Inside the Home Office of One of Canada’s Most Up-and-Coming Designers

When most people buy a home in need of renovations, they typically start with the kitchen or bathroom, but not Jacquelyn Clark! The Toronto-based interior designer is one of the busiest in the biz. If her Instagram is any indication, her days are packed full with client meetings, product sourcing, installs, photo shoots, not to mention the most delectable baking. So it didn’t come as a shock when Jacquelyn’s first order of business was updating the office of her 19th-Century home, it is where she spends the majority of her days after all, so why not transform the outdated space into the true haven the designer deserved?

Jacquelyn and her fiance, Justin, bought the old Victorian last summer, and while they loved the bones and character, the home, which was built in 1898, seriously lacked storage space. The master bedroom had no closet! Their first order of business was shifting a wall between the master bedroom and the office. It cut the footprint of the home office, but provided space for a walk-in closet in the master bedroom, a worthy sacrifice!

Jacquelyn sourced the most amazing Anthropologie wallpaper for her office. The floral pattern is feminine, with just a tiny bit of quirk, and the black on white design helps it skew modern and keep the space feeling fresh and energized.

Jacquelyn’s fiance, Justin, and his father handled the demolition and rebuild when they shifted the master bedroom wall, but they called in True Contractors to handle the installation of crown moulding and wainscotting (all from Metrie). As Jacquelyn noted in her site, these finishing details made the space!

One thing we really love about Jacquelyn’s designs are how practical they are. She truly understands how people live and work within their spaces, and her designs are always reflective and understanding of those lifestyles. Her desk is just as practical as it is beautiful, and she was able to stylishly incorporate task lighting, tech accessories and paper storage (typically the ultimate eyesore).

When Jacquelyn began kindergarten, her mother purchased a desk for her, and it was that very desk that Jacquelyn used when she entered the design industry, over ten years ago. You can see the desk here, in her old condo. As Jacquelyn’s business took off, and she began planning her new home office, she knew she’d need a new desk. As emotionally tied as she was to the piece, she’d outgrown her childhood desk.

A gorgeous raw wood desk was gifted to Jacquelyn by Ave Home, a turn of events that no doubt eased the challenge of giving up such a sentimental piece. The new desk adds warmth to the cool and crisp room, and must be an absolute joy to sit at each day.

To incorporate gold and metallics in a way that wouldn’t overpower the already busy wallpaper and statement desk, Jacquelyn sourced accessories in brushed gold and metallic, a much more muted take on luxe accessories.

Let’s be real, desks can get messy. They require pens and pencils, paper and paper clips, and try as we might to tuck everything away in draws, sometimes it just makes more sense to keep essentials at close reach. To maintain the elegance of her workspace, Jacquelyn clustered pens and pencils (in uniform black, white and grey) in a quirky pencil holder, and found a weekly planner that paired beautifully with a chic (and perfectly themed) candle.

A glimpse into the designer’s week shows a healthy balance of work and play!

We love the playful approach Jacquelyn brings to her designs. This chic little pencil holder with feet begs a double take!

Desk chairs don’t lend themselves easily to well designed spaces, but the addition of a chic accent pillow can go a long way to elevating their appeal. Jacquelyn’s modern white desk chair is paired with the Susan Connor Patra Cushion.

Jacquelyn installed a classic custom Roman shade from Tonic Living, and a luxe area rug from Armadillo & Co. “It never fails to amaze me how complete a room feels the minute we do two things: install the drapery, and roll out the area rugs!”

A minimalist white bookshelf was a must-have for Jacquelyn’s sizable collection of design books and samples. We love how the open-back bookshelf allows the wallpaper to peek through and frame her vignettes.

A lot of factors are at play here, making this bookshelf perfectly coordinated and styled. The most important things to consider when styling a bookshelf are selecting a unified colour palette, balancing vignettes with hidden storage and ensuring the eye moves freely down the shelf. The black antique fan catches the eye, and then throws it to the black vase on the opposite side. The asymmetry promotes movement.

Nothing beats the fresh, vibrant colour of a houseplant. We love how this one gracefully falls down the edge of the bookshelf.

Jacquelyn played around with the arrangement of her design books, revealing some spines, hiding others. This helps to keep colours uniform and adds a gorgeous texture to stacks.

Straw baskets are perfect for hiding ods and ends, but a wire basket shows off Jacquelyn’s gorgeous collection of textile samples.

Opposite the desk is a cozy corner featuring a vintage lamp (found in their attic), a pouf from Métis and a lounge chair that nearly didn’t make it into the space! The Plaidfox chair required Justin to dismantle the bainster on their stairs to get it up. But Jacquelyn said it was totally worth it. We agree!

All of the art in Jacquelyn’s office (except for one piece she created herself) was sourced from Minted. We love how easily it is to grasp the scale of their pieces, thanks to their genius visuals!

A Saje diffuser is a must for office spaces. They instantly signal a sense of zen (no matter how many deadlines are piling up!).

You know what always works in an awkward, empty corner? Plants! When in doubt, add a plant!

A fresh coat of bright white paint gave the old bones of the home new life.

Jacquelyn chose a simple, elegant pendant to pull the room together. Against the crisp white ceiling, this vintage-inspired piece looks so elegant.

Jacquelyn, your home office is beautiful! We can’t wait to see what incredible spaces you dream up from there.

For more from Jacquelyn Clark or to learn about her design services, visit www.jacquelynclark.com.