An old outdated barn transformed into a Pottery Barn-inspired space, blending vintage charm with modern elegance.
Design ideas for a mid-sized country home studio in Philadelphia with white walls, concrete floors, no fireplace, a freestanding desk, exposed beam and planked wall panelling.

Inspiration for a mid-sized transitional study room in Charlotte with medium hardwood floors, a freestanding desk and grey walls.

Ed Butera
Inspiration for a traditional study room in Miami with a freestanding desk and beige walls.

Leblanc Design, LLC Michael J Lee Photography
Design ideas for a transitional study room in Boston with beige walls, a standard fireplace and a freestanding desk.

Design ideas for a small contemporary study room in Toronto with dark hardwood floors, no fireplace, a freestanding desk and red walls.

View within the study showing the addition of contemporary bookshelves. photography: Tatjana Plitt
Mid-sized scandinavian study room in Melbourne with a standard fireplace, a wood fireplace surround, a freestanding desk, white walls and dark hardwood floors.

Weitzman-Halpern Interior Design, Bedroom Holiday: Sweet 16 Photo: Rikki Snyder © 2013 Houzz
This is an example of an eclectic home office in New York with purple walls, carpet and a freestanding desk.

Design ideas for a mid-sized contemporary study room in San Francisco with medium hardwood floors, a freestanding desk and orange walls.

This is an example of a mid-sized study room in Minneapolis with red walls and a freestanding desk.

This is an example of a transitional study room in DC Metro with medium hardwood floors, a freestanding desk, brown floor and pink walls.

Design + Photographies by EFE Creative Lab, Inc.
Photo of a contemporary home office in Miami with black walls, dark hardwood floors, a freestanding desk and brown floor.

When it comes to finding inspiration for your house or apartment design, there are a variety of routes you can take. For some, it is important to dive into the latest trends in fashion and art, using only the most popular decor pieces and embracing the color palettes seen on runways or in home and garden magazines. But for others, it’s simply about discovering what feels most like “home.” Ashley Steele, the creator of A Styled Affair, was part of the latter group. “Since my husband and I were moving into a space that was previously owned, I needed a way to make it feel like it was truly ours, and unique to us,” she told our team. A Styled Affair sprang from Ashley’s passion for fashion, and need for a creative outlet. But it soon became more than that. She developed a following, and it quickly became a place where she could share her personal style, travel adventures, and lifestyle tips. “While the blogging industry has become overwhelmed with people sharing their favorite home decor or make-up tips, I think what sets A Styled Affair apart is my commitment to stay true to my unique taste. I have always marched to the beat of my own drum – and that carries through in the clothes I wear, the decor I select for our home, and the travels I plan.” Paintzen connected with Ashley as she was settling into her new home in Boston’s Seaport District. Although she and her husband have lived in Boston for almost 8 years, they were used to smaller, more traditional spaces. Their new home is much bigger, and more modern, than any place they lived before. “I wanted to select colors of comfort, simplicity, and sophistication so we could elevate the space and make it feel more like a home.” Ashley also accurately pointed out that new construction can sometimes feel a little cold and sterile, almost industrial. “I wanted our home to feel like a peaceful oasis after coming in from the bustling city.” Ashley chose soft white paint for her walls to bring a sense of comfort and zen. With lots of wall decor, art work and carefully selected furniture, the walls serve as a clean and comfortable palette, and allowed her more freedom when making her other design decisions throughout the space. Ashley kept the overall palette fairly neutral, and incorporated “modern bohemian” inspired decor throughout the home; the final product was clean and simple, and catered to her style. We asked Ashley what she was most excited for now. “I’m most excited to continue to find new decor pieces to compliment the paint colors and decor we’ve already found for the space. We have been really patient with decorating and selected each piece really careful to make sure it is cohesive and flows from room to room. I’m looking forward to enjoying the space with my husband and dog, and entertaining friends and family in the spring and summer!” A few final questions for Ashley on her experience with Paintzen: “I would highly recommend Paintzen to anyone, especially those that live in the city. There are so many different paint companies and contractors to choose from but going through Paintzen simplified the process and made me feel comfortable that we had the right team working on our space. Their platform for booking services and choosing paint colors made the process seamless and was a great way to keep track of what we booked and chose for colors. Most importantly, the customer service team was outstanding whenever we had a question or needed to make an adjustment.” And advice she would give someone repainting their home: “Patience. I would recommend taking your time and doing your research before selecting paint colors. Lighting changes every color so make sure to bring paint swatches and samples into the space and look at it throughout the day to see the different tones that the light will pick up. I would also recommend researching color trends and recommendations for colors in the family you are looking for. We found our living room color through a blog post listing top-used colors by interior designers and it looks amazing.”

Photo of a transitional home office in Other with green walls, dark hardwood floors, no fireplace and a freestanding desk.

Home office and study with Nordic styling. The cork top desk has bespoke cabinet storage behind it with sliding doors, bespoke made by the My-Studio team. The layout allows for a Danish sofa for relaxing.

Previously a bedroom this space was converted into a beautiful home office complete with meeting table. We used white wall paint, framed mirrors and white furniture to expand the space. The wallpaper though patterned was white in keeping with the overall theme of the office. A red carpet and ash grey curtains were included in the decor to break the monochrome color scheme.

This is a modern contemporary home wit neutral color theme wit clean designs. False corner ceiling with hidden track lights around the living area. White wash walls with one portion in grey. Feature wall is a wide panel, finish in white with a single row of display mantle. Flooring in off white ceramic tiling.

Her office.
Photo of a mid-sized contemporary home studio in Denver with light hardwood floors, a freestanding desk and multi-coloured walls.

Design ideas for a contemporary study room in Miami with dark hardwood floors, a freestanding desk, brown floor and grey walls.

This beautiful home office area is nestled in the massive master suite. It's business as usual with the large writing desk with convenient drawers for storage. The wall mounted zebra-wood book shelves float above for additional storage and display. The tufted velvet chair allow the home-owner to comfortably pay bills or log on their computer. Paint SW #6281 Waliflower.