home, and Kelly, a stay-at-home mom who serves on several volunteer boards, needed a “very, very functional office,” Kelly says. With no space for two separate rooms, the Lagmans had one 12-by-12-foot room off the front hallway. It had to accommodate both of them and all their techno-stuff. And because of that front location, “we couldn’t do something haphazard,” Kelly says. “We wanted it to be visually appealing.”
THE SOLUTION: Schulman solved the space jam with a clever T-shape configuration. Primary desk space is the center of the “T,” where both Kelly and Steven keep their computers. “I didn’t want them facing a wall,” says Schulman, noting a basic principle of feng shui and that the Lagmans have two children. He wanted the kids in eyeshot — and not at their parents’ backs. Storage abounds. There are two built-in file cabinets, a free-standing lateral file (not shown, about 5 1/2 feet tall), an open cabinet for the printers and a wall-mounted storage unit. All the woodwork is cherry with a clear finish.
PROJECT COST: about $6,600
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kklages@tribune.com
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