From her newly finished at-home office, the Leesburg-based designer and her team at Grace Thomas Designs have no problem getting things done right now.

WRITTEN BY JESS FELDMAN

This article was originally published in Northern Virginia Magazine’s online publication, May 29th, 2020.

When Leesburg-based interior designer Michelle Troxell set out to recreate her at-home office in February—unaware that a global pandemic would take hold of America just a few weeks later—her main goal was to develop a space dedicated to function. 

As the owner of Grace Thomas Designs, her daily tasks include meetings with clients, vendors and contractors, as well as creative sessions to make design boards and project site visits to check on construction progress. 

“The whole point of the space is to create a functional and beautiful environment where the entire team could collaborate and create,” explains Troxell. 

After just eight weeks, Troxell’s designs for her home came to fruition with an elegant, sophisticated office space that is big enough for her entire team to work in. The color scheme, with black as the main focus and gold accents to boot, was inspired by a former client of Troxell’s.

“It [black] creates a sense of calm and sparks creativity,” says Troxell. “I started with that gorgeous black tile around the fireplace and then knew I wanted black cabinetry with a beautiful white quartz top too.”

The most essential aspect of the space is the large desk in the center, which, according to Troxell, encourages group creativity and collaboration, and also happens to be large enough for the whole team to sit around while still practicing social distancing during the global pandemic. Plus, ensuring there were deep cabinets and ample storage space for things like presentation boards and trays was key in the design work, prior to actual construction. 

“As I always say with any design project, start with a plan. There’s nothing more important,” says Troxell of future projects many may be considering while at home right now. 

According to Troxell, the most important part of curating any space is planning in advance, as well as focusing on the true purpose of how the room will be used. 

“Lastly, and only slightly less important than a plan, make it beautiful and in harmony with the rest of your home,” Troxell says. “Even your home office should reflect your aesthetic, so bring on the pretty!”

This post originally appeared on Northern Virginia Magazine’s online blog. View the original article here. All photos by Christy Kosnic.